HCM City (VNA) – A so-called Network ofExcellence (NoE) on research to increase traffic safety in Vietnam with theparticipation of international universities and organisations (includingBelgium’s Hasselt University), was launched at a workshop held in Ho Chi MinhCity on April 2.
The project, which also gathers Vietnamese universities, statemanagement agencies, and relevant business organisations, aims to build trafficsafety policies and action programmes at the national and local levels forVietnam based on the experience of Belgium in this field.
Vietnam has set the target of reducing 5-10 percent of traffic accidentsand casualties each year under the country’s traffic safety strategy through2021, with a vision to 2030, permanent vice president of the National TrafficSafety Committee Khuat Viet Hung said at the workshop.
Hung raised the fact that traffic accidentskilled more than 8,000 people nationwide in 2018 and cause annual economiclosses of 5-12 billion USD. The total damage during the 2015-2030 period isestimated at about 130 billion USD.
In the framework of NoE, Vietnamese and Belgiumscientists will coordinate to find the key reasons behind traffic accidents inthe country, as well as sharing domestic and international experience toincrease traffic safety in Vietnam, he said.
Cooperation between the State, scientists,businesses, and organisations is important to ensuring traffic safety. However,the most important step lies in the awareness of traffic participants, hestressed, suggesting stricter punishment on violators.
The official also underlined that it isnecessary to improve the legal system on traffic safety.-VNA
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