Cambodia Warns of Rising Traffic Fatalities, Urges Law Compliance for Public Safety

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sar Sokha, has expressed grave concern over the escalating daily traffic accidents, describing the situation as dire, akin to cancer, with an average of five deaths occurring daily. Speaking to provincial governors and commune chiefs during the closing ceremony of the 5th mandate commune council's work review meeting on September 8, 2026, at the Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel, Sar Sokha urged all provincial governors to continuously push their subordinates to strictly adhere to traffic laws. This includes wearing helmets when riding motorcycles and respecting speed limits when driving cars. He emphasized that if traffic accidents continue to rise, the number of fatalities in 2026 could exceed 1,600, representing a significant loss of human resources for the government, which is striving to develop human capital at the sub-national level. It is noteworthy that recently, the Minister of Interior introduced strict principles, warning that civil and armed forces officials from the Ministry of Interior would face dismissal if they caused traffic accidents due to drunk driving. This measure aims to enhance the value of officials within the Ministry of Interior, an agency responsible for enforcing traffic laws, and to maximally reduce the rate of traffic accidents.