Sitting at a roadside stall in Phnom Penh with a glass of iced tea, you can easily lose track of time watching the traffic squeeze and crawl past like a swarm of ants. But behind that chaotic rhythm lies an unforgiving reality.
During the first ten days of September, from the 1st to the 10th, Cambodia recorded 69 traffic accidents across the country. The human toll is heavy: 50 people never made it home, and another 81 were injured, some lightly, others critically. If there is any small consolation, the numbers have dipped slightly compared to the same stretch in August, with two fewer deaths and six fewer injuries.
According to local media, these crashes were scattered far and wide, touching Phnom Penh, Kandal, Kampong Speu, Sihanoukville, Battambang, and Siem Reap. In five particular hotspots—Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Kandal, Kampong Speu, and Svay Rieng—traffic police have dropped the soft approach. Starting September 1, officers have been stationed heavily along accident-prone stretches, cracking down hard and showing little leniency, while other provinces continue to focus mainly on warnings and roadside education.
Out on the pavement, the reasons behind the whistles and checkpoints haven't changed: drivers treating the road like a runway, getting behind the wheel after a few too many drinks, cutting across intersections without looking, and trucks piled precariously high with cargo.
Whenever you head out, keep it slow. Nothing is worth more than making it back to your room in one piece for a warm meal.
