Road accidents kill 11 people per day in Myanmar

Road accidents killed 11 lives per day on average in Myanmar, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 4,000 people a year, according to the Traffic Rule Enforcement Supervisory Committee on Saturday.

Most accidents on city streets are caused by speeding, unsafe overtaking, drunk driving and lack of driving experience, said the committee.

With an influx of imported cars following the government's relaxation of rules and regulations on vehicle imports, roads, especially in Yangon, are becoming congested, resulting in a greater number of crashes.

Since 1992, Myanmar's Ministry of Health in cooperation with the World Health Organization has carried out "Injury Prevention Project" which is ongoing across the country to reduce deaths and injuries resulting from traffic-related and work-related accidents.

Myanmar will take part in the third UN Global Road Safety Week set to be held from May 4 to 10 this year.

Statistics show that the number of registered vehicles operating in Myanmar stood at 4.2 million in the fiscal year 2013- 14, of which motorcycles accounted for 3.6 million.