A serious accident on the Hà Nội-Hải Phòng Expressway on Thursday. two were killed and nine were injured. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — A total of 5,343 people were killed by traffic accidents across Việt Nam in the first six months of this year, said the National Committee on Traffic Safety on Friday.

The committee gave out the figures as part of a conference to review traffic safety, reporting that there were 12,350 traffic accidents in the first six months of 2024, in which 9,552 people were injured.

Compared to the same period last year, the number of traffic accidents increased by 15.85 per cent, while the number of deaths declined by 10.61 per cent.

Forty provinces and cities reported declining number of traffic accident fatalities. In particular, Cà Mau, Lai Châu, Bình Thuận provinces reported a decline in deaths from traffic accidents of 45 per cent.

However, 23 localities reported an increase in the number of deaths in the first half of the year, with central province Thừa Thiên-Huế and Mekong Delta province Bến Tre reporting a surge of over 40 per cent, said Lê Kim Thành, the committee’s vice chairman.

He said the number of traffic accidents caused by drunk driving has reduced sharply compared to the same period of the previous years.

He said there were nine extremely serious traffic accidents, killing and injuring many people, causing widespread public anger. The number of cases and injuries due to traffic accidents increased compared to the same period in 2023, with some local areas reporting cases of racing.

Traffic congestion in Hà Nội, HCM City and key gateways of major cities is getting more complicated.

The number of acts against police officers on duty have been on the rise. In the first six months of the year, there were 78 cases, injuring 27 officers, an increase of 45 cases compared to the same period in 2023.

Low awareness of compliance with legal regulations and responsibilities of local authorities being lacking, have been identified as the main causes, according to the committee.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang, the committee’s chairman, said in the context of 6.42 per cent of GDP growth in H1, traffic, trade and goods transportation will subsequently increase, putting pressure on the task of ensuring order and security.

“The National Assembly has passed two laws: the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety and the Road Law, which serve as new legal frameworks to better perform our tasks,” he said. — VNS