A truck overturned in the central province of Quảng Bình on July 26, killing 15 people and injuring 21 others. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hoà Bình chaired a meeting on Thursday of the National Traffic Safety Committee to look into the causes of recent serious traffic accidents and seek solutions to fix accident hotspots.

According to the committee’s report, there were 9,170 traffic accidents from December 15, 2019, to August 14, 2020, which claimed 4,342 lives and injured 6,727 others.

Compared with the same period in 2019, the number of accidents was down 2,161 (19 per cent), while the number of deaths reduced by 754 (14.8 per cent) and injured victims decreased by 1,860 (21.6 per cent).

However, several serious accidents have occurred since June, such as the July 26 crash in Quảng Bình that killed 15 and injured 22.

Deputy PM Bình, also chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said the main cause behind the serious accidents is the lax management and lack of responsibility of transport businesses. He noted he had not received any report on sanctions for vehicle owners or managers of transport businesses when their vehicles were involved in traffic accidents.

The Deputy PM stressed the need to clarify the responsibilities of State management agencies at both central and local levels.

He told the Transport Ministry to report on the inspection of transport firms which have had drivers involved in serious accidents since January last year.

Localities were urged to address infrastructure problems at accident hotspots on key national roads and in dangerous terrain.

The Ministry of Public Security was instructed to maintain regular patrols at night to detect violations of trucks and coaches.

Deputy PM Bình also ordered cities and provinces to launch a campaign in September to crack down on violations of safety corridors along land routes. — VNS