A fatal collision between a motorcycle and a truck transporting garment workers in Kampong Chhnang province claimed at least one life and left 42 others injured on June 28.
The incident occurred on National Road 5 in Kampong Tralach district’s Seb commune, said the provincial police’s road traffic bureau.
According to the Centre for Alliance of Labour and Human Rights (CENTRAL), the truck, filled with nearly 60 workers, had just departed a factory when the motorcycle fell in its path. The truck driver’s sudden brake application caused the vehicle to flip over.
The deceased worker was identified as 36-year-old Prum Chhoeun, a resident of Cha village in Teuk Hout commune. Employed by clothing manufacturer Tripos International, Chhoeun, along with the injured, were rushed to nearby hospitals while some with more severe conditions were transferred to Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh.
Pav Sina, president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers (CUMW), asserted that recurring traffic accidents warrant urgent road safety education for drivers.
“This work can’t be done by any institution alone. Our union is also cooperating with the Asia Injury Prevention [AIP] Foundation to enlighten factory transport drivers”.
Sina warned of the long-term impact on the mental health and financial stability of garment workers should such accidents persist.
Heng Sophannarith, deputy director-general of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and head of the road safety working group, echoed this sentiment, noting that most accidents were due to negligent driving practices, including excessive speed, dangerous overtaking and failure to inspect vehicular conditions.
Sophannarith stressed the role of road traffic law education in fostering a sense of collective responsibility among drivers.
“While education can’t wholly prevent traffic accidents, it can instil an understanding of responsible driving. Drivers are in control of their own destiny, as well as those of their passengers, and they should respect life as they do their own,” he affirmed.
