KUCHING: At least one death was recorded on average daily due to road accidents in the state last year. Statistics on road traffic accidents showed a total of 20,600 cases were reported for the whole of last year or 56 cases on average daily.
Based on the statistics, a total of 322 deaths related to road traffic accidents were recorded throughout the state for the whole of last year, participants of the Kuching-level 5th World Road Safety Week Programme at a leading hotel here were told yesterday.
Themed ‘Leader for Road Safety #Speakup”, this year’s programme was to enable the community leaders and village heads (KMKK) to have a better understanding of road safety aspects.
The KMKK would then be responsible to disseminate the information and road safety aspects to the grassroots level as part of efforts to reduce incidents of road traffic accident in the country, Sarawak in particular.
The World Road Safety Week programme is an initiative by the United Nation in efforts to create greater awareness of road safety worldwide.
The six-day programme is held on May 6-12 every year.
Kuching Resident Sherrina Hussaini officiated at the opening of the event yesterday. Among those present were Bau district officer Anielia Siam, Lundu district officer Gustian Durani and Padawan sub-district officer Rangen Jamang.
Several speakers invited to give talks included state traffic enforcement and investigation chief ASP Mathew Manggie, Road Transport Department (JPJ) Motorcycle Enforcement Unit head Azizul Annuar, and state Road Safety Department director Christopher Alex Boniface Barau.
The programme participants were also informed that based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) United Nation Report, in 2015 an estimated 54 percent of fatal road traffic cases involved pedestrians, pillion riders and cyclists.
