Cambodia responds to surge in road traffic fatalities
Road traffic deaths have risen sharply in Cambodia in the first half of 2026, according to official data published by the government.
The country’s National Road Safety Committee reported that fatalities rose by 11% to 773 deaths, while injuries increased by 32% to 1,944 victims. Speeding was cited as a factor in almost half of incidents. In 2025 Cambodia, which has a population of around 18 million, reported 1,467 deaths and 1,869 serious injuries. However, the World Health Organization’s most recent modelling suggests there are more than 3,000 fatalities annually, and significantly more serious injuries than official data has captured.
The Interior Minister Sar Sokha has proposed reinstituting elevated police enforcement from 1st September focused on the capital Phnom Penh, which saw the most traffic casualties, and four other high-risk provinces. Sokha blamed driver negligence for the majority of incidents. Last year police fined more than 45,000 drivers or riders for infringements. But the focus needs to extend beyond the behaviour of road users to implementing a systems approach.
In addition to road user enforcement the government has a strategy which includes plans to strengthen road safety leadership and improve collection of data. The transport ministry is working with the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) to assess infrastructure safety performance on its highways, and the second of four iRAP training workshops for ministry staff was held in June, supported by the Asian Development Bank. The objective is to enable government technical teams to independently undertake full iRAP assessments and integrate road safety into routine planning, project design, and asset management activities.
iRAP estimates that if Cambodia could achieve more than 75% of travel on 3-star or better roads for all road users by 2030 the country stands to prevent an estimated 1,054 deaths each year and 583,231 fatalities and injuries over the 20-year life of road treatments with an economic benefit of USD$475 million, or $5 for every $1 spent.
Photos by Chetan Hireholi on Unsplash and iRAP