The Cambodian government recently amended its Sub-Decree on Fines on Road Traffic Offenses, taking effect May 1, 2020. The amendment increases traffic fines by three to five times their previous amounts for offenses such as failure to wear a helmet, speeding, ignoring traffic signs, failing a sobriety test, and using a mobile phone while driving, among other violations.

Police records during the first 31 days of the enforcement of the amended sub-decree reveal that hand-held mobile phone use accounted for over 1% of issued fines on motorcyclists, and over 8.6% of fines on four-wheeled vehicle drivers. To enforce the updated laws, the government has trained 3,919 police personnel on the new regulations.

In Cambodia, AIP Foundation has advocated for stricter traffic laws and enforcement through activities such as its street-based public awareness campaigns in partnership with the Cambodia Traffic Police, the Department of Order, and university road safety ambassadors.

AIP Foundation’s Safety Delivered program has advocated for stricter traffic laws and police enforcement since 2017, with a focus on addressing mobile phone use, helmets, speeding, seatbelts, and drink driving.

To support behavior change and enforcement, Young Ambassadors for Road Safety though the Safety Delivered program hung long banners in front and around universities, with messages about helmet wearing, speeding, and distracted driving, to remind young people returning to school the importance of life-saving road behaviors. In tandem, they also launched a social media “quiz” contest across their Facebook pages, encouraging friends and peers to share their knowledge of the current traffic enforcement regulations in Cambodia, contributing to a larger conversation surrounding road safety among young people.

These efforts follow a series of street-based awareness campaigns in partnership with the Cambodia Traffic Police last year and with university students selected as Youth Ambassadors for Road Safety though the Safety Delivered program. Drivers were stopped at checkpoints along major national roads and received informative materials on the importance of helmet-wearing and the life-threatening consequences of other high-risk behaviors, such as distracted or drunk driving. 

AIP Foundation continues to support efforts to improve traffic enforcement and legislation in Cambodia, including working with the National Road Safety Committee to discuss action plans for decreasing road fatalities nationwide, engaging traffic police in our road safety activities with students, and training university educators on the importance of improving youth driving behaviors.