Drunken drivers targeted

Khoun Leakhana
Phnom Penh post

Photo by: Sovan Philong

Police officer Loy Chen on Tuesday tests one of 30 breath analysers donated to the Cambodian National Police department by Australia’s Queensland Police Service.

Australia’s Queensland Police Service (QPS) donated 30 breath analysers and five mobile radars to Cambodia’s National Police on Tuesday to help with the enforcement of traffic laws targeting drunken drivers.

“Road accidents in Cambodia kill at least four people per day and are the result of speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol,” QPS spokesman Ray Shuey said.

The equipment is to be delivered to police stations in selected provinces on Friday. “The equipment is not new, but it will help Cambodia,” Yun Chhun Ny, National Police deputy commissioner, said.

In Phnom Penh alone, between August and October, 1,172 drivers were caught speeding, and 682 were caught driving under the influence of alcohol, official data show. According to traffic laws introduced in February 2007, drivers who refuse a breath analysis face up to a month in jail and a fine of up to 200,000 riels (US$48). Drunken drivers face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to 1 million riels.