In the end of 1990s to 2000s, the largest social ill in Cambodia was the spread of HIV/AID. Recently this is no longer the issue. Most people now understand about the disease and how to prevent it. However, currently the largest social ill is death toll from traffic accidents. Statistics aside, I can see traffic accident one every day in average on my way of commutation from and to workplace. The article is right in that people do not respect laws, including traffic law in Cambodia.
Why they do not respect laws? Take me as an example in traffic law. At a traffic law, I was not sure if the red light there meant I could not turn right. I did turn right and was stopped by a policeman right a way. He stopped me according to the law but I could pay my way out. That demeans the meaning of law! This is a prime example of laws in Cambodia. Therefore, people do not have the sense of respecting laws or see the need of it.
What is the main problem here? Requiring drivers to wear a helmet may reduce death tolls but I will not in any way reduce traffic accidents. I find it close to useless. The only solution is requiring a license, meaning people have to know how to drive on the street. From my experience, 99.99 % of Cambodians do not know how to drive on the street. They do not give signals before they turn; When they have to turn, they do not know that those who are going straight in front of them have the priority.
When they do not even know what the right thing to do, how could they try to protect themselves?
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