More people died in traffic accidents in Chin State in the first half of this year than in all of 2018, according to figures compiled by the state’s traffic police, who say they are taking measures to combat the rise in road fatalities.

Police statistics show that 32 people died in 71 accidents in the state in the whole of last year. By contrast, the number of deaths in the 66 accidents that had already occurred by July of this year was 33 people.

The figures show that Hakha Township has the highest number of traffic accidents among the state’s nine townships, while Tedim has the worst record for road deaths.

“Hakha has the most vehicle accidents. Tedim comes in second and Mindat is third. In Tedim Township, cars often fall into ravines. That’s why the death toll there is so high. Most of the people who die in these accidents are passengers,” traffic police officer Belny Fai told Khonumthung News.

The dramatic rise in road deaths has led to a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the rules of the road and the risks of careless driving, the officer said.

“Our campaign begins in schools and government offices, where we try to educate people about how to protect themselves from the dangers of the road,” said Belny Fai.

“We also circulate leaflets to the general public to make them more knowledgeable about things like traffic signs. And finally, we are taking action against people who violate traffic rules and regulations.”

“It’s all part of our plan to reduce the number of road incidents. We provide people with knowledge before we have to take action against them,” he added.