Inspector Myo Thant from the Rakhine State Police Crime Department noted that 2017’s death toll is an increase on last year’s of 120. He attributed the rise in road fatalities to an increase in vehicles in the state, as well as drivers failing to follow the rules of the road.

“Drivers don’t know basic traffic rules. They drive while they are drunk. They drive very fast and their recklessness has caused the rise in vehicle accidents and deaths,” said Sittwe Traffic Police Superintendent Nyan Lan.

He also attributed the death toll to motorcyclists driving above the 30 mile-per-hour speed limit inside municipal town areas.

Across the country, road accidents are about on-par with last year's tally, with 400 recorded between January and November this year compared to 404 in 2016.