The Transport Ministry will launch a campaign to tighten control over speed limit compliance by drivers next month, with a view to improving road traffic safety and reducing accidents caused by speeding. Transport Minister Dinh La Thang, deputy of the National Traffic Safety Committee on Friday issued a plan to launch a campaign to enhance traffic safety awareness and detect and punish violations on speed limits by all means of road transportation nationwide. The campaign will be kicked off nationwide on July 1 and last until September 30, 2013. During the three-month campaign, inspectors will use vehicle tracking devices and other facilities to deal with speed limit violations. Electronic warning signs about speed limits, which are based on weather conditions, different time periods in a day, and traffic volumes, will be installed in certain areas, including crowded residential areas to strengthen traffic safety. In addition, information about the traffic situation on streets in different areas will be provided to vehicles’ drivers via mobile phones. According to the National Traffic Safety Committee, more than 12,000 traffic accidents occurred nationwide in the first five months of this year, killing 4,163 people and injuring 12,171, the reported. Compared with the same period last year, the death toll increased by 28 (0.68 percent), although the number of traffic accidents fell by 2,089 cases (14.77 percent).

In May alone, 2,409 accidents occurred, killing 799 people and injuring 2,480. Compared to May 2012, the number of accidents fell by 82, but the death toll increased by 16. Meanwhile, compared with April 2013, the number of traffic accidents increased by 335, while the death toll and the number of people injured also rose by 54 and 590, respectively, in the month.