As always, Thimphu has recorded a higher number of vehicle accidents than any other dzongkhag across the nation so far this year.

Records with the traffic division of police showed 49 vehicle accidents from January till date, all of which occurred along the six-kilometre notorious expressway.

Of the total, police attributed human error to be the main cause of accidents along the expressway, which accounted for 43 accidents. The traffic superintendent of police, Pasang Dorji, classified negligence, driving without license, and lack of understanding of traffic signs and signals under human error.

“Driving culture and civic sense among Bhutanese has yet to improve,” Pasang Dorji said.

Alcohol-related accidents accounted for 11 of 49 cases and eight driving without licence.

The accidents involved nine students, two deaths and 59 injuries among the public.

Traffic division of police recorded 79 accidents along the expressway in 2009.

After Thimphu, Phuentsholing recorded 19 cases of vehicle accidents followed by Tsimasham 11, Trongsa nine and Gelephu and Tsirang seven each.

Nationwide, as many as 161 vehicle accidents were recorded, of which 85 were attributed to human error, 24 to road and weather conditions, 23 to driving without licence and 20 related to alcohol.

Together they claimed 30 lives and 182 injuries across the country. The whole of 2009 recorded as many as 878 vehicle accidents in Thimphu alone, 535 of which were caused by human error, 90 were alcohol related and 89 for driving without license. Seven people died in these accidents and 334 injured.

As a trend, Phuentsholing followed with 158 reported accident cases, Tsimasham with 86 and Paro 70.

Across the country, 1,436 vehicle accidents were recorded, which killed 77 people and injured 578. The highest number of deaths was recorded at 16 in Tsimasham, followed by Wangdeuphodrang at 12.

Of 1,436 accident cases, 800 were caused by human errors, 126 for driving without licence and 119 were alcohol-related.

The country today has 45,000 registered vehicles, of which 25,000 ply the roads of the capital city.  Source: Kuenselonline