Traffic accident declines slightly

Traffic accident declines slightly

DENPASAR: Although the traffic accidents in Bali slightly declined in 2008 compared to 2007, traffic violations remained high, according to data from Bali Police.

The number of traffic accidents declined by 5 percent from 1,418 in 2007 to 1,348 in 2008 while the number of traffic violations rose 3.6 percent from 79,700 in 2007 to 82,600 in 2008.

The busy streets of Denpasar still topped the chart as the area with the most traffic accidents with 346 accidents last year, followed by Gianyar with 247 and Jembrana with 151.

A total of 490 people died in accidents on the island during 2008 or at least 40 people every month, with 23 percent of fatalities taking place in Denpasar, 16 percent in Jembrana and 13 percent in Buleleng.

The number of severely injured victims decreased from 899 in 2007 to 865 while the number of victims with minor injuries was down from 1,153 to 1,080. -- JP

Tue, 01/06/2009 11:11 AM | Bali