A van of people coming back to Phnom Penh after a long holiday weekend visiting family in the countryside
The other day I watched a local Cambodian television show about traffic safety. A guy interviewed a policeman and then did man-on-the-street interviews with Phnom Penh drivers to ask their opinions about the causes of traffic accidents, a big cause of injury and death in Cambodia. The safety problems commonly identified were driving too fast, drunk driving, and running red lights (though traffic lights are relatively new to Phnom Penh). It was interesting to me that some things we talk about all the time in the United States weren't mentioned. Like texting while driving. Here, it's not just people driving cars, but also people driving motorcycles and riding bicycles in traffic with only one hand steering and eyes glued to the phone. Apparently, that issue hasn't hit the radar here yet. Also, not a single mention of seat belts. That didn't really surprise me though since seat belts are routinely removed from vehicles--they get in the way when trying to cram as many people in as humanly possible.
I'm glad the van in the picture made it safely back to Phnom Penh. I have a lot of respect for how scrappy Cambodians can be. They do what it takes to get along often with very little money.
