The Episcopal Council of the Catholic Church of Vietnam and the NationalTraffic Safety Committee signed a communication programme that allowsthem to work closely in promoting traffic safety in society.

At the signing ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on November 9, HCM CityArchbishop Bui Van Doc, who is Chairman of the Episcopal Council,underlined the humanitarian significance of the programme since it wasdesigned to popularise traffic laws, regulations on traffic safety andorder and culture for road participants, including Catholic dignitariesand followers.

Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang,who is Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee,worried that fatal traffic accidents involved a large number of roadusers have yet to be avoided, leaving behind tragedies in many families.

He emphasised the requirement for State agencies,social organisations and also religious sects to redouble efforts andwork together in measures to encourage road users to drive carefully,thus reducing fatal accidents significantly.

On thesame day in HCM City, a memorial service was held at Vinh Nghiem pagodafor the victims of fatal road accidents.

Theevent, jointly organised by the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC)and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), is part of the World Day ofRemembrance for Victims of Road Traffic Accidents, which falls on thethird Sunday of November.

Road accidents kill 1.3million people every year the world over, a figure which is expected toreach 1.8-1.9 million in the near future.

In Vietnam, 9,000 people die in road accidents every year, almost 25 deaths per day.

According to the National Traffic Safety Committee statistics, duringthe first 10 months of the year, road accidents killed 7,000 people andinjured many more.-VNA