Victims of road accidents down 16% past weeks

The victims of road accidents were 16% lower between June 17 and July 1 than those recorded in the same period of last year.

The Moroccan National Committee for Road Accidents Control says the death toll regressed thanks to the four-month campaign launched last month to contain the alarming upsurge of road accidents in Morocco.

The committee deplored however the 22% rise of road accidents caused mostly by non-respect of speed limit, highway code and poor mechanical conditions of the vehicles.

Road accidents cost Morocco annually $6.8 million taking 2.7% of the country's GDP. In 1998, about 40,782 accidents happened in Morocco, killing nearly 3,242 persons.

To counter the phenomenon, Moroccan competent authorities launched last June a four-month road traffic control campaign, imposed speed recorders to lorry drivers, tightened vehicles' mechanical check-ups, driving license delivery and enforced heavy fines to highway code infringers.