Japan and some European countries also have 2-lane highways similar to the Cam Lo – La Son route but are still considered safe because drivers are always aware of following traffic rules.
After a particularly serious traffic accident that killed 3 people on the Cam Lo-La Son Expressway, the divergent investment highways with 2 lanes suddenly became “criminals”.
However, in the context of a limited budget, the solution of phasing investment in 2-lane expressways is an appropriate approach, aiming to complete 5,000km of expressways by 2030.
Mr. Nguyen Van Quyen, Chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association frankly acknowledged that the need for investment in expressways is huge, while budget capital is limited and mobilizing capital outside the budget is extremely difficult. towel. Therefore, investment phasing is suitable for the ability to balance resources by reducing the total project investment by 30 – 50%.
The car was deformed after a serious traffic accident on the Cam Lo – La Son highway
Mr. Quyen emphasized that it cannot be denied that 2-lane highways have been contributing to shortening travel time between many regions and regions, facilitating connections between economic and political centers and seaports. and international airports, creating motivation and spillover power for socio-economic development.
Including the Noi Bai – Lao Cai expressway. The expressway was put into operation in 2014, passing through 5 localities with a length of 265km, contributing significantly to regional socio-economic development.
In particular, putting the route into operation not only promotes economic development but also shortens the travel time from Hanoi to the provinces of Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, and Ha Giang by more than half (from 7 hours to 3 hours). 5 hours), saving 20 – 30% on transportation fees. Total savings for society are about 1,800 billion VND per year.
Cam Lo – La Son Expressway with a length of more than 98km connects with La Son – Tuy Loan Expressway with a length of more than 77km, creating a route connecting Da Nang with Quang Ngai, helping to distribute the load for National Highway 1. According to statistics of In Thua Thien Hue province, the Cam Lo – La Son route was put into operation, reducing the load on National Highway 1 by 30 – 40% in terms of both traffic volume and number of traffic accidents.
Be aware of traffic participants
After a number of recent traffic accidents, in addition to harsh opinions blaming… the road, many experts affirmed that “the 2-lane highway cannot be blamed”. Because the biggest cause is still the awareness of traffic participants.
Mentioning the serious accident on February 18 on the Cam Lo-La Son route, Dr. Phan Le Binh – traffic expert said that the exact cause of the incident needs a conclusion from the police. However, initially based on the dashcam extract, it can be seen that the accident stemmed from the consciousness of the traffic participants.
“Through the images of the dash cam, we can see that 100% of the accident’s fault was due to the car driver’s unsafe driving style. This person did not observe or control the speed when passing the tractor,” Mr. Binh assessed.
He said that any road has the potential to be unsafe – depending on the behavior of the vehicle driver.
By comparison, Mr. Binh said that in Japan or some European countries there are also 2-lane highways similar to the Cam Lo – La Son highway but are still considered safe because drivers always Be aware and comply with safety rules.
However, another traffic expert also emphasized that the 2-lane design plan should only be applied on roads connecting to remote areas with low traffic volume.
