YANGON, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- A total of 106 people were killed with 1,014 injured in traffic accidents on Myanmar's Yangon-Mandalay highway in 2019, according to the office of the Highway Police on Friday.
From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 last year, 542 suspects were charged in connection with 521 road accident cases on the highway.
December was recorded as the month with second least numbers of casualties, registering seven deaths and 54 injured in 32 traffic accidents on the country's busiest highway.
There were a total of 473 accidents, leaving 103 deaths and 877 injured on Yangon-Mandalay highway in 2018.
Reckless driving, over-speeding, defective vehicles, inclement weather were mainly blamed for the traffic accidents in the country.
Aiming the enhance better traffic safety along the highway, the highway authorities have increased the number of road safety police to 16 police stations, providing 24-hour services for travellers since 2012.
Installation of speed measuring devices at the mile posts are being carried out by the highway authorities and people are urged to cooperate with the authorities in safety measures as well as to comply with traffic laws.
Opened in December 2010, the 587 kilometer-long highway connects Myanmar's commercial city of Yangon and the second largest city of Mandalay.
