Cambodia's traffic accidents

Cambodia is reportedly the accident capital of ASEAN.
“[t]he death rate [was] 18 for 10,000 vehicles in 2007. In other ASEAN countries, the highest death rate is only 10.77 for 10,000 vehicles, and in developed countries, the highest rate of death is just 1.9 for 10,000 vehicles." Source: The Mirror.I don't know which figure is right, as I also found this Xinhua article which states:
China recorded 5.1 road accident deaths for every 10,000 motor vehicles in 2007, the highest in the world [my italics], a source at the second China Traffic Safety Forum said. The world average was two deaths per 10,000 vehicles, the source added.If China has 5.1/1000 road accident deaths versus Cambodia's 18, and if Xinhua's source is right, then it is Cambodia, by far, that is the World Champion. [Personally I think the figures quoted by the Mirror are more accurate, which makes me wonder why China is so keen to claim to be world champions--is it like Singapore, wanting to be first in everything?]These are photos of an accident I took on the way from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap which caused a jam. To be honest, given the number of road accidents, I am surprised I don't see more. A year and a half living in Phnom Penh and I only saw one, a minor one, in which the persons involved were able to walk away from the scene. This was at the riverside. Another was an accident that almost happened because a motodop kept shouting at me, "Moto M'am, Moto M'am" and failed to see where he was going.Maybe I don't get out much, because the article says the number of road fatalities in Phnom Penh increased by 54% (!) from 2006 to 2007. An increase also took place over Khmer festivals Pchum Ben and Water Festival in which the number of fatalities increased by 50% and 46% respectively. Motobike riders that got into accident were more likely to die (many riders don't use helmets, which complicates the problem). The fatality rate per 10,000 registered two-wheelers increased 32% from 2006 to 2007, while those involving cars went down by 7%, compared to 2006. But perhaps there is hope Cambodia's road fatality will decrease in the future. Road fatality trends tend to follow Smeed's law, an empirical schema that correlates reduced injury rates with increased traffic congestion as measured by car ownership rates. The bright side of more and more Khmers buying cars over motobikes means the roads will be more congested. And cars can't kill you if they can't move. But those slippery motobikes are a different story, weaving in and out of traffic. If only the government would do something to curb the number of motobikes in Cambodia's cities...

Michael Jackson’s life cut shockingly short

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Michael Jackson had been planning to start a series of comeback concerts in London and had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months. Promoters of the shows said in March that he had passed a lengthy physical examination.

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LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson, defined in equal parts as the world’s greatest entertainer and perhaps its most enigmatic figure, was about to attempt one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Then his life was cut shockingly — and so far, mysteriously — short.
The 50-year-old musical superstar died Thursday, just as he was preparing for what would be a series of 50 concerts starting July 13 at London’s famed 02 arena. Jackson had been spending hours and hours toiling with a team of dancers for a performance he and his fans hoped would restore his tarnished legacy to its proper place in pop.
An autopsy was planned for Friday, though results were not likely to be final until toxicology tests could be completed, a process that could take several days and sometimes weeks. However, if a cause can be determined by the autopsy, they will announce the results, said Los Angeles County Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben.

Mayo Clinic 'Model' at Center of Health Care Debate

Dr. Mike Wilson's favorite way to calm his nerves is to play the piano. And on the eve of a new job at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., Wilson found himself eager to play.

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., encourages cooperation among doctors. Physicians with different specialties work closely together on a patient's case in a process they call "integrated coordinated care."(ABC News)
"So tomorrow night is my first long call, that's where you get to stay all night at the hospital," Wilson, who was part of a group of incoming internists, told ABC News in a recent interview. "I've done it a couple of times in medical school. I guess the difference is that this is first time you are responsible for the decision you make, you write the orders and you have the final say."
Wilson was preparing for his new job at a time when the entire field of medicine is being rocked by a debate over the government's role in providing health care. And one of the primary exhibits in that debate is the hospital he was about to join.
President Barack Obama frequently singles out the Mayo Clinic as an example of quality, cost-effective health care.