Lo Xo Pass is over 35km long, crossing the high mountain peaks along the Truong Son range. On this pass, many sections have been paved with smooth asphalt. However, there are also many kilometers of concrete roads that have cracked and peeled off. The road surface has seriously degraded in many places due to years of use.
In fact, traffic accidents at Lo Xo Pass are mainly caused by mail vans and trucks carrying heavy, bulky goods. Occasionally, sleeper buses also overturn and fall into deep ravines, causing many casualties. Almost every year in Kon Tum Province, there are serious traffic accidents that cause many deaths at Lo Xo Pass.
Mr. Ngo Quang Van - a resident of Dak Glei town, Kon Tum province said: "As its name suggests, Lo Xo pass is winding, twisting, and spiraling through the mountain slopes. The dangerous point of the pass is that the pass is long, with low slopes followed by high slopes continuously."
Driver Nguyen Van Hai, a mail truck driver in Kon Tum province, shared: “Due to the nature of our work, which requires us to deliver goods quickly to the provinces, my colleagues and I often travel through Lo Xo Pass to Quang Nam and Da Nang. Heavy rains, high mountains and fog obscure visibility, causing drivers to nearly die down the pass many times. The steep pass forces drivers to continuously apply the brakes, leading to brake failure. After each time, the truck just crashes into the mountainside or falls into a deep ravine.”
According to driver Hai, in addition to the cause of traffic accidents due to the dangerous Lo Xo Pass, the driver's experience and the technical safety of the vehicle are very important. Many trucks that crash into houses, roadside shops or into rocky cliffs are all old and have worn-out brake systems and tires. The fact that the owners of goods and vehicles, for the sake of business profits, require drivers to deliver quickly and on time, exceeding the volume, puts a lot of pressure on the drivers holding the steering wheel...
According to statistics from Kon Tum provincial authorities, over the past 14 years, 192 traffic accidents have occurred on Lo Xo Pass, killing 65 people and injuring 333 others. Notably, there are months when 2-3 serious traffic accidents occur on the pass, causing dozens of casualties.
The Traffic Police Department of Kon Tum Province has increased patrols, controls, and handling of violations on the Ho Chi Minh Highway, especially the section through Lo Xo Pass. The provincial Department of Transport has installed tire guardrails along the pass and built escape routes for vehicles. When drivers lose their brakes and go downhill, they will crash into the escape routes to slow down.
Volunteer rescue teams (SOS Pass Lo Xo) are also on duty 24/7 at the beginning of the pass to receive reports and promptly rescue passengers and drivers in traffic accidents.
