BANGKOK – The Thai Health Promotion Foundation has organized campaigns to discourage drunk driving, as well as a seminar on the consequences of driving while intoxicated.
Among the case studies discusses was a tragic incident in 2010, when a drunk driver in Phetchaburi Province hit a police officer while on duty, resulting in the loss of the officer’s leg and thereby depriving him of a normal life.
The seminar was attended by Dr Thanapong Jinvong of the academic center for road safety, who revealed that Thailand sees more than 15,000 traffic-related deaths per year. Of this number, drunk drivers are responsible for 20-25 percent, or 40 accidents per day.
Over the past three years, 49 police officers have fallen victim to drunk drivers. Dr Thanapong proposed that the number can be reduced by increasing the severity of punishments and raising awareness of road safety measures.
