BANGKOK, April 12 — A total of 39 deaths and 342 injuries in 326 Thailand road accidents nationwide was reported on Thursday, the first day of the Songkran holiday’s “seven dangerous days”, Minister of Transport Chadchart Sittipunt said here on Friday.
Mr Chadchart said that according to statistics recorded by the Road Safety Centre, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation on April 11, the first day of the seven day campaign to cut road accidents, there were 326 road accidents, 17 less than the first day of the previous year; 39 died, nine more than last year’s daily record and 342 were injured, 31 less than last year.
Drunken driving remains the major cause of accidents at nearly one in three — 29 per cent — followed by speeding, he said.
The highest number of accidents on Thursday, 14, occurred equally in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat and the northern province of Chiang Mai followed by Nakhon Ratchasima with 13 accidents, he said.
Chiang Mai also saw the most injuries, with 17 people.
