BANGKOK, April 13 — Road accidents have killed 102 people as the country is celebrating the annual Songkran festival, marking the start of a new year according to the traditional Thai calendar, according to the Road Safety Centre of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
Probation Department director general Ruenvadee Suwanmongkol, said statistics compiled by the Road Safety Centre of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation showed 850 road accidents during the first two days, during the seven-day campaign to reduce road accidents nationwide, ending Thursday.
The number of road accidents over the first two days this year was 59 more than the first two days of the previous year, 102 deaths was one more fatality than last year and 893 injuries represented an increase of 55 over last year, she said.
On Saturday alone, 63 people were killed and 491 others injured in 471 road accidents.
Most accidents resulted from drunk driving, followed by excessive speeding.
Motorcycles are the vehicle type with the highest number of accidents, followed by pickup truck.
Chiang Rai, Nakhon Sawan and Nakhon Ratchasima recorded the most deaths at five each during the first two days this year, while Chiang Rai recorded the most cumulative injuries at 34 from 37 accidents, she said.
