The government has set an ambitious goal of reducing road fatalities by nearly two-thirds within five years, although officials acknowledge that the effort could be a challenging one.
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha confirmed the objective at an academic seminar in Bangkok on Wednesday (25 May) titled “New Decade, New Normal, Safe Driving Is Priority”.
The Prime Minister stated that the seminar set the stage for differing perspectives on how to reduce traffic accidents.
In its 20-year national strategy, the Thai government identifies road safety as one of its top priorities. The goal is to reduce traffic-related fatalities to 12 per 100,000 population by 2027 and to achieve the Vision Zero objective by 2050.
Vision Zero is a strategy that was first implemented in the 1990s in Sweden to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries while providing safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for everyone.
According to the World Health Organization, Thailand has the ninth-highest rate of road fatalities in the world, with 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people.
Gen Prayut stated that achieving Vision Zero by 2050 would be challenging but achievable if everyone does their part. He also emphasized the importance of enforcing laws pertaining to public transport, private car usage, a driver database, and safety-enhancing technology in contributing to traffic safety. (NNT)
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