The first day of Thailand’s road safety campaign on December 29 witnessed a concerning number of road accidents, with 34 fatalities and 335 injuries reported. According to the Road Safety Directing Center, there were 339 accidents on December 30 alone.
Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Interior Chotenarin Kerdsom said speeding emerged as the primary cause of these accidents, responsible for 39.2% of the incidents, while drunk driving followed at 23%. Motorcycles were involved in 86% of the accidents, indicating a significant risk for two-wheeler commuters.
The data also showed that a majority of the accidents (86.4%) occurred on main roads, with 41% on highways and 32.45% on local or village roads. The most dangerous time was identified as between 6 pm and 7 pm.
The age group most affected by these accidents was those between 20 to 29 years old. Khon Kaen province reported the highest number of road accidents at 24 and injuries at 23, while Prachin Buri had the most fatalities at 4.
Ministry of Public Health’s records indicate that drunk driving was identified as the second biggest cause last year, contributing to 25.5% of the total accidents. (NNT)
