Road accidents during the so-called seven dangerous days of the Songkran Thai New Year’s holidays were recorded at 3,215 with 271 fatalities and 3,476 persons injured, according to Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul.
Chavarat, who is also director of the Road Safety Center, said 42 persons were killed and 304 others were injured and 283 road accidents were reported on the last day of the seven dangerous days, Sunday, April 17.
According to the statistics from April 11 to April 17, the most deaths were reported in the central province of Ayutthaya (19) while the most injuries, 144, and most accidents, 135, were recorded in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
The cumulative number of road accidents from April 11-17 was 3,215, lower than last year’s figure of 3,516, an 8.56 percent drop. The total fatalities were 271, falling by 24.93 percent from the 361 deaths recorded last year.
The total injuries were recorded at 3,476, an 8.57 percent decline from last year’s figure at 3,802.
According to the statistics, most accidents were caused by drunk driving and the highest risk behavior was that of motorcycle riders not wearing helmets. Motorcycles were the type of vehicles most involved in road accidents and the peak time when most road accidents occurred – 31.73 percent of all accidents – was from 4 to 8 p.m.
Chavarat said he was satisfied with the road safety campaign this year as the overall figures this year dropped. The road accidents and the injuries dropped by 8-9 percent and the fatalities fell by 24.9 percent, compared to the statistics last year.
He said next year’s target is to reduce the deaths from road accidents by at least 25 per cent and injuries and road accidents by 15 per cent. (MCOT online news)
Locally, 87 accidents, 84 injuries, and 8 deaths were recorded in Chonburi from April 11 to 17, up from 6 deaths last year. Banglamung district recorded 33 accidents and 4 deaths. 734 drivers were arrested for being over the legal limit of alcohol in their blood at different police checkpoints in Chonburi province.
