Road accidents for the ‘7 Dangerous Days’ of the New Year holiday claim 366 lives and 3,345 injuries, with drunk driving as the main cause.
The figure was provided by Thailand’s Road Safety Directing Center under Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.
There were 3,174 reported accidents for the seven dangerous days period, which began on December 27, 2013 and ended on January 2, 2014. The death toll was the same and the number of injuries was close to that of last year.
The province with the highest number of accidents was Nakhon Sawan, with 127. Nakhon Ratchasima saw the highest road accident-related deaths at 21.
The 5 provinces that reported no road accident-related deaths were Mae Hong Son, Beung Kan, Trat, Phang-nga, and Pattani.
The main causes of accidents were drunk-driving and speeding. People of working age suffered the highest number of accidents this year.
Vehicles found with the highest number of accidents were motorcycles and pickup trucks.
Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan said that all the information will be compiled and analyzed in order to prepare for the upcoming Songkran holidays. The emphasis would be on the construction of roads and warning signs as ways to reduce accidents during the holidays.
