Bangkok – Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha has expressed dissatisfaction with the road safety situation during the recent New Year holiday, calling for all sides to boost safety measures throughout the year and for tighter adherence to traffic regulations.
The PM said he isn’t satisfied with the statistics for injuries and deaths from traffic accidents, acknowledging figures were still high despite the best efforts of all involved. He urged the public to prioritize the reduction of road accidents beyond the holiday period and to obey traffic laws.
Meanwhile, deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong reported that overall injuries and fatalities from RTAs were down 15-20 percent this year with 2 percent less accidents than in 2016. The provinces with the highest rate of accidents were Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, Udon Thani and Roi Et with most collisions due to drunk driving and speeding. Instances of motorcycle riders failing to wear a helmet were also high and motorcycles made up 79 percent of all road accidents, followed by pickup trucks at 7 percent.
The Ministry of Public Health worked with the Royal Thai Police to inspect the blood alcohol level of drivers from 28 December 2017 to 1 January 2018, testing more than 1,000 people, 179 of whom were under the age of 20. In total, 101 people were found to have a blood alcohol levels exceeding the legal limit. The data will be used to inform measures during upcoming holiday periods.
