On the first day (Apr 11) of Songkran’s “seven dangerous days,” Thailand recorded 234 road accidents, resulting in 25 fatalities. The annual period, notorious for a surge in traffic incidents due to heavy travel, speeding, and inebriation, coincides with the Thai New Year break, with accident monitoring extended from April 11 to 17.
Despite the concerning figures, there was a noticeable decrease in accidents, injuries, and fatalities compared to the three-year average for the same period, with accidents down by 19.03%, injuries by 14.28%, and deaths by 21.88%. Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Director-General Chaiwat Junthirapong confirmed the decline, noting a slight improvement in road safety during this critical travel time.
Songkhla province experienced the highest number of accidents, with 11 incidents reported, followed by Krabi and Ayutthaya, each with 10, and Trang with nine. Songkhla also saw the most injuries, while Bangkok reported the highest number of fatalities, with three deaths.
The data showed that motorcycles were involved in 86.07% of the accidents, followed by pickup trucks and cars. The primary causes of these accidents were speeding, lane cutting, and drunk driving, with the most frequent risky behaviors including failing to use safety equipment, speeding, and alcohol consumption. (NNT)
