New Year festival ends with 335 deaths and 3,375 injured on the road
The Nation
The seven dangerous day period of this New Year Festival has seen a decrease in road casualties and accidents compared to last year, with 335 deaths and 3,375 injuries in 3,093 accidents, the Road Safety Centre reported Thursday.
Most accidents resulted from drunk driving and Nakhon Sawan and Buri Ram had the highest number of victims killed at 18 persons each.
Saying that on January 4 alone, 237 accidents killed 21 people and injured 259 others, Deputy PM and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit told a press conference that the centre would study road accident-related issues during this seven-day period to suggest measures to the Cabinet for the upcoming Songkran Festival. Ten provinces had no road accident deaths: Sukhothai, Tak, Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Si Sa Ket, Nonthaburi, Trat, Satun, Yala and Pattani.
From December 29, 2011 to January 4, 2012, there were 3,093 accidents (404 cases or 11.55 per cent fewer than last year), killing 335 persons (23 persons or 6.42 per cent less than last year), and wounding 3,375 persons (375 persons or 10 per cent less than last year). Chiang Rai had the most cumulative injuries at 121 persons and the most accidents at 115 cases.
Most accidents resulted from drunk driving (37.28 per cent) and speeding beyond legal limit (20.63 per cent). Most accidents involved motorcycles at 81.47 per cent followed by pick-up trucks at 9.34 per cent. Over half (62.30 per cent) of the accidents took place on straight stretches of road and the period from 4pm to 8pm saw the most accidents occurring at 28.87 per cent. About 54 per cent of road casualties were of working age. The nationwide checkpoints stopped 4,797,164 vehicles and punished 643,445 law-breaking motorists, mostly for not wearing helmets (200,909 cases) and not carrying driver's licence (185,856 cases).
Although the accidents were lower than last year, the rate of major accidents causing the death of many remained high, Yongyuth said. Four risk factors were involved: drivers speeding beyond legal limit, drivers dozing off behind wheel, bikers failing to wear helmets, and truck passengers failing to fasten seatbelts or riding in the truck's open part in the back.
In related news, Metropolitan Police deputy chief Pol Maj Gen Worasak Noppasitthiporn gave a report on the city traffic situation from December 29, 2011 to January 4, 2012, saying that Bangkok City had witnessed 34 accidents (15 per cent down from last year), killing 12 people (five people more than last year) and injuring 31 others (17 persons less than last year). Most accidents involved motorcycles and resulted from drunk driving, failure to wear helmets, speeding beyond legal limit and sudden overtaking of other vehicles. City police also arrested 5,133 law-violating motorists during the period, higher than last year by 2,300 cases.
Most accidents resulted from drunk driving at 37.28 per cent and speeding beyond legal limit at 20.63 per cent. Most accidents involved motorcycles at 81.47 per cent followed by pick-up trucks at 9.34 per cent. Over half (62.30 per cent) of the accidents took place at the straight stretch of road and the time period from 4pm to 8pm saw the most accidents occurred at 28.87 per cent. About 54 per cent of road casualties were of working age. The nationwide checkpoints stopped 4,797,164 vehicles and punished 643,445 law-breaking motorists, mostly for not wearing helmets at 200,909 cases and not carrying driver's licence at 185,856 cases.
Although the accidents were lowered than last year, the rate of major accidents killing many people remained high, Yongyuth said, there were four risk factors; drivers speeding beyond legal limit, drivers dozing off behind wheel, bikers failing to wear helmets, and truck passengers failing to fasten seatbelt or riding in the truck's open part in the back.
In related news, Metropolitan Police deputy chief Pol Maj Gen Worasak Noppasitthiporn reported the city traffic situation from December 29, 2011 to January 4, 2012 that Bangkok City had 34 accidents (15 per cent down from last year), killing 12 people (five people more than last year) and injuring 31 others (17 persons less than last year). Most accidents involve motorcycles and resulted from drunk driving, failure to wear helmets, speeding beyond legal limit and sudden taking over other vehicles. City police also arrested 5,133 law-violating motorists during the period, higher than last year by 2,300 cases.
Search Option
Recent Posts
Todays Birthdays
