2018 Songkran road toll total up on last year

This year’s Songkran “Seven Dangerous Days counted an appalling toll of 418 people dying on Thailand’s roads compared to last year’s 390. The figures were recorded by the Road Safety Centre said yesterday. The figures follow an ‘all out’ attempt by the Government and police to reduce the carnage on Thai roads over the Songkran break.

This year also saw a higher number of injured people with 3,897 cases in 3,724 road accidents. Last year, 3,808 people were injured in 3,690 road crashes.

Most of the road carnage this Songkran stemmed from drunk-drivers (40 percent) and speeding (26 percent). 80 percent of accidents involved motorcycles and 65 percent took place on straight roads.

During the seven-day monitoring period (April 11-17), Nakhon Ratchasima, the “gateway to the Northeast”, reported the highest accumulated death toll (20) while the northern province of Chiang Mai had the highest number of people injured (142) and accidents (133).

Only Ranong, Samut Songkhram, Nong Khai and Nong Bua Lamphu reported no road accident deaths during Songkran, he added.

In Phuket there were two deaths recorded over the seven day reporting period. Read that story HERE.

SOURCES: The Nation, The Thaiger