218 killed and 1,647 injured over 4-day new year holiday

According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), 218 people were killed and 1,647 were injured in road accidents during the four-day new year holiday from December 29 to January 1.

The Director of the DDPM, Boontham Lertsukheekasam, reported yesterday, January 2, that there were 1,664 road accidents across the country during the holiday break, causing 218 deaths and 1,647 injuries. Most of the victims were aged 20 to 29 years old.

The primary causes of the accident were speeding (37.03%) and drunk driving (33.26%) while motorcycles featured in most of the accidents. Most of the road accidents happened between 12am to 1am.

Only 10 of Thailand’s 77 provinces reported no deaths. The southern province of Surat Thani recorded the most accidents, 56, the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon had the most injured victims, 57 people, while the northern province of Chiang Rai had the most deaths, 12.

Boontham added that this was not the conclusion of the report as many people were still returning to Bangkok on Monday, January 2 and Tuesday, January 3 to start work again tomorrow, Wednesday, January 4.

Boontham urged the nation’s drivers to follow the traffic rules, take a break every one or two hours and take a nap if feeling sleepy.

The traffic police reported that Mittraphap Highway, or Friendship Highway, which connects Isaan to the central region, is crowded today. Some of the roads in Bangkok, like Asok Montri Road, are also more crowded than usual.

This report is a part of the road safety campaign, “Seven-day Dangerous,” which will last until tomorrow, January 4. The DDPM will update the accident record daily, and the campaign report is expected to be concluded on January 5.