Death toll during Songkran increases to 158
Forty-four individuals tragically lost their lives, and a further 368 were injured in road accidents across various regions on Friday, the fourth day of the “seven dangerous days” during the Songkran festivities. This has brought the total number of fatalities throughout the celebration thus far to 158.
The reported number of deaths during the first four days has decreased by 14, down from 172 in comparison to the same period last year.
Data from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation’s road safety centre revealed that between April 11-14, 1,433 people sustained injuries in 1,422 road accidents. This is a noticeable increase when compared to the 1,188 injuries recorded in 1,207 accidents during the previous year when there were fewer trips taken due to some Covid-19 restrictions being in place.
Speeding was found to be the principal cause of accidents, accounting for 35.6% of cases, followed by drink driving at 28.5%, according to Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Interior Ministry, Chotnarin Kerdsom. Motorcycles were involved in a staggering 83.1% of all reported accidents.
On Friday, the area of Nan experienced the highest number of accidents, with 16 recorded cases and the highest number of injuries, also totalling 16. Bangkok, Nakhon Sawan, and Phitsanulok each reported three fatalities.
Authorities set up 1,862 road checkpoints, stopping a total of 351,228 vehicles for inspection. A significant 52,422 motorists faced legal consequences for violating traffic rules. Most common offences included 15,467 drivers operating without a valid licence and 15,144 individuals forgoing the mandatory use of crash helmets.
Up to this point, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Nan have seen the highest cumulative number of road accidents, each with 45. Nakhon Si Thammarat also witnessed the highest number of injuries at 48, whereas Bangkok bore the most fatalities with 12 reported deaths, as stated by Chotnarin.
