Traffic toll: Thailand ranks 4th in global road accident fatalities
A recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Statista highlights Thailand as one of the countries with the highest road accident fatality rates globally. The country records a death rate of 25.4 per 100,000 people annually, significantly surpassing the global average.
According to data from Statista, Thailand’s roads are alarmingly dangerous for users, placing the country among the top 10 globally for road accident fatalities. This unfortunate ranking positions Thailand alongside several African nations, including Guinea, Libya, and Kenya, all of which experience road traffic death rates exceeding 30 fatalities per 100,000 people annually.
The complete list of the ten countries with the highest road accident death tolls includes Guinea, Libya, Kenya, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India, the United States, Venezuela, and Russia.
On average, Thailand witnesses 50 road accident deaths daily, totalling nearly 18,000 fatalities annually. This situation is regarded as critical, having significant adverse effects on both the economy and society.
Moreover, WHO data reveals that over 80% of road accident fatalities in Thailand involve motorcycle riders and passengers. Contributing factors include not wearing helmets, speeding, and driving under the influence of alcohol.
More recently, the Thai government has activated a national road safety centre operating for the Songkran period from April 11 to 18 to oversee and mitigate traffic accidents during the period of increased travel.
Led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, the initiative involves mobilising volunteers and establishing checkpoints nationwide with the primary goal of reducing the typically high number of road fatalities associated with the Songkran festival.
Drunk driving, a significant contributor to road deaths in Thailand, generally sees an uptick during holiday seasons. On April 11 and 12, the Department of Probation reported a high incidence of drink-driving, totalling 1,258 cases out of 1,363 probation cases, with four individuals ordered to wear electronic monitoring devices. On the second day alone, there were 1,037 new probation cases, with 982 attributed to drink-driving (94.70%).
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