Thailand’s New Year road safety campaign reveals shocking toll

There’s a chill in the air, but temperatures are rising on Thailand’s roads as the New Year Seven Days Road Safety campaign reveals a sobering toll. According to the Thai Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), the first two days of the campaign have already witnessed a surge in road accidents, injuries, and deaths. The numbers are staggering – 71 lives lost, 739 individuals injured, and 724 reported accidents from December 29 to December 30.

Khon Kaen, a province in northeastern Thailand, recorded the highest number of road accidents during these two days, with a total of 31 incidents. Not far behind in the grim tally, Khon Kaen and Tak, a province in the west, reported the most injuries, each with 30 casualties. The highest number of fatalities was registered in Prachin Buri, a province in the east, and the bustling capital city of Bangkok, each reporting five deaths.

On the campaign’s second day, December 30, the DDPM disclosed distressing figures – 37 deaths and 404 injuries resulting from 385 road accidents. The causes behind these accidents are not unfamiliar. The leading cause was excessive speeding, contributing to 34.55% of accidents, followed by drunk driving at 22.60%.

Motorbikes were involved in a high majority of accidents, accounting for 85.29% of the total. National highways witnessed the most accidents, adding up to 38% of the overall incidents. The most dangerous time slot was found to be between 6:01pm and 9pm, during which 9.61% of accidents occurred, reported The Pattaya News.

Tak province, located in the western part of Thailand, recorded the highest number of accidents and injuries on December 30, with 18 incidents and an equal number of injuries. Bangkok, on the other hand, had the dubious distinction of reporting the highest number of fatalities, with four lives lost.