Thai deputy PM rolls out road safety measures for New Year holidays

The Deputy Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, in conjunction with relevant agencies, convened a conference at 10:30am yesterday. The meeting aimed to lay out strategic measures for preventing road accidents, specifically focusing on the safety of drivers during the upcoming New Year holidays.

Anutin expressed the Thai government’s deep concern for driver safety, a priority that takes on heightened importance during the New Year celebrations. This period witnesses an influx of citizens travelling back to their hometowns or visiting tourist destinations, causing a significant uptick in traffic and, consequently, a higher risk of road accidents.

“The Thai government has integrated all relevant agencies to enforce road safety measures during the New Year’s celebrations,” Anutin declared. “The purpose is to reduce road accidents, casualties, and injury rates to at least 5% compared to the statistics during the same period of the last three years.”

The Deputy Prime Minister elaborated on the all-encompassing nature of these safety measures, focusing on drivers, roads, vehicles, and the overall environment. Ensuring that roads are well-maintained and vehicles, especially public transport, are serviced regularly is a key part of this initiative. Furthermore, safety equipment and drivers’ physical conditions must be verified and approved before they hit the road.

Anutin issued a stern warning to those who might consider driving under the influence of alcohol, emphasising the significant risk they would be posing to their own lives and those of other road users. He called for strict adherence to rules by drivers and entertainment service providers to curb accidents resulting from driving under the influence (DUIs), reported The Pattaya News.

He also introduced a new road safety programme that the Thai government is considering. The initiative seeks to improve children’s and young people’s cognitive abilities and traffic safety awareness through compulsory education. “This is a significant step towards moulding a generation of responsible road users,” noted Anutin.