12 die in traffic accidents

PHUKET: Twelve people were killed in traffic accidents between February 20 and March 20, according to statistics from the Wachira, Thalang and Patong government hospitals. Ampaipan Pawawattananusorn, of the Phuket Provincial Health Office, reports that 11 of the victims died in motorcycle accidents, while one involved a bicycle. In the same period, 74 people were injured in auto accidents, while 938 were injured while riding motorbikes. These figures are up significantly from last year’s count of 42 injured in automobile crashes and 884 injured on motorbikes. This year’s totals from January 1 to March 20 show two people killed driving cars and 47 killed driving motorcycles, with 3,161 people injured, of whom 2,837 were on motorbikes. Meanwhile, the Provincial Health Office also announced that six people died during the Songkran holiday, all of them on motorcycles. There were 439 road accidents involving injuries, 387 of which were motorcycle accidents and 39 were car accidents. Of those injured, 118 people – roughly one in four – were found to be under the influence of alcohol when the accidents took place. These figures, too, were sharply up on last year’s. In 1999, three people died in road accidents during Songkran Week and 155 were injured.