“Seven days of danger’ ends with two deaths

PHUKET: The ‘Seven days of danger’ campaign in Phuket came to a close yesterday with a total of two deaths and 81 injuries.

The campaign ran from December 29, 2016 to January 4, 2017.

Both fatalities occurred on Sunday, day 4 of the campaign (story here).

The following day, Phuket Vice Governor Teera Anantaseriwidhya visited four checkpoints on the island and handed out ‘Phuket Drink Don’t Drive’ (P3D) stickers to motorists.

The number of deaths showed a substantial decline this year, compared to last year’s total of seven, despite the slated aim of ‘zero deaths on the roads’ last year (story here).

The number of injuries this year totaled 81, as compared to 75 last year.

According to statistics provided by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket Office, the three main causes of deaths and accidents this year were helmet-less driving, ‘cutting people off’ in traffic, and driving under influence of alcohol.

Police claim to have stopped 23,155 vehicles and recorded 7,859 moving violations during the campaign.

Statistics issued by the DDPM for the number of traffic offences in Phuket are as follows:

– Riding a motorbike without wearing a helmet – 3,487
– Riding an unsafe motorbike – 187
– Driving under the influence of alcohol – 131
– Driver and/or passenger(s) failing to wear seat belts – 501
– Driving without [carrying] a valid driving license – 2,411
– Speeding – 236
– Failing to stop at a red light – 213
– Driving on the wrong side of the road (ghost-riding) – 270
– Overtaking in a restricted zone – 205
– Using a mobile phone while driving – 213

A total of 131 vehicles – including 101 motorbikes – were seized and will be returned to their owners now that the campaign has ended.

— Kongleaphy Keam