Songkran road toll in Phuket tallies 4 dead, 64 injured

PHUKET CITY: The nationwide Seven Days of Danger road safety campaign ended yesterday, with the final tally in Phuket at four dead and 64 people suffering injuries requiring admittance to hospital.

The road toll in Phuket, released today by the Phuket branch of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, reported 64 road accidents for the period.

Police at nine checkpoints inspected 59,625 vehicles and brought charges against 5,314 people.

The most common charge was failure to wear a crash helmet while riding a motorbike (2,324 cases), followed by driving without a license (2,130), drunk driving (327), riding an unroadworthy motorbike (310) and failure to wear a safety belt (222).

One person was charged with a moving violation, speeding.

The most dangerous day was Sunday, April 13, when 18 accidents saw two people die and 17 people being admitted to hospital.

The Songkran road toll was lower than that of the “Seven Days of Danger” campaign held over the New Year holiday period, when six people died and 76 people were injured in 72 accidents in Phuket.

Songkran last year recorded 22 injuries requiring hospitalization and three deaths.

This year, the first two dead were both young males riding under the influence of alcohol and without safety helmets (click here for our earlier report).

The last two deaths were female motorcycle riders, both not wearing safety helmets.

Just after midnight, in the first hour of April 14, Duangjai Jantuansa, age not reported, lost control of her motorbike at high speed near the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority office on Thepkrasattri Rd in Srisoonthorn, Thalang.

She died of resulting injuries; no other vehicles were involved in the accident.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Sukanya Phimpha, 23, was killed instantly when she was crushed under a six-wheeled truck while descending Patong Hill. K. Sukanya, from Buri Ram province, was a room maid at the Bangkok Residence Hotel on Soi Sansabai, Patong.

Following the nationwide road toll reaching 324 deaths and 4,484 injuries in 3,955 accidents after the first six days of the festival, the Public Health Ministry has agreed with Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamroong’s idea to restrict alcohol sales during long holidays and is drafting regulations to that effect, officials say.

Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsup said more “serious alcohol-control measures are needed” and that a yet-to-be-formed “alcohol-control board” will next month formulate regulations that will be in place for the next New Year holiday.