Traffic survey sparks crackdown

PHUKET TOWN: A two-month survey of moving violation charges has sparked an island-wide crackdown on people breaking traffic laws, a provincial government official announced at a meeting this morning. From June 1 to July 31, eight Phuket police stations tallied traffic law violations in their districts, with Kathu Police Station reporting the most offenders. During the period, 5,728 people were charged in Kathu: 2,525 for not wearing a helmet, 1,870 for driving unlicensed; 1,312 for not wearing a seat belt; 21 for riding a modified motorbike. In Phuket Town, 4,680 people were charged: 3,608 for not wearing a helmet; 680 for driving unlicensed; 302 for not wearing a seat belt; 90 for riding a modified motorbike. In Chalong, 2,567 were people charged: 1,320 for not wearing a helmet; 909 for driving unlicensed; 319 for not wearing a seat belt; 19 for riding a modified motorbike. A result of the survey, officers at the checkpoint near the Caltex Gas station on Route 4029, the main road from Phuket Town to Patong, will from today crack down on seven moving violations. The seven traffic offenses are: • Speeding. • Drunk driving. • Motorbike riders and passengers not wearing helmets. • Car drivers and their front passengers not wearing seat belts. • Illegal modifications to vehicles. • Driving unlicensed. Offenders will have their vehicle impounded by police. • Motorcycles being ridden without the headlight switched on (any time of day or night). These violations will soon receive the same attention by police in all Phuket districts, said the official.