Worst-ever road death, injury statistics

PHUKET: Sixteen people died in traffic accidents between January 20 and February 20, according to statistics from the Wachira, Thalang and Patong government hospitals. All the victims were on motorcycles, Ampaipan Pawawattananusorn of the Phuket Provincial Health Office reported. In the same period, 906 were hurt in crashes involving motorbikes, while 35 people were injured in car accidents. The year’s totals from January 1 to February 20 were 31 killed on motorcycles and three in cars, with 2,017 people injured, of whom 1,859 were on motorbikes. The January 1 to February 20 motorbike injury statistic is more than double what it was in the same period in each of the past three years. In 1998 the figure was 882. In 1999 it fell to 787, before rising again last year to 924.