Phuket Songkran: Four days without death on the roads

PHUKET: For the first time in years, Phuket has maintained its zero death toll for the first four days of the Songkran Seven Days of Danger national road-safety campaign.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket office (DDPM-Phuket), which collates all road accident statistics for Phuket during the campaign, reported three road accidents, injuring three people, from midnight Saturday through midnight Sunday.

At 2:15am, Guenter Schiele, 56, from Germany, reportedly driving under the influence of alcohol, fell from his motorbike in front of Thalang Technical College (map here). He was taken to Thalang Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

At 1:30pm, Khanitta Nuansri, 20, from Phang Nga, was riding a motorbike when she was involved in a collision with another motorbike in front of Pha Khlok Municipality Office on the Tah Reua-Pa Khlok Road. She was taken to Thalang Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

At 7:30pm, Mohameo Abdecaol, 24, from Egypt, was walking beside the road near Phuket Simon Cabaret Show on Sirirat Road in Patong when he was struck by a motorcyclist. He was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town, where he underwent surgery for two broken legs yesterday.

Police manning static checkpoints reported stopping and checking 3,646 vehicles yesterday, 415 people were caught committing traffic offenses, as follows:

– Riding a motorbike without wearing a helmet –153 people

– Riding an unsafe motorbike – 1

– Driver and/or passengers failing to use seat belts – 20

– Driving under the influence of alcohol – 20

– Driving without [carrying] a valid driving license – 200

– Failing to stop at a red traffic light – 0

– Driving in the wrong way (ghost-riding) – 1

– Overtaking in a restricted zone – 1

– Using a mobile phone while driving – 19

Last year’s Songkran road toll was three dead and 43 injured in 44 reported accidents in Phuket during the seven-day campaign.

In 2011, seven people died and 52 suffered serious injuries in 43 reported accidents during the same period.

— Irfarn Jamdukor