Songkran Death Toll Surges To 418

By Jintamas Saksornchai, Staff Reporter

 

Four people were injured Sunday in a car wreck in Suphan Buri province. Photo: Matichon

 

BANGKOK — Speeding edged out intoxication to claim the most lives during the “dangerous days” of Songkran this year, which ended after 418 people died on the roads over seven days, according to officials.

 

Driving over the speed limit came from behind to surpass drunk driving as the No. 1 cause of death. Speeding-related deaths accounted for 27.7 percent of fatalities, while drunk driving fell to No. 2, cited in 25.7 percent of road deaths, according to numbers from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/calamity/2018/04/18/songkran-death-toll-surges-to-418/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-04-18

Interested to know the causes of the other 50%, was it simply just Thai driving?

Speeding and drink driving caused over half of the deaths and there are more dead than last year.

Clearly the 7 day safety campaign has to be seen as an absolute failure.

I think those of us who live here recognise that you can't just expect people to give up their terrible driving habits for a week.

Until such time as there is serious road law enforcement year round, this bloodbath will sadly continue ad infinitum.

Managed to squeek under the 60 per day mark. Congradulations are in order. I think that all the top officials should get a big bonus check and a photo op.

"BANGKOK, 18th April 2018 (NNT) – The Prime Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, thanked all sides, including volunteers, for ensuring public safety during this year's Songkran festival."

 

Words fail me.

Unfortunately, the fat lady hasn't sung yet.

 

We still have today and tomorrow as Songkran days in Pattaya and Sattahip doesn't celebrate until Friday.  All those that have traveled here from other provinces still have to get home - and rest assured that most of them will not be in any fit state to drive.  Expect more deaths and injuries - that may not even be  added to the official figures because, of course, the 'seven dangerous days' are over!

 

You just wait until Songkran 2019 speedsters. Us drunk drivers aren't gonna let you get away with this

The thing of it is, the numbers they give are bogus. They only count the ones who died at the scene of the accident, but don't add those who died in the hospital from the accident.   So, the actual numbers are higher than what they report.

 

3 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

The thing of it is, the numbers they give are bogus. They only count the ones who died at the scene of the accident, but don't add those who died in the hospital from the accident.   So, the actual numbers are higher than what they report.

 

I like your dog

Driving over the speed limit came from behind to surpass drunk driving as the No. 1 cause of death. Speeding-related deaths accounted for 27.7 percent of fatalities, while drunk driving fell to No. 2, cited in 25.7 

 

And what caused the other 73,4 % 

10 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

The thing of it is, the numbers they give are bogus. They only count the ones who died at the scene of the accident, but don't add those who died in the hospital from the accident.   So, the actual numbers are higher than what they report.

1

Wouldn't be surprised if next year they'll order the body snatchers to get the semi-corpses a couple of hundred meters away from the scene so they can massage the numbers down. I'd wager the real number is about 10x of the reported. Not that it makes even a notch in the human density in Thailand.

418 die in Songkran road carnage

By The Nation

 

 

This Songkran's casualties of 418 deaths and 3,897 injuries in 3,724 road accidents compared with last year’s figures of 390 deaths and 3,808 injuries in 3,690 road crashes, the Road Safety Centre said on Wednesday.

 

Most road carnage this Songkran stemmed from drink-driving (40 per cent) and speeding (26 per cent) and 80 per cent of accidents involved motorcycles and 65 per cent took place on straight roads, Deputy Interior Minister Suthee Makboon told the media.

 

During the seven-day monitoring period for Songkran (April 11-17), Nakhon Ratchasima, the “gateway to the northeast”, reported the highest accumulated death toll (20) while the northern province of Chiang Mai had the highest total injuries (142) and crashes (133), he said. Only four provinces of Ranong, Samut Songkhram, Nong Khai and Nong Bua Lamphu reported no road accident deaths during Songkran, he added.

 

On Tuesday, the last day of the crash-monitoring period, 307 accidents took place killing 26 people and wounding 336 others and with speeding blamed for 28 per cent of accidents, drink-driving for 26 per cent and suddenly cutting in front of other vehicle for 19 per cent.

 

On Tuesday, officers manning 2,029 checkpoints nationwide arrested 146,589 motorists, most of whom were motorcyclists and their passengers not wearing crash helmets (39,572 cases) and those not in possession of their driver’s licence (37,779).

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30343403

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-18

59.7 is the average from 418 deaths over the 7 day period of Songkran.

 

What is the daily national average for Thailand?

19 minutes ago, chrisinth said:

59.7 is the average from 418 deaths over the 7 day period of Songkran.

 

What is the daily national average for Thailand?

61 according to this article from Nov 2017

 

but WHO figures from 2015 put it at 66

http://www.searo.who.int/thailand/areas/roadsafety/en/

 

So yes, below average for the 'official' figures; which some suggest do not include people who die  in hospital from road accidents.

 

2 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

The thing of it is, the numbers they give are bogus. They only count the ones who died at the scene of the accident, but don't add those who died in the hospital from the accident.   So, the actual numbers are higher than what they report.

 

Check again.  The number ARE updated with those that die later.  Day one is an example.  Initially reported as 39 is now updated to 42.  There is a note on the bottom of the chart confirming this.

3 hours ago, wanderluster said:

Managed to squeek under the 60 per day mark. Congradulations are in order. I think that all the top officials should get a big bonus check and a photo op.

i am sure they will manage that 

3 minutes ago, HHTel said:

Check again.  The number ARE updated with those that die later.  Day one is an example.  Initially reported as 39 is now updated to 42.  There is a note on the bottom of the chart confirming this.

Then they have changed things, as 3 years ago a family member who is a Lt., with Traffic Division RTP, flat out told me they only count the ones dead at the scene.

You can speak to two members of the RTP and likely get different info from each.  Very common as they can't admit to not knowing.  From experience, I've had to approach more than one officer before getting one to confirm what I know was the truth.  All about 'losing face'.  However, we live with the shortcomings here.

Now someone makes a mistake...we are already by an average of 60 per day...(71 during the year)! What is true? Are Thailand roads on the way to becoming safe?

Edited April 18, 20188 yr by peperobi
Small mistake!

15 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

Then they have changed things, as 3 years ago a family member who is a Lt., with Traffic Division RTP, flat out told me they only count the ones dead at the scene.

They still do it, the real amount will be never told to the public. Some people died even few weeks after the accident.

Well done the government on not making songkran safer than pretty much any other year ....as a perspective over songkran, 1 dead person every 24 minutes and 11 seconds ....acceptable the government?

And the Minister stated Thais are ignorant of the law, whose fault is that I wonder, certainly not the Thai people but the Government and the enforcers , who I doubt know the law anyway. 

Do they count drunk drivers who are speeding. Surely most speeding is done by, you guessed it, drunk drivers.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Speeding edged out intoxication to claim the most lives during the “dangerous days” of Songkran this yea

I'm guessing speeding to the 7/11, big C or Topps before the alcohol 'no sales' times !

3 hours ago, wanderluster said:

Managed to squeek under the 60 per day mark. Congradulations are in order. I think that all the top officials should get a big bonus check and a photo op.

Common alcohol. You can do better than that! A bit more effort required

3 hours ago, jenny2017 said:

Driving over the speed limit came from behind to surpass drunk driving as the No. 1 cause of death. Speeding-related deaths accounted for 27.7 percent of fatalities, while drunk driving fell to No. 2, cited in 25.7 

 

And what caused the other 73,4 % 

Uh....27.7 + 25.7 = 53.4

100 - 53.4 = 46.6%

 

Not a math major eh? Neither was I.

3 hours ago, jenny2017 said:

Driving over the speed limit came from behind to surpass drunk driving as the No. 1 cause of death. Speeding-related deaths accounted for 27.7 percent of fatalities, while drunk driving fell to No. 2, cited in 25.7 

 

And what caused the other 73,4 % 

The usual complete stupidity demonstrated on a daily basis. HTH 

3 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

The thing of it is, the numbers they give are bogus. They only count the ones who died at the scene of the accident, but don't add those who died in the hospital from the accident.   So, the actual numbers are higher than what they report.

 

I mentioned here already that UN estimates more than 35.000/year.

3 hours ago, Dingle 60 said:

You just wait until Songkran 2019 speedsters. Us drunk drivers aren't gonna let you get away with this

Drunk drivers lost face ? 

54 minutes ago, peperobi said:

Now someone makes a mistake...we are already by an average of 60 per day...(71 during the year)! What is true? Are Thailand roads on the way to becoming safe?

Yes ! But only during Songkran