Forty-two killed, more than 400 injured on first day of holiday

By The Nation

 

 

Forty-two people were killed and 432 injured in 420 road accidents on the first of New Year holiday period’s “seven dangerous days” (December 27-January 2), the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department’s Road Safety Centre (Thai RSC) reported on Friday.

 

Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat told a press conference at the Thai RSC that Chiang Mai and Ratchaburi reported the highest number of road accidents with 19 cases each, while Khon Kaen and Lop Buri cited the most fatalities with four deaths each. Chiang Mai had the highest number of casualties with 20 injuries.

 

The major causes of accidents were drunk driving (37.62 per cent), followed by speeding (21.19 per cent). Of the accidents, 79.95 per cent involved motorcycles and most of the crashes took place on highways (39.29 per cent). 

 

Some 2,042 checkpoints were manned by 53,239 officials around the country, with 114,177 violations recorded. A total of 30,923 motorists failed to produce a licence; 34,165 motorcyclists were stopped for riding without helmets and 14,411 drivers were stopped for failing to wear seat belts.

 

Roads to the Northeast and the North were congested on Friday as people headed home for the New Year break. Highway Number 304 (Kabin Buri-Pak Thong Chai) reported three heavily-jammed sections – Thung Pho, Khao Plu Heeb and Huai Thab Mon – with vehicles were crawling bumper to bumper along stretches ranging in length from 5km to 10km. Besides opening extra lanes to alleviate the congestion as needed, some police personnel took to singing and dancing – as well as handing out drinking water and snacks – at a roadside spot near Khao Khiew Military Camp in Prachin Buri’s Nadi district to entertain the passing drivers.

 

Meanwhile, Probation Department chief Prasarn Mahaleetrakul said Thai courts had on December 27 ordered traffic law violators in 514 cases to be on probation - nine drunk drivers among whom were ordered to wear Electronic Monitoring (EM) devices and banned from going out at night during 10pm-4am for 15 days. The nine drunk drivers also were told to do 24 hours of social services, and saw their driver's licences suspended for six months. Of the 313 drunk driving cases (among the 514 above-mentioned cases), Bangkok had the highest share at 60 cases followed by Maha Sarakham at 40 cases and Ubon Ratchathani at 33 cases.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30361293

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-28

42 dead, 432 injured - basically the same as every other day

i'm sure they can do better.

Come on Thailand.

They need the Number one slot. cant go loosing face on this one.

Worst still !! i wont get a good nights sleep with banging music and ambulance sirens till its bloody well over.  TD

18 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The major causes of accidents were drunk driving (37.62 per cent), followed by speeding (21.19 per cent). Of the accidents, 79.95 per cent involved motorcycles and most of the crashes took place on highways (39.29 per cent).

go team Thailand go!

It's the fault of foreigners, they invented the car and motorbike innit!

How do they open extra lanes on highways ?  By letting drivers legally drive in breakdown lane ?  If so a very bad idea

Didn't a government spokesliar recently say Little P the frog and the rest of their merry band had solved 98.stupid% amount of problems, the kamikaze thai roads are clearly in the remainder they aint got round to yet, probably do it next week heh.....

Doesn't anybody find it strange or weird that the death toll and accident figures are given out by the Tourism and Sports minister ? 

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

A total of 30,923 motorists failed to produce a licence

If they have taken 30,923 vehicles off the road, why is there still so much congestion?

 

Oh!  Ok!  Nobody waste their time in replying; I've already sussed-out the answer!

10 minutes ago, NE1 said:

Doesn't anybody find it strange or weird that the death toll and accident figures are given out by the Tourism and Sports minister ? 

I find it weird in general that this makes new headlines year in and year out and the same responses by the same members year in and year out.

 

I am waiting for the "Air in Chiang Mai is bad" thread with the same results...

 

Nexxxxxxxxxxxxt....

1 hour ago, NE1 said:

Doesn't anybody find it strange or weird that the death toll and accident figures are given out by the Tourism and Sports minister ? 

Imagine how horrific they would look if they were given out by TAT. The numbers would be double what they really are.

Edited December 28, 20187 yr by Cadbury

3 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

on first day of holiday

Today is a holiday?? ????

This could be the record they are searching for.

Go Thailand go.

I have every confidence.

Number ONE is NUMBER ONE....No matter what !

Remind the public this is a foreign holiday. maybe they will calm down. Maybe cancel this stupid holiday and stick to the thai ones for which there are already too many and that will save lives. Obviously no one will get the bill to start campaigns and such. A bunch of usless over paid officials sitting around on the side of the road as a mass show of uselessness doesn't help anyone. 

6 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

 A bunch of usless over paid officials sitting around on the side of the road as a mass show of uselessness doesn't help anyone. 

All aboard the Thailand,  Choo choo express.

 

19 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

Remind the public this is a foreign holiday. maybe they will calm down. Maybe cancel this stupid holiday and stick to the thai ones for which there are already too many and that will save lives. Obviously no one will get the bill to start campaigns and such. A bunch of usless over paid officials sitting around on the side of the road as a mass show of uselessness doesn't help anyone. 

I don't think it matters if it is a holiday or not. The toll death is the same as any other day of the year. It's not the holiday's fault, but the poor driving skills exerted by many Thai drivers.

10 hours ago, Justin Side said:

This could be the record they are searching for.

Go Thailand go.

I have every confidence.

I hope you are joking.

12 hours ago, NE1 said:

Doesn't anybody find it strange or weird that the death toll and accident figures are given out by the Tourism and Sports minister ? 

Maybe he was the only known teetotaller available... 

My Mrs was viewing a 20 minute compilation of carnage yesterday from some Thai site and in the vast majority the only 2 vehicles on the road and crashed it appears that Thais are unaware they are diving ????

A much better source of information would be the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
TAT would polish up the body count...

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

53,239 officials around the country, with 114,177 violations recorded

So 2 violations found per official, any TVF members could beat that.

Roads are congested due to every one going home: that's why the numbers are down.

14 hours ago, Searat7 said:

How do they open extra lanes on highways ?  By letting drivers legally drive in breakdown lane ?  If so a very bad idea

Beats the heck out of them driving in them illegally no?

 

PS. This being Thailand and all, what's this 'breakdown lane' you speak of anyway?

Are they implying that the other 358 days a year are safe?

 

i think this is a strategic mistake that they refuse to change from. 

 

Granted that the motorcycle demographic group is not the Thai cream of the crop so this marginal group gathers less importance and value to society....

 

if thai decision makers really wanted to reduce road fatalities, the question becomes do they really want to vs are   they competently capable to do so?

Anyway, hats off for consistency...

Just now, NanLaew said:

 

PS. This being Thailand and all, what's this 'breakdown lane' you speak of anyway?

 

Non pedants understand that the poster was talking about the hard shoulder

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

some police personnel took to singing and dancing …. to entertain the passing drivers.

Says it all!

the message is out in the media,thais will not bother to listen.they want that record again.i wonder how high it will go 

Edited December 29, 20187 yr by bristolgeoff