BANGKOK (NNT) - Statistics indicate that as many as 51% of people killed in road accidents during Songkran festivals are heads of households. 53% of Songkran road accident fatalities occur within a 5-kilometer radius of the home.

 

by Namo Vananupong

 

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and its partner agencies are running a campaign called “Don’t Drink and Drive; Tipsy Kills” to highlight the impacts of small amounts of alcohol on drivers. This is in hopes of making the Songkran festival this year a time of happiness for more households and improving road safety.

 

ThaiHealth and partner agencies have held a press conference on the “Don’t Drink and Drive; Tipsy Kills” campaign for Songkran road accident reduction.

 

Phra Mahathawi Phothimethi, the abbot of Buddhapanya Temple in Nonthaburi province, said Songkran marks the Thai new year and encompasses beautiful traditions. He asked that Buddhists abstain from consuming alcohol during Songkran.

 

The abbot said alcohol takes away people’s conscience and results in a lack of self-control, adding that people under the influence of alcohol are easily capable of committing evils.

 

ThaiHealth Assistant CEO Pairoj Saonuam said this year’s campaign emphasizes the impacts that just one glass of alcohol can have on a driver. Said impacts are sometimes fatal.

 

Dr. Pairoj said the “safe water play” areas on streets popular with Songkran revelers have been expanded to about 60 locations. The number of alcohol-free water splashing areas has been increased to about 100 nationwide.

 

The ThaiHealth assistant CEO said driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.05% (50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood) doubles the chance of encountering an accident.

 

A blood alcohol level of 100 milligrams increases the risk of accidents by 6 times. 150 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood or above raises the risk of an accident by as much as 40 times and causes the driver to lose the ability to control the vehicle.

 

Penalties for drinking and driving have been raised. The first offense carries a maximum penalty of 1-year imprisonment or a fine of 5,000 to 20,000 baht.

 

A repeat offense transpiring within two years of the previous offense entails a maximum prison term of 2 years or a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 baht.

 

The court will always prescribe a penalty involving both a jail term and a fine for repeat offenses.

 

Furthermore, the driver’s license of the repeat offender will either be suspended for at least 1 year or revoked.

 

Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230406092048552

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2023-04-06

 

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Prison terms are the only way to reduce DUI , the problem is too many

stupid people and they will still do it , and lack of Police enforcement

to catch them , accidents and deaths affect so many more people 

caused by excessive drink driving ,than the driver.

 

regards worgeordie

 

And the other 361 days of a year?

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

Furthermore, the driver’s license of the repeat offender will either be suspended for at least 1 year or revoked.

Is this licence suspension enforced while the perpetrator is doing his 2 years porridge?

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and its partner agencies are running a campaign called “Don’t Drink and Drive; Tipsy Kills” to highlight the impacts of small amounts of alcohol on drivers. This is in hopes of making the Songkran festival this year a time of happiness for more households and improving road safety.

Tipsy?

Blind drunk most of them.

3 hours ago, anchadian said:

And the other 361 days of a year?

Same.

There used to be a slogan, "Don't Drive Drunk", which played a bit with semantics in that it didn't ask people to NOT drink but rather not to drive if drunk (plastered, I suspect). Now they seem a little more serious about the language but probably not so much about the arrests.

it is like you speak to a wall...

Effectively the regurgitation of the same ineffective message ( with the same results) that will be largely ignored as traditionally. Just accept that there’s a Faustian pact between the Government and the population stating that Thais want to carry on with their dangerous practices on the road and that the elite don’t really care that they want to slaughter and maim each other… oh,and it’ll be the same next year with the usual accompanying hand wringing .

7 minutes ago, vivananahuahin said:

it is like you speak to a wall...

At least you have the benefit of being able to p**s against one of those… ????‍???? 

Statistics indicate that as many as 51% of people killed in road accidents during Songkran festivals are heads of households.

 

So the other 49% are sons, daughters, wives, close friends, etc. In other words the people you care about and would defend if being attacked in the street, but it's okay to drive them home when you're drunk and incapable.

Statistically, aren't there less people killed and injured during Songkran? So it's the other 361 days they need to worry about.

Dont Drink and Drive should be top of the agenda 365 Days a Year and rigorously enforced by a credible Police Force.

But Hey ! TIT, and the annual road carnage will continue.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

partner agencies are running a campaign called “Don’t Drink and Drive; Tipsy Kills”

I would imagine something like 'Killing someone whilst driving - 15 years, killing some whilst tipsy - 15 years' would be better

Look at those constant whiners. If they do nothing, you complain. If they do something, you complain. In oz we always had extra safety campaigns around long weekend holidays, with more demerit points on offer. 

I don't drink when I drive and I don't drive when I drink!
As long as every policeman I meet invites me to drink and says that I can drink because there are no checkpoints and if I am stopped, he can protect me from a fine, nothing will change in Thailand.

As long as they're wearing their masks they'll be alright, safety first.????

Same message different year I,am sure the thais will listen and not drink and drive.Just like thai new year,the question is the final count

Here we go again; the 2nd lot of Seven Dangerous Days when normally invisible police take to the roadside en masse to play with their phones whilst collecting overtime payments with no discernible effect on the daily road kill.

same old tale !!!!  same answer  NO wont work-morons still carryon as norm..sadly 

15 hours ago, paulikens said:

As long as they're wearing their masks they'll be alright, safety first.????

probably  very true !!! 

23 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Prison terms are the only way to reduce DUI

sorry you are wrong here. back home we have MADD and its effectiveness is well documented. 

 

education is key. 

 

 

20 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Tipsy?

Blind drunk most of them.

Even sober kills on Thai roads!

1 hour ago, stoner said:

education is key. 

Something they don't do very well at all!

Already got started. We stay in the moo ban. Gonna be my last Songkran in the LOS for awhile.

7 hours ago, stoner said:

sorry you are wrong here. back home we have MADD and its effectiveness is well documented. 

 

education is key. 

 

 

Educate them in prison ,I say , I don't know where back home is , but what does not

work there ,should be given a chance here,   at least when they are locked up they

cannot get wasted ,jump in a vehicle and create carnage...

 

regards worgeordie