Songkran Traffic Deaths Up, Injuries And Accidents Down

[george]

Songkran traffic deaths up, injuries and accidents down

Songkran's "seven dangerous days" ended yesterday with 373 deaths and 4,332 injuries in 3,977 road accidents nationwide.

The number of deaths increased by five from last year, but there were 471 fewer injuries and 266 fewer accidents, said Interior Ministry permanent secretary Wichai Srikwan.

Chiang Mai reported the most fatalities at 14. Chiang Rai had the highest number of injuries at 164 and the highest number of accidents at 145.

Meanwhile, Trat, Chachoengsao, Yasothon, Amnat Charoen, Sakon Nakhon, Nan and Yala provinces did not report any deaths during the seven dangerous days.

On Thursday alone, there were 52 deaths and 371 injuries in 343 road accidents.

A total of 5,271,977 drivers and motorcycle-riders were examined at checkpoints nationwide. Of those, 408,020 were cited for violating the law, including 137,806 for driving without a licence and 136,772 for not wearing a helmet.

Motorcycles were the vehicles most involved in road accidents, about 82 per cent of all vehicles. The biggest cause of accidents was drunken driving (40.66 per cent), followed by speeding (19.96 per cent).

The Public Health Ministry reported that its emergency units had given medical assistance 21,456 times and 74 per cent of victims had received help from the units within 10 minutes.

People called the 1669 emergency hotline for help 11,113 times.

The ministry found that three times more shopkeepers on secondary roads violated the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act of 2008 than on main roads. Alcoholic drinks were also sold in petrol stations, which is prohibited.

Ministry officials randomly inspected 28 provinces in all four regions between April 10 and this past Wednesday.

Out of 661 petrol stations inspected by the officials, alcoholic beverages were found on sale in 102, 28 per cent on secondary roads and 9 per cent on main roads.

A total of 140 out of 767 inspected shops violated the Act by selling alcohol outside legal hours.

-- The Nation 2009-04-18

[spaceshipcrew]

Oh really... But this is a non-issue for the gov right ?

Also in the media completely forgotten, it's noting of importance, a human life has no value here...

400 deaths during a celebration, so what ? It's just.... tradition and thus accepted.

[snuggels]

i was in thailand this year with song kran well the goverment did say everybody ho had an exident during those days and this was with alcohol they would not be helpt in the hospital only by small medicpost. so its no problem for the thai i think.

[pepi2005]

373 deaths and 4,332 injuries in 3,977 road accidents nationwide.

just curious - what's the rate of deaths and injuries during regular weeks?

[Dmitry]

+1 - they did not count my accident!

[axel2001]

I am the one from this dry statistic. Got motorbike accident on 12 April, still can't walk

[cocopops]

Oh really... But this is a non-issue for the gov right ?

Also in the media completely forgotten, it's noting of importance, a human life has no value here...

400 deaths during a celebration, so what ? It's just.... tradition and thus accepted.

For comparison purposes, in Australia the christmas/new year road toll is usually around 60.

Australia has roughly a third the population of Thailand, so the per capita equivalent is 180.

About half.

If you go back about 30 years you end up with roughly the same number of per-capita fatalities

as a Thai songkran.

[khunmarc]

what a waste of life !!

and I bet the numbers are way higher not all go to the hospital and the Thai police well the only thing they can count really is cash hand out

[VSteve]

I was in an accident on Monday night.....taxi driver in a head on collision. My friend and I walked away fine. Taxi driver just laughed.

[Yatsam]

Surprisingly, not BKK nor CM but CR has the highest number of accidents and injuries.

"Chiang Rai had the highest number of injuries at 164 and the highest number of accidents at 145."

[manarak]

For all interested, read this:

http://www.iatss.or.jp/pdf/research/28/28-1-14.pdf

[Yatsam]

I have a deadly accident at the last day of Songkran last year in Chiangrai. The motorcyclist was exactly without neither license nor helmet and most probably drunken.

[samran]

The government has a lot of work ahead of it if they are going to change attitudes, and it will require the best part of a generation to change peoples views on what they can and can't do after having a couple of drinks. Lord knows that people who are of an older generation in places like Australia still think it is OK to drive home after a few too many.

In any case, it is hard to say that they government weren't trying new ideas. On my 350km drive out to Trat this past week, we say numerous rest stops manned for people to take a break, with refreshments on hand, seats in the shade etc. Many signs about the place (in Thai of course) stating not to drink and drive and that drowsy drivers die. All the usual stuff. Coppers were out in force too with road blocks to slow down traffic.

Edited April 18, 2009 by samran

[whitfield]

373 deaths and 4,332 injuries in 3,977 road accidents nationwide.

just curious - what's the rate of deaths and injuries during regular weeks?

The only figure I can find is for 1996 and there were 16,782. Assuming things have improved a little since then - more crash helmets and seat belts I think we can assume the figure of 12,500 pa is probably not far off the mark - 240 per week.

So Songkran is more dangerous but that is almost certainly because every motor vehicle in the country takes to the roads. Almost certainly not because the drivers are drinking more.

[finnomick]

Sonkran over ??? What about Pattaya/Jomtien/Naklua where it starts tomorrow? This figure is bound to increase. Will they ever learn -- I doubt it...

[lannarebirth]

373 deaths and 4,332 injuries in 3,977 road accidents nationwide.

just curious - what's the rate of deaths and injuries during regular weeks?

The only figure I can find is for 1996 and there were 16,782. Assuming things have improved a little since then - more crash helmets and seat belts I think we can assume the figure of 12,500 pa is probably not far off the mark - 240 per week.

So Songkran is more dangerous but that is almost certainly because every motor vehicle in the country takes to the roads. Almost certainly not because the drivers are drinking more.

Good analysis and very similar to what this report suggests:

http://en.thaihealth.or.th/index.php?optio...33&Itemid=1

[Spalpeen]

Spare a thought for the paramedics and police who have to go out every day and clean this mess up. 50 dead bodies and 600 injured is a lot of work. And also for the family members left to care for seriously injured relatives.

Racing around drunk on a motorbike, often with no lights or helmet, is an incredibly selfish thing to do.

[samgrowth]

I wonder out of the 300+ death, how many are realy cost by accident, and how many are shot by the army during the crash.

[Dap]

I guess it doesn't really matter (all the facts and figures of why and where), just the simple notice of all the needless injuries and deaths, and the overwhelming need for a system of education and law enforcement. My condolences to all the families dealing with the pain of lives lost and injuries suffered .

[moe666]

Lets stop whining and crying about what Thais do. Their system or lack of it works for them. If one is so worried about drunk driving head on back home and then remember why you couldn't wait to move to Thailand.

[OJAS]

373 deaths and 4,332 injuries in 3,977 road accidents nationwide.

just curious - what's the rate of deaths and injuries during regular weeks?

The only figure I can find is for 1996 and there were 16,782. Assuming things have improved a little since then - more crash helmets and seat belts I think we can assume the figure of 12,500 pa is probably not far off the mark - 240 per week.

So Songkran is more dangerous but that is almost certainly because every motor vehicle in the country takes to the roads. Almost certainly not because the drivers are drinking more.

OMG when will this year's Songkran ever end - 12 April 2010, perhaps?

[thefalang]

i was in thailand this year with song kran well the goverment did say everybody ho had an exident during those days and this was with alcohol they would not be helpt in the hospital only by small medicpost. so its no problem for the thai i think.

Here's some comparative statistics for road fatalities between the US & thailand. If accurate, they indicate that the fatality rate in Thailand was almost twice that of the US.

- Basic indicators for 10 HMCs (1996)

USA Thailand

Road fatalities 41,967 16,782

Deaths per 100,000 pop. 15.8 28.0

Motor vehicles per1000 pop. 787 294

Motor vehicles in use(x1000) 208,801 17,666

Fatalities per 100,000 MV 20 95

Deaths per 10,000 motor vehicles 2 9.5

[thefalang]

373 deaths and 4,332 injuries in 3,977 road accidents nationwide.

just curious - what's the rate of deaths and injuries during regular weeks?

Here are some comparative statistics for the US and THailand:

- Basic indicators for 10 HMCs (1996)

USA / Thailand

Road fatalities : 41,967 / 16,782

Deaths per 100,000 pop: 15.8 / 28.0

Motor vehicles per1000 pop: 787 / 294

Motor vehicles in use(x1000): 208,801 / 17,666

Fatalities per 100,000 MV: 20 / 95

Deaths per 10,000 motor vehicles: 2 / 9.5

As per GRSP (Global Road Safety Partnership) in Thailand and the Thai Ministry of Transport and Communications

[brahmburgers]

I've resided in Chiang Rai 10+ years, and go driving every day. I have never seen a traffic stop by a cop for a 'moving violation.' My 'guesstimate' of how many drivers go thru C.Rai red lights in an average hour (between 7 am and 9 pm) is 10,000. I came to that estimate by counting how many go through red lights at some busy intersections, and multiplied it by the # of similar intersections city-wide. Needless to say, there are many other moving violations, happening every minute around town, not least is:

>>> cutting corners on turns. Indeed, it's rare when a vehicle stays in its lane on a sweeping turn, and making a wide arc on a right turn in an intersection is nearly never seen. Apparently, the arc is not a popular concept in Asia.

I've become a honker (or a honky) since residing here. I never fail to honk when taking a blind left turn, at any speed. I don't like to honk, and my Thai friends let me know it's considered rude, but there may be that one in five hundred chance that a driver coming the other way might hear it and either slow down or swerve out of my lane. It's a whole lot ruder to bust someone's vehicle to smithereens and/or crack their skull and spill guts on the pavement, than to honk a vehicle horn once in awhile. I even had an extra horn installed on my P.U. truck, so it now sounds like a '62 Cadillac. Next step, get an added battery installed and put in a big rig horn that can be heard for miles. Thais shouldn't mind, as they're able to tolerate noise pollution ad infinitum.

[denishuahin]

373 deaths and 4,332 injuries in 3,977 road accidents nationwide.

just curious - what's the rate of deaths and injuries during regular weeks?

After nearly hitting a motobike with 4 people on it who pulled straight across the front me making me skid so as not to hit them. They all just had a good laugh at my skidding and went on the merry way to the next accident. I looked up how many were killed on motobikes in one year and came up with "reported " 12,000 = to 230 every week.

[kangeroo]

i wouldn't believe any stats that the nation has compiled from sources that wouldn't have a clue.

[john b good]

Lets stop whining and crying about what Thais do. Their system or lack of it works for them. If one is so worried about drunk driving head on back home and then remember why you couldn't wait to move to Thailand.

I've seen some stupid posts but this one takes the biscuit

"their system or lack of it works for them" It obviously didn't work for the 373 that died did it

And that figure (373) is likely to be way below the actual figure of fatalities that occurred over the period because it is fairly common knowledge that not all accidents are reported

Edited April 19, 2009 by john b good

[Brewsta]

I haved been in Chiang Mai since 2000, watched countless 'law enforcers' smoiking and drinking at checkpoints, etc.

Lesson learned by observation: Drinking + Driving = Deadly......... your choice..... I stay in my house and avoid the carnage by stocking up with vittals the week before.

Until the Poilice set a decent example, nothing will change - sadly.

regards.

[deprogrammed]

Personaly, I am amaized the death doll is so low. The songkraze death race goes on for over a week around Pattaya. It is common to see kids (usualy 3 to a bike) speeding in an out of traffic whilst having buckets of water hurled at them from nutters lining the sides of the roads. Their parents just look on with a zombie brain dead type of admiration and glee.

I would like to think the cull made the roads safer. However, alas, I think most Thais have no sense of death or danger.

The average mentality of a Thai is that of a 12 year old - so what is to be expected by allowing millions of untrained and unlicenced (not to mention insured) kids run wild on the roads whilst fueled with alcohol

Edited April 19, 2009 by deprogrammed

[loz944]

Lets stop whining and crying about what Thais do. Their system or lack of it works for them. If one is so worried about drunk driving head on back home and then remember why you couldn't wait to move to Thailand.

I 100% agree with you

one of the main reasons i love it here is the lack of red tape and the more relaxed attitude. I am sure the Thais know the risks as well as Farangs do if they choose to drive without helmets that's there choice.