Thai Songkran Road Toll Tops Last Year On Day 1

[geriatrickid]

Now now animatic. Have faith.

[ariesram74]

It's quite amazing to me that this happens EVERY YEAR.

[PhilHarries]

It's quite amazing to me that this happens EVERY YEAR.

Yes, if you ran a cross country bus service that saw this level of casualties you'd be shut down, jailed, the door welded shut and the key melted down with days of starting operations.

[animatic]

Now now animatic. Have faith.

Oh I have faith, just not in 3 or more Jatrukamen Ramateph amulets

saving my ass if I drive perpetually at the limits of tire adhesion to road surface..

[bdenner]

We don't appear to be well informed this year when it comes to the Song Khran road toll as in previous years. A bit here and there! Political turmoil seems to have the lime light. Maybe rightly so but I for one would be interested in statistical comparisons with years gone by now there has been a clamp down on drunk driving. 5555555

[apetley]

We don't appear to be well informed this year when it comes to the Song Khran road toll as in previous years. A bit here and there! Political turmoil seems to have the lime light. Maybe rightly so but I for one would be interested in statistical comparisons with years gone by now there has been a clamp down on drunk driving. 5555555

Is that the same clampdown on drink driving that was in force at New Year?

There was an order out that anyone drink driving went straight to jail.

Result, nobody went to jail for drunk driving over New Year......laughably tragic.

[Flatouthruthefog]

We don't appear to be well informed this year when it comes to the Song Khran road toll as in previous years. A bit here and there! Political turmoil seems to have the lime light. Maybe rightly so but I for one would be interested in statistical comparisons with years gone by now there has been a clamp down on drunk driving. 5555555

How true! And have you noticed how there is NEVER any statistical comparison with any other similar period of days, nationally, that do NOT constitute a national holiday?

I have bitched (almost politely) in writing about this to 'The Nation' and that other unmentionable rag - and got the usual deafening silence.

Oh and Herr Oberkommando, did you know that as no private hospitals give out any info, the stats we read NEVER include injured people taken there, or deaths their ambulances might attend at the scene?!

So the real figures are always FAR higher than we ever see. Some fear they may be close to double.

[BigBikeBKK]

I've also heard (maybe true, maybe legend) that there is no such thing as a speeding ticket in Thailand. There is no accurate method of measuring speed (cameras or radar) so they just don't bother. I've never seen anything to contradict this.

FWIW you are wrong on that point- the Thai Highway Police do have quite a few speed guns. They showed them off at the Chiang Mai Bike Week last year. Those of us who drive around Bangkok and between Bangkok-Chiang Mai and Bangkok-Korat-Khon Kaen-Udon Thani know exactly where the speed traps are which makes them quite easy to avoid.

Thing is, I don't think it's the super-highways where all the deaths are happening. In fact, I'd be willing to bet most of the fatalities are not caused by speeding, but by alcohol.

Anyway- I enjoyed a nice ~1500km road trip over Songkran and while I did see quite a few cars and trucks in the ditch, I didn't come across any fatality accidents. I really get the impression that most of these fatalities are in very remote areas and after dark when the alcohol has been flowing. Sure- lots of fender benders on the big roads, but the majority of the deaths are motorcyclists and the majority of motorcycles in Thailand are scooters which you don't see so much of on the big roads.

Ride On!

Tony

[webfact]

UPDATE

Another 45 deaths on the roads on Friday

By Wattana Khamchoo

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A total of 348 road accidents were reported on Friday in which 45 people were killed and 370 injured, the Road Safety Centre announced yesterday.

Most of the accidents involved motorcycles and were caused by drunk driving and speeding.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Anucha Mokkhavej said that during the period from Monday to Friday, the death toll from road accidents totalled 257, the number of injured rose to 3,104 while 2,863 road accidents were reported. The overall deaths, injuries and accidents throughout the five days were, however, lower than the same period last year.

Nakhon Si Thammarat recorded the highest number of road accidents at 116 over five days, whereas Nakhon Ratchasima recorded the highest number of fatalities at 17.

In addition, Nakhon Si Thammarat had the highest number of injuries, at 131.

Meanwhile, in Nakhon Ratchasima, due to the large number of passengers seeking to return to Bangkok, the bus terminal set up tents and chairs for those waiting to buy tickets.

With many people heading to the capital this weekend, heavy traffic congestion was reported on Mitrapap Highway, especially the Korat-Saraburi stretch.

-- The Nation 2010-04-18

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[webfact]

UPDATE

Songkarn road toll rises to 306

A total of 355 road accidents was reported Saturday in which 49 people were killed and 398 others were injured, the Road Safety Centre announced Sunday.

The accumulated death toll from road accidents from Monday to Saturday rose to 306 while the accumulated number of injured people rose to 3,502. The centre said 3,218 road accidents were reported during the period.

-- The Nation 2010-04-18

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[webfact]

UPDATE

Songkran road toll ends at 361

BANGKOK: -- Fifty-five people were killed and 300 others injured in 298 road accidents on Sunday, the Road Safety Centre announced Monday.

The centre monitored the road accidents from April 12 to Sunday and found that 3,516 accidents occurred during the period, killing 361 people and injuring 3,802 others.

-- The Nation 2010-04-19

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[tso310]

It's quite amazing to me that this happens EVERY YEAR.

Amazing Thailand.

One statistic that I haven't seen is how many of those injuries become fatal.