Phuket Road Accident Stats

[mja1906]

Does anyone know where if road accident stats are available by province in Thailand? I've been living in Phuket for the past 6mths and am shocked that everyday I read on Phuket Gazette/Wan about another death on the roads.

Just last week a colleague of mine just 28yrs old died on his way riding his motorbike to work on ChaoFa East road, so sad.

I used to live in Chiang Mai and I never heard about road accident deaths that happened so regularly. Or is it because there is less news reported there?

It really puts me off driving on any major roads here, think I'll just stick to the small Phuket town roads!

I'm surprised the level of danger on the roads here does not put more expats off coming to live here. They still seem to flock here,

[PoorSucker]

The statistics are wrong anyway.

A fatality does not count unless he/she dies on the road.

If he/she dies later at hospital it's not a road fatality.

[katabeachbum]

Stats have improved very much since i moved here permanently +8 years ago. At that time, traffic was half and casualtys on Phuket roads where 350 a year. Traffic has doubled since, and fatalities are down to 250 a year. How did this reduction in fatalities come:

Drivers lisence required

Daytime lights on bikes

Helmet law enforced

Police equipped with alcometers

just to mention some reasons

[KarenBravo]

How did this reduction in fatalities come:

Traffic jams?

Lower average speeds due to congestion?

[Ping]

^Not to mention vast improvements in the quality of the roads (with some exceptions).

[NamKangMan]

Due to the volcanic ash cloud and the protest/riot/civil war that was in Bangkok, last years stats for death and injury on Phuket probably would be down a bit. Also, many return tourists chosing to stay walking distance to beach/nightlife etc to avoid the tuk-tuks and therefore also not needing to hire a motor bike.

[katabeachbum]

Due to the volcanic ash cloud and the protest/riot/civil war that was in Bangkok, last years stats for death and injury on Phuket probably would be down a bit. Also, many return tourists chosing to stay walking distance to beach/nightlife etc to avoid the tuk-tuks and therefore also not needing to hire a motor bike.

its been 250 a year for 4-5 years now, so that explanation is not likely. the others posted are

With the huge increase in Phuket traffic, it is in reality a reduction in fatalities

[Peterocket]

It seems to me that many of the road deaths involving Farang (and Thais although the papers tend to report the farang deaths more) are due to them thinking it is ok to drink and drive in Phuket.

[Semper]

I used to live in Chiang Mai and I never heard about road accident deaths that happened so regularly.

OP. It's so normal here that nobody really don't care.

[KarenBravo]

The loose figure I've heard is 20 deaths per month of which one is a car driver and the others are motorbike riders.

Don't know how true it is.

[Valentine]

I thought they only took statistics from the public hospitals. However it does seem increased acceptance of wearing helmets has certainly helped in slowing the fatalities but ever present is the speed that thrills is the speed that kills.

[katabeachbum]

I used to live in Chiang Mai and I never heard about road accident deaths that happened so regularly.

OP. It's so normal here that nobody really don't care.

with one to oneandhalf million people on Phuket at any time, the chanse of a dayly traffic casualty is slightly higher than in Chiang Mai

I have another home in Hua Hin, population on par with CM, and traffic casualties are rare

[ScubaBuddha]

I thought they only took statistics from the public hospitals. However it does seem increased acceptance of wearing helmets has certainly helped in slowing the fatalities but ever present is the speed that thrills is the speed that kills.

Yeah it was reported that sometimes private hospital deaths don't get recorded. And last year there was some discrepancies discovered in the official list of foreigners that had died on the island.

[sydneyjed]

Certainly been a couple of shockers lately with first the Burmese workers 2 weeks back(driver drunk)and the bus that went over the mountain edge(driver fatigue) returning from a funeral!

[seriouseats]

I thought they only took statistics from the public hospitals. However it does seem increased acceptance of wearing helmets has certainly helped in slowing the fatalities but ever present is the speed that thrills is the speed that kills.

Leave the main intersections' traffic and you'll still see 90% of the drivers holding a cellphone and a bag and a drink while trying to remove their helmet so that they can ride freely. Of course they move left and right instead of breaking 1 second and taking it off safely.