165 Killed On Roads Over First Three Days Of Seven Dangerous Days: Thailand

[webfact]

165 killed on roads over first three days

WATTANA KHAMCHOO

THE NATION

The first three of the New Year Festival's "seven dangerous days" has seen 165 lives lost and 1,782 injured from 1,605 road accidents, the Road Safety Centre reported yesterday.

Buri Ram had the most deaths with 14 people killed, while the most accidents were recorded in Chiang Rai (61) and Nakhon Sawan (56). These provinces also had the highest number of people injured, with 62 and 57 respectively.

Chaiyaphum and Trat fared far better - the two provinces were yet to record an accident.

On Saturday, there were 650 road accidents nationwide, which was 34 cases fewer than last year, with 71 people killed (one less than last year) and 731 injured (15 more than |last year), Probation Department deputy chief Chalong Atikanit |told the press yesterday.

Most accidents - 81 per cent - involved motorcycles, she said, and most resulted from drunk driving - 44 per cent - or speeding - nearly 22 per cent.

Over half (59 per cent) occurred on straight stretches of road and about a quarter (27 per cent) took place between 4pm to 8pm. Over half of all casualties were of working age.

Police set up 2,463 checkpoints, and stopped 754,068 road users. Some 105,144 motorists were found to have broken traffic laws - mostly for failing to wear helmets (32,659) or not carrying a driver's licence (29,644), she said.

The total of 1,605 accidents in the first three days was 91 fewer than last year, while the cumulative 165 deaths was an increase of 14, although total number of people injured - 1,782 - was down by 29, Chalong said.

For details about the report and accident-prone areas, visit www.roadsafety.disaster.go.th.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Wibul Sanguanpong reported that vehicle checking by his department over the New Year to help travellers, from December 29-31, involved 792 officials at 28 service centres. They checked some 1,326 vehicles.

-- The Nation 2012-01-02

[Zanby]

Remember that each one of those drunk people have the exact same voting and rights as you do!

It's called 'Democracy'

[webfact]

4th day of 7 danger days for road accidents over the New Year sees 241 deaths and 2,382 injuries, Buri Ram sees highest deaths at 16 /TANN

[ginjag]

Nothing new here, stupid, the people, the system, the police, the parents. 80% motor cyclists. Not surprised when you can pay a deposit for a new M/C=750 bht.. 40,000 bht M/C. payable over 4 years at 2,000 bht per month. who cares ????? money again. deterrents -none or little. at schools. at home. driving documents given out like confetti, drink control-none----like father like son--most cases., shops selling to underage. HaHaHa this is a joke, parents send their kids to shop for alcohol, of course shops sell, that's what stock is for.

What is needed is a government statement tomorrow, order police to uphold the law-shops to be fined heavy for illegal sales, stop the issue of licenses to all and sundry-issue to those who pass a strong test. The carnage has to be stopped, who cares, as a family mother said to me when her son drove the M/C at 12 years---"if he dies he dies" we can make more if it happens. no hope--sorry. regulation is the answer, from the top. But family of P.M. comes first. the past P.Ms are to blame, but this one will have to get the finger out, and really start to concentrate on serious issues, the earlier the better

[NanLaew]

Toddled home from Pattaya to Udon yesterday via 304. North bound was easy and generally quiet until Kabin Buri where there was gridlock on the south-bound side. Three trucks managed to run off the road coming down the mountain and one of them skewered a pickup in the process. Thinned out after Korat and didn't see much activity in all those long tents set up by the traffic cops to watch the shenanigans. I did see lot's of white paint on the road where wrecks must have happened on New Years eve. Seven hours door-to-door.

[moskito]

thanks for the picture Webfact, like I said before, we need to see pictures day by day, if possible in the shools and if possible with more burned or bloody death drivers inside.....hard, but I think may be it will help to understand what cars and motobikes can do to people if they are used like weapons on the streets.

[sfbandung]

thanks for the picture Webfact, like I said before, we need to see pictures day by day, if possible in the shools and if possible with more burned or bloody death drivers inside.....hard, but I think may be it will help to understand what cars and motobikes can do to people if they are used like weapons on the streets.

The roadside signs are pretty graphic here. Broken heads and blood everywhere. It doesn't seem to help though.

[ralphlsasser]

Nothing new to report here. People doing stupid things. Very typical They never learn.

Edited January 2, 2012 by ralphlsasser

[Lite Beer]

Road accidents claim 241 lives in four days of dangerous New Year travel week

BANGKOK, Jan 2 – Road accidents claimed 241 lives and injured 2,382 people in the first four days of New Year’s travel week.

From Dec 29-Jan 1, there were 2,167 road accidents in total, the number falling by 306 or 12.37 per cent from the 2,473 accidents reported during the same period last year, according to the Road Safety Centre.

Total deaths numbered 241, up by seven or 2.99 per cent, compared to the previous year. The total injured amounted to 2,382, down by 274 or 10.32 per cent from last year’s figures.

Chiang Rai reported the most accidents with 85 and the most injuries at 88 while the most deaths were reported in Buri Ram province with 16. Chaiyaphum and Trat are the only provinces where no accidents occurred.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri told a news conference that on New Year’s Day, the fourth day of the campaign to cut road accidents during the New Year travel period, the Road Safety Centre reported 562 accidents, down 26.67 per cent from the 777 accidents recorded on the same day last year.

The death toll of 76 and 600 injured represented drops of 8.43 per cent and 28.99 per cent respectively, compared to the same period.

Most accidents—47.86 per cent—were caused by drunk driving, followed by speeding with 19.93.

Motorcycles are involved most of the accidents, accounting for 82.59 per cent.

Most accidents occurred in the northern province of Chiang Rai and most deaths were reported in Nakhon Sawan at six, while the highest number of injuries was reported in Chiang Rai with 26. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-01-02

[Lite Beer]

New Year road toll rises to 241

The first four days of the New Year Festival's "seven dangerous days" has seen 241 lives lost and 2,382 people injured from 2,167 road accidents, the Road Safety Centre announced Monday.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri represented the centre to announce that on the New Year Day, which was the fourth day of the monitoring period, 562 road accidents occurred, compared to 777 accidents last year.

He said 76 people were killed on the New Year Day, compared to 83 last year and 600 others were injured, a reduction from 845 last year.

Witthaya said drunk driving was the main cause of the accident, followed by breaching of the speed limit.

-- The Nation 2012-01-02

[webfact]

SEVEN-DANGEROUS DAY

241 killed on roads in just four days

The first four days of the New Year Festival's seven-dangerous-day period claimed 241 lives and wounded 2,382 others in 2,167 road accidents, the Road Safety Centre reported Monday.

Buri Ram had the most cumulative deaths at 16 cases, while Chiang Rai claimed the most cumulative injuries at 88 cases and the most cumulative accidents at 85 cases.

The cumulative 241 deaths was seven deaths higher than the same period last year, while the cumulative 2,382 injuries and 2,167 accidents were lowered than last year by 274 persons and 306 accidents, Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri said yesterday.

On January 1 alone, 562 accidents (compared to last January 1's 777 accidents) took place, killing 76 people (83 on January 1, 2011) and injuring 600 others (845 on January 1, 2011), he said. Most accidents resulted from drunk driving (47.86 per cent) and speeding (19.93 per cent). About 82.59 per cent of the accidents involved motorcycles, he added. The 2,465 checkpoints stopped 704,164 vehicles and found 97,359 lawbreaking motorists, most of them failed to wear helmets (30,698 cases) or unable to show a valid driver's license (27,121 cases).

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Wibul Sanguanpong said that this New Year festival had seen more severe accidents than the previous one and that speeding, dozing off behind wheel, failure to wear helmets, people riding on the back of trucks and failing to fasten seat belts were important factors.

-- The Nation 2012-01-02

[Artisi]

Speechless- what can you say. More killed each day than the whole of Australia for the christmas / new year period of about 10 days.

[Tanaka]

Speeding has never caused an accident. It is the inability of the driver to control his/her vechicle at any speed.

[Nisa]

Speechless- what can you say. More killed each day than the whole of Australia for the christmas / new year period of about 10 days.

Why does this makes you speechless?

Thailand has 3 times the population with more than 60% of the vehicles on the roads being cheap/small motorbikes. Thailand is also much less developed meaning that safety related deaths are almost always going to be significantly higher, in all categories, than more modern countries.

What is important to consider is if things are improving and how fast they are improving as a country becomes more modernized. Driver safety is something that doesn't improve overnight anywhere. In recent history, Thailand also has the issue of going from an almost 3rd world country to one of seeing things like mass number of cars hit the streets in a very very short period of time. It is not like the west where you have generations of people learning to drive from their parent or having anywhere near the same experiences of being a passenger in a car before getting taking the wheel themselves.

By the way ... Australia and Western Europe (UK) appears to be one of the safest places in the world to drive with only 7 to 8 yearly fatalities per year per 100,000 vehicles. This compares to the US with 15, Thailand 119 and the world average being 93.

I believe Thailands higher rating of deaths is in part largely attributed to the very high number of motorbikes. Other countries with a large number of motorcycles rate considerably higher with China at 446, India at 1,120 and Vietnam at 1,239 deaths per 100,000 vehicles.

[thailand49]

In Pattaya, what was the check point outside Big C South of Sukhumvit for? All they did was pitch a tent put a dozen of so police with flashlight on the road to signal everyone bye. There were around 12 other police sitting under the tent and another 10 standing outside but all they did was create a traffic nightmare but never pull anyone over?

I'M thinking shouldn't this all be done before the holidays?

[TomTao]

In Pattaya, what was the check point outside Big C South of Sukhumvit for? All they did was pitch a tent put a dozen of so police with flashlight on the road to signal everyone bye. There were around 12 other police sitting under the tent and another 10 standing outside but all they did was create a traffic nightmare but never pull anyone over?

I'M thinking shouldn't this all be done before the holidays?

They had one in Chumphon as well, they pulled over every motorbike that had a rider or passenger wthout a helmet, they also pulled over several cars and checked for liscence and registration, always busy.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Edited January 5, 2012 by TomTao