First Day Of '7 Dangerous Songkran Holidays': 30 Killed In Road Accidents

[webfact]

DANGEROUS SONGKRAN HOLIDAY

30 killed in road accidents

The Nation

Police campaign to reduce accident during Songkran Holiday

BANGKOK: -- A total of 30 people were killed in road accidents on Wednesday, the first of "seven dangerous Songkran holidays", the Road Safety Centre announced Thursday.

Wibul Sanguanpong, director general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department who is the secretary of the centre, told a press conference that 343 road accidents occurred Wednesday, in which 373 people were injured.

Phichit saw the highest death toll with five people killed.

Nakhon Si Thammarat became the province with the highest number of accidents or 20 accidents happened on the first day.

So far, 60 provinces have no road-accident fatality.

The centre said drunk driving was the biggest cause of accident. It said 30.90 per cent of the accidents were caused by drunk driving. The second causde was violations of speed limit. The centre said 19.83 per cent of the accidents involved violations of speed limit.

And up to 82.87 per cent of the accidents involved motorcycles while 7.30 per cent involved pick-up trucks.

Wibul said the authorities would try to minimize the road accidents by preventing drunk driving violations of speed limits and making sure that motorcyclists wear crash helmets.

Wibul said 16 provinces saw on accidents happen on Wednesday.

-- The Nation 2012-04-12

[mowgus]

Curious....how many accidents occur on an average day in Thailand. I'm guessing quite a few considering how many bad accidents are posted on here regularly. It should show if it's above average....not really a useful number on its own.

Also curious.... 373 people injured in 343 accidents?! I dunno...that number seems strange but, this is Thailand. At home a lot of accidents don't have injuries. But I guess here you have 30 people in a pickup truck so any accident would have an injury and, of course, it's easy to get hurt on a motorbike. And, I'm guessing, if no one was hurt, it wouldn't be reported.

[apetley]

Absolutely meaningless. Do they really expect people to believe there are actually fewer deaths on the road than on a 'normal' day? When hundreds of thousands are speeding back home for the festivities?

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

[canuckamuck]

Well I hauled a young lad with a smashed in head to the emergency ward today. A sure sign the holidays are in full swing.

[mowgus]

Well I hauled a young lad with a smashed in head to the emergency ward today. A sure sign the holidays are in full swing.

motorbike accident?

[Soutpeel]

Referencing the article photo....<deleted> ?.....Robocop and a midget ?...We all know the BiB are cartoon character's but this is maybe going too far with the new uniforms

[Felt 35]

Curious....how many accidents occur on an average day in Thailand. I'm guessing quite a few considering how many bad accidents are posted on here regularly. It should show if it's above average....not really a useful number on its own.

Also curious.... 373 people injured in 343 accidents?! I dunno...that number seems strange but, this is Thailand. At home a lot of accidents don't have injuries. But I guess here you have 30 people in a pickup truck so any accident would have an injury and, of course, it's easy to get hurt on a motorbike. And, I'm guessing, if no one was hurt, it wouldn't be reported.

In 2009 there where 84548 road traffic accidents and 11048 fatalities.

[canuckamuck]

Well I hauled a young lad with a smashed in head to the emergency ward today. A sure sign the holidays are in full swing.

motorbike accident?

Yes drunk and no helmet, His friends said he was dying, so I guess that's why they didn't want to take him, only one of the 20 teens there had the courage to ride along and keep his head from rolling around too much.

[FangFerang]

Well I hauled a young lad with a smashed in head to the emergency ward today. A sure sign the holidays are in full swing.

Yet another reason for people to like Canucks. Well done! May the Golden Tuck be made sacred, amen. Add a slight chuckle here, but it's not sarcastic.

[Boater]

Referencing the article photo....<deleted> ?.....Robocop and a midget ?...We all know the BiB are cartoon character's but this is maybe going too far with the new uniforms

i was thinking the exact same thing

[culicine]

Referencing the article photo....<deleted> ?.....Robocop and a midget ?...We all know the BiB are cartoon character's but this is maybe going too far with the new uniforms

It's almost surreal. It's like you need to be Thai to understand it...as long as I live here there's some things I'll never understand. It seems they are trying to be light hearted about something we consider very serious.

[ginjag]

Any figures on Motorcycle accidents that happen when buckets of water are thrown at them on busy roads, I guess not. We know over 80% are M/cycles, but it doesn't mean it's the fault of the drunk m/cyclist,   it is NOT telling us it's more likely to be the drunks that are throwing the water.  And please you stupid Thai parents that let your 3 year old kid stand on the highway throwing water at anything===but it's Songkran, and they are loveing it.  These stupid non caring parents rile me. 3days years ago sunrise to sunset---now---10 days in our area- with village protection units in place caring for and stopping accidents---Ha Ha they get paid for sitting there picking their noses.

[GentlemanJim]

And on day 1 Yingluck's 'Zero Death Campaign .......FAIL!'

Now when is she going to do the next Management lesson on Objective Setting?

[Soutpeel]

And on day 1 Yingluck's 'Zero Death Campaign .......FAIL!'

Now when is she going to do the next Management lesson on Objective Setting?

What do we think of the promise to erradicate 80% of illegal drugs in Thailand in the next 12 months ?

[GentlemanJim]

And on day 1 Yingluck's 'Zero Death Campaign .......FAIL!'

Now when is she going to do the next Management lesson on Objective Setting?

What do we think of the promise to erradicate 80% of illegal drugs in Thailand in the next 12 months ?

It is 80% certain to fail! Pareto has a lot to answer for!

[pipo1000]

DANGEROUS SONGKRAN HOLIDAY

30 killed in road accidents

The Nation

Police campaign to reduce accident during Songkran Holiday

Daddy look there it's superman.........where boy?................Daddy watch the road,oh my god..Noooooooooo...................

For sure a wonderful campaign.

Edited April 12, 2012 by pipo1000

[pipo1000]

So far, 60 provinces have no road-accident fatality

So far 60 provinces FAILED to report an road accident fatality.

Give me a break,this must be the first day in a century that even 1 province in Thailand doesn't have a road accident fatality.

[GentlemanJim]

DANGEROUS SONGKRAN HOLIDAY

30 killed in road accidents

The Nation

Police campaign to reduce accident during Songkran Holiday

Daddy look there it's superman.........where boy?................Daddy watch the road,oh my god..Noooooooooo...................

For sure a wonderful campaign.

Those police bikers uniforms are the dogs bolleux! Order 10 000 more now! Robocop eat your heart out!

Edited April 12, 2012 by GentlemanJim

[zakk9]

Where do they find these figures? According to official statistics, there are close to 40 traffic deaths in Thailand every day of the year. According to "unofficial" (and more believable) statistics, the numbers are up to twice as high.

[geriatrickid]

Referencing the article photo....<deleted> ?.....Robocop and a midget ?...We all know the BiB are cartoon character's but this is maybe going too far with the new uniforms

It's almost surreal. It's like you need to be Thai to understand it...as long as I live here there's some things I'll never understand. It seems they are trying to be light hearted about something we consider very serious.

Oh jeez, are you serious? The Thai activity is no different than elsewhere.

I guess you never heard of Tufty Fluffytail and weren't a member of the club. Tufty and his friends were promoters of safety. I certainly hope you don't end up like Willie Weasel.

Tufty was famous. Did you know that HRH Princess Michael of Kent was the first president of the Tufty Club?

Did you know that hundreds if not thousands of people die of food poisoning in the USA every year?

Why then is the USDA using mascots to promote food safety?

.Maybe you should have a word with the police departments and schools across Canada that have Elmer the Safety Elephant.

Elmer and Bibo the puppet promote traffic safety.

Lighten up.

[samran]

I get annoyed with the mickey mouse efforts that the RTG employ every year to try and lower the road toll in Thailand.

They could learn a thing or two from the Transport Accident Commission's advertisements in Victoria, Australia. Graphic and together with sustained awareness campaignes and effective policing it has helped lower the road toll by 50%.

I'd like to see the Thai equivalent.

The above video is a complication of 20 years of commercials . Warning, the video gets quite graphic towards the end,

[Langsuan Man]

What is actually accomplished by all the cops and wanna bees siting in their tents by the side of the road, listening to Thai music and reading the papers ?

They might lower the accident rate by enforcing the laws on the road, and guess what , you have to be on the road to enforce those laws, not sitting and waiting for trouble to come to you

I really wish Thai Visa would install a scrolling marquee, like they used to have for the exchange rates, so it would be easier to keep track of the carnage

[TomTao]

I get annoyed with the mickey mouse efforts that the RTG employ every year to try and lower the road toll in Thailand.

They could learn a thing or two from the Transport Accident Commission's advertisements in Victoria, Australia. Graphic and together with sustained awareness campaignes and effective policing it has helped lower the road toll by 50%.

I'd like to see the Thai equivalent.

The above video is a complication of 20 years of commercials . Warning, the video gets quite graphic towards the end,

There is a video presentation when someone applies for thier licence, I had to sit through one when I got my motorbike licence a while ago, I was sitting there cringing, some were crying, others were laughing and getting filthy looks from the traffic cops doing the presentation, all of the video used was from traffic cameras throughout Bangkok and around Thailand. The sad thing is, straight after the presentation, they get back on thier bikes without a helmet, get back in thier cars without putting on the seatbelt and go back to the way they have always done it. The police here need to do a proper job of enforcing the law instead of watching the world go by and waiting for the next kickback.

[apetley]

88 reported deaths yesterday. Probably nearer double that due to under reporting.

Compare that to an average of 6 per day in the UK.

Wifey and I went into town yesterday and it was not nice driving. Drivers literally forcing you off the road so that they can overtake. Madness.

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

[oldsailor35]

And on day 1 Yingluck's 'Zero Death Campaign .......FAIL!'

Now when is she going to do the next Management lesson on Objective Setting?

Yes but of course you really know that its Thaksins fault don't you ?