88 Killed During First Two Days Of '7 Dangerous Songkran Holidays'

[Dibbler]

So are we suggesting that the Yingluck govt is unable to curb even deaths on thai roads during a public holiday? What kind of govt is unable to enforce basic road rules in an otherwise relatively developed asian nation? The answer is a puppet set up to preempt a moment of anarchy. Watch what happens from here!

[mca]

So are we suggesting that the Yingluck govt is unable to curb even deaths on thai roads during a public holiday? What kind of govt is unable to enforce basic road rules in an otherwise relatively developed asian nation? The answer is a puppet set up to preempt a moment of anarchy. Watch what happens from here!

Either you're being sarcastic of you've been huffing spraypaint through a sock. Please enlighten.

[webfact]

Road toll hits 58; alcohol single biggest cause

The Nation

Youngsters celebrating Songkran on Khao Suk Road in Ang Thong

BANGKOK: -- Drunk driving has been the cause of most of the road accidents during the Songkran festival so far. Thursday, the second day of the holiday, saw 481 road accidents, which killed 58 people and injured 515 others, bringing the total Songkran road toll so far to 88 deaths and 890 injuries in 824 accidents, Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said yesterday.

Police have arrested 30 people for breaking the Alcohol Beverage Control Act 2008.

Witthaya announced the figures at a news conference yesterday at the Road Safety Centre. For comparison's sake, he said that on April 12 last year, 528 accidents killed 30 people and wounded 576.

This year, Chumphon, Nakhon Nayok and Phichit have recorded the most deaths at five each. Officials at 686,758 checkpoints on Thursday stopped 169,118 vehicles and arrested 74,538 motorists for violating traffic laws, he added.

The cumulative statistics from Wednesday and Thursday showed 88 deaths and 890 injuries in 824 road accidents, compared with last Songkran's April 11-12, which saw 59 deaths, 976 injuries in 893 road accidents. So far 38 provinces remain fatality-free.

The main cause of accidents was drunk driving at 39 per cent, followed by speeding at 21 per cent, while most accidents - 84 per cent - involved motorcycles.

Given the role of drunk driving, Witthaya said, the centre had urged all provinces to enforce the Alcohol Beverage Control Act strictly. This led to the arrest of 30 people for selling alcohol at a prohibited time and place, out of 188 roadside shops checked.

The centre also instructed police investigating deaths or injuries of persons under 20 in road accidents involving alcohol to trace the alcohol vendor, who would face punishment.

Public Health permanent secretary Dr Paijit Worachit said the ministry's emergency medical service hotline received 5,494 calls on Wednesday and Thursday. Emergency medical units were dispatched 5,560 times to treat 5,729 injured people - 2,625 on Wednesday and 3,104 on Thursday.

He urged the public to call the 1669 hotline promptly for emergency medical services, which he said reduced an injured person's chance of dying by 97 per cent.

Among various measures to manage traffic nationwide during these key holidays, the Highway Police have launched a mobile-phone application to warn travellers about 97 deadly curves and inform them about the nearest police stations, hospitals, petrol stations and hotels. It also updates them on accidents and congestion on key routes.

-- The Nation 2012-04-14

[PoodMaiDai]

I'd also like to know how many deaths are do to human projectiles from the backs of trucks. How that can be legal and go without being fined but driving without a helmet on a scooter is not, is beyond logic.

[Nisa]

The daily average for deaths on the road throughout the year is about 34 per day. However, during the new year period this tends to rise due to drunk driving and speeding. These are the two main causes of accidents during Songkran.

Looking back at the statistics for the past three years, 2009-2011, an average of 510 accidents took place each day. From that, there is a daily average of 48 deaths and 553 injuries. That seems a lot, but from what I have been told, this is not an accurate figure. The true numbers are really higher as not all road deaths get officially noted. We saw that last year when reported road deaths in Phuket newspapers didn’t match the official tally. In addition, if the road accident victim doesn’t die at the scene, then it is not counted as a “death”.

Stats from @pump_kt: สถิติอุบัติเหตุช่วงสงกรานต์ปี 52-54 เฉลี่ย 510 ครั้งต่อวัน เสียชีวิต 48 คน/วัน บาดเจ็บ 553 คน/วัน

: Thailand News

So the difference isn't as great as implied.

Here are the stats for the 7 days of Songkran over the last few years (percentages are from prev. year)

2011 - Accident = 3,215.(- 8.6%)....Death = 271 (- 24.9%)...Injury = 3,476 (- 8.6%)

2010 - Accident = 3,516.(- 11.6%)..Death = 361 (- 12%)......Injury = 3,802 (- 12%)

2009 - Accident = 3,977.(- 6.2%)....Death = 373 (+ 1.4%)....Injury = 4,322 (- 9.8%)

2008 - Accident = 4,243..................Death = 368...................Injury = 4,793

With an average deaths per year of *12,800 then this would average 36 deaths per day or 246 a week or about 14 more deaths per day than the average of the last 4 Songkrans.

The good news is that even with more vehicles on the road each year, things are moving in a safer direction each year .. these things take time.

*Though the average number of road deaths per year from 1997 thru 2006 had been trending down, the average per year was 12,800.

Edit: The deaths that are tallied on a yearly basis DO include people who die within 30-days of the accident. However, Songkran totals only account for the deaths within that 7 day period.

Edited April 14, 2012 by Nisa

[Nisa]

It's very simple : Thai drivers are ignorant , selfish, aggressive and for most downright moronic ..

If you randomly picked 10 Thai drivers , and got them to take a proper European style driving test, the failure rate would be 100 %.

They simply have no idea what to drive responsibly and safely means.

And if you picked 10 random European drivers and dropped them behind the wheel in the middle of Bangkok with instructions to drive to the airport, they would be dead within an hour (sorry, couldn't resist)

[gaucho]

thais play the macho card too much as well... if they r in the right they refuse to give way ....literally and this often results in accidents ...20 years ago was involved in accident on the bus from chiang mai that resulted in three deaths and multiple injuries ...though technically the driver was not at fault ..the accident could have easily be avoided ...these people have serious issues ....as for songchaos time i either dont go there or leave thailand if i am there ...its a pity because the tradition of it is actually quite good ........drunken farang yobbos also contribute to the mayhem ...unfortunately as in anything ..too many innocents get injured

[norwayeagle]

Miraculous that not more people dies during songkran, or any other "normal day for that sake..

Back home the population would be cut to the half if they "party as the Thais do .

[Nisa]

thais play the macho card too much as well... if they r in the right they refuse to give way ....literally and this often results in accidents ...20 years ago was involved in accident on the bus from chiang mai that resulted in three deaths and multiple injuries ...though technically the driver was not at fault ..the accident could have easily be avoided ...these people have serious issues ....as for songchaos time i either dont go there or leave thailand if i am there ...its a pity because the tradition of it is actually quite good ........drunken farang yobbos also contribute to the mayhem ...unfortunately as in anything ..too many innocents get injured

While no doubt there are serious concerns with road safety, I actually find people are actually much less aggressive in terms of giving way to other drivers and not reacting badly to other drivers moving into their space. In Bangkok, the lack of road rage, stop signs and traffic signals kind of confirm this as does the tiny crowded Sois and needing to make a u-turn on a major road most of the time you're going somewhere. In the West, at least the US, I find drivers much more angry and aggressive when it comes not budging if they are in the right, even if it sometimes means getting into an accident. I'm guessing it is partly because you can easily make out in an accident there if you are not at fault where here it is a pain in the ass regardless who is at fault and you're not going to profit. The one place drivers are MUCH less likely to give way to here is pedestrians ... maybe because hitting them won't cause much damage.

Edited April 14, 2012 by Nisa

[Pib]

...arrested 74,538 motorists for violating traffic laws.

That's a LOT of arrests, but I bet it was really 74,538 tickets were issued (or almost issued due to pre-payment)

[BrianCR]

Hope you claimed off him

Breathalyser's and helmets may save lives?

So might having to sit a controlled driving test and passing it, rather than just paying a bribe!

Any of you remember this true and interesting little snippet? - About twenty years ago a middle aged lady went into a Sukhumvit car showroom and paying cash brought a new car. Two days later, the car being ready for collection, the dear lady returned to take delivery. The staff offered to drive the car from the showroom onto the road but the lady insisted that she was more than capable so they walked off and left her to it. A few seconds later there was a God Almighty crash as the car sped off and crashed straight through the showroom window, across the road, finally stopping in the doorway of a shop opposite the car showroom. Frantically the showroom staff and others ran to her assistance and to ask what had happened? To their disbelief the dear lady replied that she had never driven a car before but thought that it would be easy!! This was actually reported in both the Nation and Bangkok Post newspapers.

I can also add the time I was leaving a multi-storie car park on Ratchadapisik and twisting around the many bends on the downward ramp when a Thai driver ran into the back of me. When asked why he crashed into me he responded that he was used to driving an automatic car and was busy sorting out the gear shift on the manual car he was driving at the time of the collision!

He claimed insanity so I let him off with a warning and told him where he should stick the gear shift (he spoke with a squeaky voice for weeks after Ha-ha)

[animatic]

Well let's see.

The government made decisions to act and not act that have not prevented the deaths of 88 citizens who should not have died. So maybe we need to take of a Bangkok and prevent others from going about their lives until the government calls a snap election and can be brought down for malfeasance's. Let's not forget the reparations to the families of the dead too.

It's just as logical as the Red Rally at Racha and the thousands of accusations against that government.

Insert IRONY smilely several times.

In all cases;

RIP the dead, a good recovery to the injured and peace for the grieving families.

And a prayer for more competence in government and all policing in Thailand for

next years gauntlet, dance with death, in the artificial rain storm of Songkran

Edited April 14, 2012 by animatic

[animatic]

The daily average for deaths on the road throughout the year is about 34 per day. However, during the new year period this tends to rise due to drunk driving and speeding. These are the two main causes of accidents during Songkran.

Looking back at the statistics for the past three years, 2009-2011, an average of 510 accidents took place each day. From that, there is a daily average of 48 deaths and 553 injuries. That seems a lot, but from what I have been told, this is not an accurate figure. The true numbers are really higher as not all road deaths get officially noted. We saw that last year when reported road deaths in Phuket newspapers didn’t match the official tally. In addition, if the road accident victim doesn’t die at the scene, then it is not counted as a “death”.

Stats from @pump_kt: สถิติอุบัติเหตุช่วงสงกรานต์ปี 52-54 เฉลี่ย 510 ครั้งต่อวัน เสียชีวิต 48 คน/วัน บาดเจ็บ 553 คน/วัน

: Thailand News

So the difference isn't as great as implied.

Here are the stats for the 7 days of Songkran over the last few years (percentages are from prev. year)

2011 - Accident = 3,215.(- 8.6%)....Death = 271 (- 24.9%)...Injury = 3,476 (- 8.6%)

2010 - Accident = 3,516.(- 11.6%)..Death = 361 (- 12%)......Injury = 3,802 (- 12%)

2009 - Accident = 3,977.(- 6.2%)....Death = 373 (+ 1.4%)....Injury = 4,322 (- 9.8%)

2008 - Accident = 4,243..................Death = 368...................Injury = 4,793

With an average deaths per year of *12,800 then this would average 36 deaths per day or 246 a week or about 14 more deaths per day than the average of the last 4 Songkrans.

The good news is that even with more vehicles on the road each year, things are moving in a safer direction each year .. these things take time.

*Though the average number of road deaths per year from 1997 thru 2006 had been trending down, the average per year was 12,800.

Edit: The deaths that are tallied on a yearly basis DO include people who die within 30-days of the accident. However, Songkran totals only account for the deaths within that 7 day period.

I was told the count deaths at the scene,

but not deaths at the hospital as a road death in official statistics.

Of course this period is not over so the 271+48 + 48

= at least 367 for 2012

Edited April 14, 2012 by animatic

[tesco1]

When someone on a motor bike is stop by the police and for not having a helmet on and no license they are find 200 for no helmet and 400 then they go to the police station and pay then go back to where they were stop give the paper work to the police man and they take the bike and carry on does that make sense and a lot that may die this year will have no license and should not been driving and it the same if the same person is stop the next day and to all who do die I hope they R.I.P

Edited April 14, 2012 by tesco1

[kiniyow]

I saw a Nissan NV today in Rayong with 12 Kids in the back slinging/powder water and holding on for dear life to keep from falling out...

[ayayay]

The USA has an average of 93 road fatalities a day. Running to over 200 a day during the christmas holidays. The US population is roughly 5 times thailand and has some of the best emergency response teams and safest cars in the world. If you do the math thailand's holiday fatalities are almost the same per capita. I would say they aren't doing so bad.

Well, the US is in many ways, the side show circus in the west. Not even remotely as developed and safe as some northern European countries.

[ayayay]

It's very simple : Thai drivers are ignorant , selfish, aggressive and for most downright moronic ..

If you randomly picked 10 Thai drivers , and got them to take a proper European style driving test, the failure rate would be 100 %.

They simply have no idea what to drive responsibly and safely means.

another thai basher

[tominbkk]

I was out a few times today running errands etc. Many teens, 13-15 years old, racing one another on motorbikes, no helmets and riding three to four per bike, making formations on the road that block all lanes. They were also getting pelted by big buckets of water, but I witnessed no spills. The last time out, about 6:00 pm, lots of drunk people getting pretty deep into the road, had to be careful not to hit them. Glad to get my supplies for my party at home and stay away from that scene.

On my three times out today I did not see one cop.

I played songkran in my Moo ban today in the communal park - good fun, they set out several barrels of water that they kept refilling, you bring your own water projectile device. I live in a mid to mid-hi so village, kids are respectful, we all had a good time dowsing one another. Much more in what I expect a 'traditional' songkran water throwing activity should be like. also, if you were not int he park, you were not doused. That ensured people could spectate without getting drenched.

[tominbkk]

It's very simple : Thai drivers are ignorant , selfish, aggressive and for most downright moronic ..

If you randomly picked 10 Thai drivers , and got them to take a proper European style driving test, the failure rate would be 100 %.

They simply have no idea what to drive responsibly and safely means.

another thai basher

he may not like Thais but he does have a point. But I would say failure rate would be about 40-50%.

[Skywalker69]

...arrested 74,538 motorists for violating traffic laws.

That's a LOT of arrests, but I bet it was really 74,538 tickets were issued (or almost issued due to pre-payment)

Also a lot of "tea-money"

[Skywalker69]

So much for Yingluck's zero casualty pipe dream plan.

Same way as all her "dream plans"

[Nisa]

The daily average for deaths on the road throughout the year is about 34 per day. However, during the new year period this tends to rise due to drunk driving and speeding. These are the two main causes of accidents during Songkran.

Looking back at the statistics for the past three years, 2009-2011, an average of 510 accidents took place each day. From that, there is a daily average of 48 deaths and 553 injuries. That seems a lot, but from what I have been told, this is not an accurate figure. The true numbers are really higher as not all road deaths get officially noted. We saw that last year when reported road deaths in Phuket newspapers didn’t match the official tally. In addition, if the road accident victim doesn’t die at the scene, then it is not counted as a “death”.

Stats from @pump_kt: สถิติอุบัติเหตุช่วงสงกรานต์ปี 52-54 เฉลี่ย 510 ครั้งต่อวัน เสียชีวิต 48 คน/วัน บาดเจ็บ 553 คน/วัน

: Thailand News

So the difference isn't as great as implied.

Here are the stats for the 7 days of Songkran over the last few years (percentages are from prev. year)

2011 - Accident = 3,215.(- 8.6%)....Death = 271 (- 24.9%)...Injury = 3,476 (- 8.6%)

2010 - Accident = 3,516.(- 11.6%)..Death = 361 (- 12%)......Injury = 3,802 (- 12%)

2009 - Accident = 3,977.(- 6.2%)....Death = 373 (+ 1.4%)....Injury = 4,322 (- 9.8%)

2008 - Accident = 4,243..................Death = 368...................Injury = 4,793

With an average deaths per year of *12,800 then this would average 36 deaths per day or 246 a week or about 14 more deaths per day than the average of the last 4 Songkrans.

The good news is that even with more vehicles on the road each year, things are moving in a safer direction each year .. these things take time.

*Though the average number of road deaths per year from 1997 thru 2006 had been trending down, the average per year was 12,800.

Edit: The deaths that are tallied on a yearly basis DO include people who die within 30-days of the accident. However, Songkran totals only account for the deaths within that 7 day period.

I was told the count deaths at the scene,

but not deaths at the hospital as a road death in official statistics.

Of course this period is not over so the 271+48 + 48

= at least 367 for 2012

That is a myth about only counting fatalities on the scene if they are discussing traffic fatalities for the year. They are counted at least 30-days after. I forget the exact time frame (99% sure it was 30-days) but it was a fairly standard way of reporting. If you look at actual stats they put out it defines the time period. I believe the 1997 thru 2006 link above came from an agency report as I looked up these stats a long time ago but could only find the TV thread this time doing a basic search and not the actual report.

Of course when they are talking just holiday fatalities they would have had to die during that period but again this is kind of standard for reporting holiday deaths that are posted immediately after the holidays and often throughout the longer ones.

Bottom line is Thailand without a doubt needs to improve road / driving conditions but just because they are not as bad as some people (not saying you) want to believe, there is no reason to make excuses why they are worse. They are bad enough without believing they must be significantly worse.

But one thing to consider is it is still a growing nation and although the US had fatalities averaging over 50,000 a year in the 70s, the number have come down significantly with then now being in the low 30,000s the last fee years ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motor_vehicle_deaths_in_U.S._by_year

So, there is hope and Thailand has made good strides in bringing down the number of accidents & road deaths over the last decade.

Edited April 14, 2012 by Nisa

[pogal]

Thais and alcohol , alcohol and Thais.....hmmmm makes for an interesting life altering combo.

you forgot to add car and motorbike,lol

Also forgot murders and other violent crime. Last night in Nana Plaza a foreigner was attacked, beaten and stabbed. 2 men where shot dead in other places (a 3rd was found dead but unsure of how he sustained his injuries).

Violence is shockingly high over Songkran every year, in the EMS we are mostly busy with violent crimes than accidents. Last night was crazy in BKK. I think they should include these statistics since they are relevant to the Songkran period.

Every year is the same, the first day or 2 is not bad but after that, days of alcohol seem to bring out the worst and it really shows in our workload. I enjoy my work but Im not looking forward to the last few days, its also quite dangerous for us too. 3 years ago my ambulance received a bullet hole:/

Please everyone be aware of the fact that violence increases exponentially over Songkran.

Hope you all enjoy it anyway and stay safe:)