Songkran holiday toll: 204 deaths, 2,142 injuries; 43 more die on third day

[apetley]

I could be wrong, but I remember reading that on average there is 30-35 road deaths per day. During Songkran this number is a bit increased to 50 per day.

Numbers are big, but not that much of an increase compared to the normal days.

Close, the average rate is 35 - 40 deaths per day and the Songkran average for the past few years is 45 - 50.

Don't manipulate figures to make things "smoother"!

Average on normal days is 33, the 204 in 4 days makes an average for Songkran of 51. That is 18 more or an impressive nearly 55% increase.

Looks different now, right?

According to a Thai Interior Minister speaking during a WHO sponsored event just before Songkran last year the true figure for road deaths in Thailand is over 26,000 per year or more than 70 per day.

[SanukJoeII]

I could be wrong, but I remember reading that on average there is 30-35 road deaths per day. During Songkran this number is a bit increased to 50 per day.

Numbers are big, but not that much of an increase compared to the normal days.

Close, the average rate is 35 - 40 deaths per day and the Songkran average for the past few years is 45 - 50.

Don't manipulate figures to make things "smoother"!

Average on normal days is 33, the 204 in 4 days makes an average for Songkran of 51. That is 18 more or an impressive nearly 55% increase.

Looks different now, right?

According to a Thai Interior Minister speaking during a WHO sponsored event just before Songkran last year the true figure for road deaths in Thailand is over 26,000 per year or more than 70 per day.

I don't know if you have been heavily drinking or forgot to take your meds. According to your wonderful (not linked) figures the Songkran week is the safest of the whole year, with only 51 deaths per day sofar, down from 70 per day average. You see how useless your figures are?

WHO estimates death rates and makes huge errors. Instead they should stick to figures provided by the countries, like Police Information stats. Whether or not you think Police stats are reliable, it is the only stats there are and have been used for the past, so better stick to that to have a good comparison.

WHO in the same wrong stats estimates Thailand's population to be more than 69 million, and I think we all agree that the latest numbers are 65 million, about 6% less than WHO "estimnates".

The same WHO has stats based on country dates, provided by (in case of Thailand) the Police Information System. Although the charts are not maintained through the last 5 years, the following link shows that in 2009 the average death rate was 17 per 100,000 inhabitants. That makes 11,050 road deaths per year, or just over 30 per day. If that increased with 10% the last 5 years you come out to my earlier mentioned 33 road deaths per day throughout the year. With 51 deaths so far over 4 days Songkran there is an increase of 55%, a large increase I would say, those who find it peanuts do not stand with both feet on the ground.

Here the link to WHO with stats from Thai Police Information System: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2013/country_profiles/thailand.pdf?ua=1

[apetley]

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Road-death-toll-in-Thailand-among-highest-in-the-w-30202066.html

I have absolutely no faith in the daily stats released at Songkran and New Year having had personal experience of death and injury in a province with no reported accidents.