Songkran toll hits 204 as revellers start returning

[webfact]

SONGKRAN FESTIVAL
Toll hits 204 as revellers start returning
The Nation



Road fatalities in first four days down by 15 from last year

BANGKOK: -- As large numbers of people yesterday started to travel back to work from the Songkran holidays - and many others continued to enjoy water splashing in their home towns - the Road Safety Centre said the first four days of Songkran had seen 2,027 road accidents, which claimed 204 lives and injured 2,142 people.

Chaiyaphum remained the only province with no road accidents this Songkran. Caretaker Deputy Education Minister Sermsak Pongpanit, in his capacity as the centre's chairman, announced yesterday that the first four days of Songkran (April 11-14) saw the number of accidents and injuries rise by 130 and 122, respectively, from last year, while the number of deaths fell by 15.

Nakhon Ratchasima has seen the most deaths (11), while Nakhon Si Thammarat has seen the most accidents (75) and the most injuries (82). So far, 12 provinces have seen no road fatalities - Mae Hong Son, Chaiyaphum, Yasothon, Amnat Charoen, Chai Nat, Nakhon Nayok, Phetchaburi, Lop Buri, Angthong, Narathiwat, Phang Nga and Yala.

On Monday alone, there were 488 accidents killing 43 people and injuring 502 others, Sermsak said. Drunk driving remains the major cause, at 43.03 per cent, followed by speeding at 22.34 per cent, he said. Most accidents involved motorcycles (78.23 per cent), followed by pickup trucks (12.30 per cent). Officials at 2,274 checkpoints arrested and fined 111,797 traffic-law violators, most of whom were bikers failing to wear helmets (36,511 cases) and those failing to present a driver's licence (33,310 cases).

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Chatchai Phormlert said the number of road-accident deaths had dropped significantly from the previous Songkran thanks to cooperation from all sides. He urged travellers to plan their return journeys well, to rest fully, and to check the condition of their vehicles thoroughly before travelling. He urged drivers to pull over and rest every two hours or every 150 kilometres.

In a separate event, Public Health permanent secretary Narong Sahamethaphat urged youngsters not to make prank calls to the ministry's 1669 hotline, as doing so could have deadly consequences, by blocking access to callers in need of life-saving help. Narong, who inspected a Nakhon Sawan hospital and an Ayutthaya hospital to check their emergency medical-care preparedness, said there were 40-50 prank calls a day, which was about 50 per cent of all calls made daily to the hotline.

Meanwhile, the Phuket land-transport office imposed a 30-day suspension of driver's licences for public-transport drivers who test positive for drugs, and will fine such drivers' companies Bt5,000. The office's expert official,

Jaturong Kaewkasi, said the office, police and provincial officials had set up checkpoints to conduct urine tests for drug abuse by public-transport drivers. From April 11-14, they imposed such punishments on two bus drivers and one van driver who tested positive for drugs. This was a hefty drop from the previous Songkran's 27 cases.

In related news, a Loei-Nakhon Ratchasima-Rayong bus overturned yesterday in Sara Buri's Kaeng Khoi district resulting in 38 injuries - one of them serious. The bus crashed into a roadside home and an electric pole, causing a blackout in the area. The unnamed bus driver initially told police that he lost control of the vehicle while trying to handle a curve on a slippery road amid rainfall.


-- The Nation 2014-04-16

[NongKhaiKid]

In Phuket a 30 day suspension of licence for public transport drivers who tested positive for drugs and a B5,000 fine for their company.

Wow, now that's what I call a crackdown and shows how seriously officialdom takes this.

In 30 days the drivers can get back to work, keep using drugs and have no worries until the ' Dangerous Days ' in December and next Songkran..

[kimamey]

In Phuket a 30 day suspension of licence for public transport drivers who tested positive for drugs and a B5,000 fine for their company.

Wow, now that's what I call a crackdown and shows how seriously officialdom takes this.

In 30 days the drivers can get back to work, keep using drugs and have no worries until the ' Dangerous Days ' in December and next Songkran..

The loss of income might affect them as long as the suspension is enforced and they don't just ignore it.

[diehard60]

These are just the ones that they have recorded. If you take that number and multiply by atleast 5 you might be closer to the exact amount. Number of injuries is probably 10 times higher then they are saying.

[bristolgeoff]

_{no change same again next year}

[Shurup]

30 days suspension is a joke, they need to loose their license and be heavily fined! The word will spread and in the end the roads will be safer.

[WhizBang]

In Phuket a 30 day suspension of licence for public transport drivers who tested positive for drugs and a B5,000 fine for their company.

Wow, now that's what I call a crackdown and shows how seriously officialdom takes this.

In 30 days the drivers can get back to work, keep using drugs and have no worries until the ' Dangerous Days ' in December and next Songkran..

The loss of income might affect them as long as the suspension is enforced and they don't just ignore it.

Do you seriously expect such a suspension to be enforced and the individuals involved to not ignore it? TiT.

[tomyummer]

America has baseball with batting averages, earned run averages, stolen bases, home runs and other statistics. In Thailand we have annual Songkran deaths, accidents, and injuries. Same same I guess?

[NongKhaiKid]

In Phuket a 30 day suspension of licence for public transport drivers who tested positive for drugs and a B5,000 fine for their company.

Wow, now that's what I call a crackdown and shows how seriously officialdom takes this.

In 30 days the drivers can get back to work, keep using drugs and have no worries until the ' Dangerous Days ' in December and next Songkran..

The loss of income might affect them as long as the suspension is enforced and they don't just ignore it.

Do you seriously expect such a suspension to be enforced and the individuals involved to not ignore it? TiT.

It certainly would be a first but would set a dangerous precedent, imagine a LoS where the law was obeyed and enforced !

Sorry, time for my medication. Nurse, Nurse.

[marko kok prong]

The numbers are false really as we know they don't count those who die later in hospital.

[webfact]

44 people were killed, 501 injured in 454 accidents on Apr 15, adding up road toll for April 11-15 to 248 killed and 2,643 injured /Bangkok Post

[kimamey]

In Phuket a 30 day suspension of licence for public transport drivers who tested positive for drugs and a B5,000 fine for their company.

Wow, now that's what I call a crackdown and shows how seriously officialdom takes this.

In 30 days the drivers can get back to work, keep using drugs and have no worries until the ' Dangerous Days ' in December and next Songkran..

The loss of income might affect them as long as the suspension is enforced and they don't just ignore it.

Do you seriously expect such a suspension to be enforced and the individuals involved to not ignore it? TiT.

No I don't.

[Greg Nixon]

Going to these mass festivals is merely playing into the hands of the merchants. I looked at the faces on TV and at my local festival - mostly bored or disinterested until TV camera appeared. Avoiding large crowds has worked for me my entire life. If I go to one event /year, that is plenty.