First 'dangerous day' toll higher than last year's
PIYANUT TAMNUKASETCHAI,
JEERAPONG PRASERTPOLKRUNG
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- FIFTY-EIGHT people were killed and 517 others injured in 508 road accidents nationwide on Tuesday, the first day of the New Year holiday period, the Road Safety Centre reported yesterday.

Chiang Mai and Surat Thani had the most accidents at 23 cases each, Buri Ram had the most deaths at six and Surat Thani had the most injuries at 23.

The figures rose from the previous New Year period's first day (December 27, 2013), which saw 39 deaths and 399 injuries in 392 road accidents.

Deputy Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said the major contributing factor on Tuesday was drunk driving, at 36.61 per cent, followed by speeding at 23.82 per cent, and that most accidents involved motorcycles, at 82.41 per cent.

More than half (58.86 per cent) of the accidents took place on straight sections of road, he said. Most accidents occurred between 4pm and 8pm (34.84 per cent). More than half of the victims (51.83 per cent) were of working age.

The 2,243 main checkpoints manned by 64,505 officers stopped 531,490 vehicles and initiated legal actions against 76,168 motorists, most of whom were accused of failing to wear a motorcycle helmet or failing to present a driver's licence, Arkhom said. The Road Safety Centre, under the Interior Ministry's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, is working with provincial authorities to enforce laws against such risky behaviour as drunk driving and speeding, especially on primary and secondary roads, as well as at accident-prone spots and areas surrounding fairs or tourist attractions.

The government is also working with various organisations to provide security and convenience for holidaymakers, Prime Minister's Office spokesman Yongyut Maiyalap said via the Government House website yesterday.

Commuters leaving Bangkok via the No 7 motorway (Bangkok-Chon Buri) and No 9 (Bang Pa-in-Bang Pli) are now exempted from tolls until midnight of January 4, he said.

Transport Co has set aside 10 women-only seats in the front of buses going to Nakhon Phanom and Sakon Nakhon. The State Railway of Thailand has also installed closed-circuit cameras on trains bound for Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani, in compartments reserved for female passengers. Thai Airways International has increased its luggage weight limit by 10 kilograms for all destinations except the US.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/First-dangerous-day-toll-higher-than-last-years-30251054.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-01

It looks like the new measures implemented for this year's holiday are making a profound impact.

Can you really expect that enforcing the laws for special holidays while ignoring enforcement the remainder of the year will have a beneficial impact on highway safety? However, this is a land where appearances far outweigh substance so, same-same year after year.

So over 82% involved motorbikes and over 48% were not of working age.

While there would have been a few who may have been older than working age a lot of the casualties would have to have been kids on motorbikes.

Way to go Buriam, first place

Same same every year, lots of talk about prevention

but the carnage continues

You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink

You can tell a Thai about the dangers but you cannot make them change activities

Can I make a bold suggestion and say that the authorities don't give a flaying fark about a few hundred low income earners getting killed every year?

Official number of road fatalities per year: 26000

Divided by 365: 71 a day. So using statistics, 58 deaths is pretty good.

There is obviously something very Thai going on.

Does anyone actually believe these 'official' figures for holiday period road deaths ?

Ahgh!

Unless this impacts profits, no one will ever care.

Can I make a bold suggestion and say that the authorities don't give a flaying fark about a few hundred low income earners getting killed every year?

More importantly "the low income earners" dont give a "FF" about their "responsibility and safety" for themselves or others.

Edited January 1, 201511 yr by kingalfred

Although deaths do occur from driving high end cars the type of car ou drive defiantly affects your chances of surviving a serious accident.

High end bmws and mercs are awesome in that's respect. Unfortunately for Thailand the people with the power to make changes already drive those cars so they don't care.

Making excuses for irresponsible road behaviour! Where they are in the social scale is not important If they are driving too fast,influenced by alcohol or not wearing a helmet.

Official number of road fatalities per year: 26000

Divided by 365: 71 a day. So using statistics, 58 deaths is pretty good.

There is obviously something very Thai going on.

I believe that those statistics only relate to deaths at the roadside. If you die in the hospital or from injuries in the following days they are not counted. As well, many deaths in the remote regions of the north and in hill tribe districts are not even registered at all.

However I stand to be corrected.

"helmets and licences"

Moving violations? Dangerous Driving. Illegal Overtaking. Tailgating. Failure to Use Indicators. Speeding.

Nahhh, the police will just hang out at their checkpoints. Can't be bothered doing any moving violations.

And this is one of the major reasons this situation will never improve.

Same stats, different year. Same checkpoints, same results.

Official number of road fatalities per year: 26000

Divided by 365: 71 a day. So using statistics, 58 deaths is pretty good.

There is obviously something very Thai going on.

Somebody I met in a pub told me that the official road death toll includes only those that actually die on the road. If you are collected and die later elsewhere, then this is not considered a road death.

Official number of road fatalities per year: 26000

Divided by 365: 71 a day. So using statistics, 58 deaths is pretty good.

There is obviously something very Thai going on.

I believe that those statistics only relate to deaths at the roadside. If you die in the hospital or from injuries in the following days they are not counted. As well, many deaths in the remote regions of the north and in hill tribe districts are not even registered at all.

However I stand to be corrected.

You are correct. The 26,000 number comes from international organizations that use internationally accepted methods of calculation. The official thai numbers are more statistics friendly, and only counts victims dead at the scene as fatalities. If you die in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, you are only counted as "injuried".

Edited January 1, 201511 yr by BestBitterPhuket

Authorities dont really care how many die on the roads, but if they were all paying taxes the same as citizens in the developed world have too, then most of the carnage would soon stop.

Another winner again.

Considering that 49% of Thais don't even KNOW it is against the law to drink and drive, and the other 51% don't really care about it, circumstances will never change. Until serious penalities are dealt out, and not 'come here, 5,000Baht and on your way', the momentum will continue to get worse; not better.

It is law enforcement that is the missing link, and we all know why.

"The Royal Thai Police will take extra precautions on preventing criminal activity and will provide traffic management and assistance for the countdown events tonight, said an official."

One more successful government program.

Edited January 1, 201511 yr by jaltsc

Making excuses for irresponsible road behaviour! Where they are in the social scale is not important If they are driving too fast,influenced by alcohol or not wearing a helmet.

Great post and I think many would agree with you. New years eve and I see young thai men riding their motorbikes very fast up and down the main road and wearing no helmets, the majority of thai people don't have road sense at the best of times but throw in a new year's celebration with a bit of alcohol and there are bound to be problems but I will say it's not just thai people, farangs, korean (the Koreans are nearly as bad as thais), chinese, Japanese. .....the list is endless, people hire a moped, don't know how to ride and have no confidence.

Here same procedure as every year.

Erecting a tent at roadside, putting some traffic cones in the middle of the tarmac.

The whole bunch of safety experts sits under the tent and watches traffic go by, waiting for next accident.

So what?

No stopping of traffic, no speed or breathalazyer tests.

The only advantage: they are quicker at the accident sites.

Holidays over: remove tent and go home.

A joke.

Although Thailand has plenty of people with " Police" even " Traffic" on their jackets, they are frauds as none have a clue as to handling traffic, or any other law enforcement function. Keystone Kops !

......so much for 'lip service campaigns'......

.......so sad......

Thailand needs to change the laws:

If someone without a driving licence gets court, the car or bike will be impounded and auctioned off. How many kids are driving in villages that are just 8-15 years old and are racing daily at 80-90kmh around. I am seeing them daily.

2243 Checkpoints manned by 64505 officers? Near 30 officers to cover each checkpoint? seems a little excessive. Maybe thats why I see 8-10 officers in every single arrest photo

Low income earners?

Middle and high income earners don't drink and drive?

Pretty stupid comment.

safety campaign is working, just needs tweaking

So over 82% involved motorbikes and over 48% were not of working age.

While there would have been a few who may have been older than working age a lot of the casualties would have to have been kids on motorbikes.

What's left of those motorbikes should be confiscated and all parents of underage riders should be jailed.

Low income earners?

Middle and high income earners don't drink and drive?

Pretty stupid comment.

At least he didn't say - "No Thai would ever do that"