Deaths, injuries down on Day 2

[Lite Beer]

Deaths, injuries down on Day 2
THE SUNDAY NATION

BANGKOK: -- 59 PEOPLE KILLED, 765 INJURED; BIKES IN 84% OF CRASHES

AS PEOPLE continued to travel back to their hometowns for the Songkran Festival yesterday, it was revealed that 59 people were killed and 765 others injured in 723 road accidents in the first two days of so-called 'Seven dangerous days' of the traditional Thai New Year.

These figures were lower across-the-board than previous Songkran Festivals for the same two-day period, it was announced.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as the gateway to the Northeast, a provincial transport office hiked the number of daily bus trips from 300 to 400 to support holidaymakers, as at least 30,000 people were expected to travel by bus in the province yesterday.

The Second Army Region's helicopter survey reported severe traffic jams along the Mitraparp Highway in the province's Pak Chong district.

At the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department's Road Safety Centre, national police assistant Maj-General Suweera Songmetta announced that the highest cumulative accidents and casualties were reported in Nakhon Ratchasima - with 36 accidents, 40 injuries and six deaths.

Samut Prakan and Amnat Charoen were the only two provinces with no reported road accidents.

On Friday alone, there were 399 accidents resulting in 34 deaths and 417 injuries nationwide, Suweera said.

Also on Friday, officials manning 2,251 checkpoints arrested 86,296 traffic law violators, most of whom had failed to present a driver's licence or had failed to wear a helmet or a seatbelt, he said.

Most accidents were the result of drunk driving (31 per cent) followed by speeding (25 per cent) and most took place from 4pm-8pm (28 per cent). Some 84 per cent of vehicles involved in accidents were motorcycles.

Suweera said police chief General Somyos Poompanmuang had urged law enforcers to strictly implement traffic laws and an alcohol sale ban along highways and secondary roads.

Metropolitan Police Bureau deputy chief Maj-General Adul Narongsak yesterday led a team to hand out road safety stickers and brochures, as well as care packages for drivers at a Bangkok tollway in Din Daeng.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra inspected a public service point on Borommaratchachonnani Road, where motorists heading out of Bangkok were given wet tissues, drinking water or coffee, as well as access to a car maintenance service. The city will operate six car maintenance service points until Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Army chief General Udomdej Sitabutr ordered all military units to exert their utmost effort to keep people safe during Songkran, Army deputy spokesperson Sirichan Ngathong said.

The Army has set up 243 public service points, which will operate around the clock until Thursday in a bid to minimise the number of road accidents and accommodate all travellers.

In related news, deputy police chief General Pongsapat Pongcharoen yesterday went to comedian Santi "Ter Chernyim" Sombat to take care of his Klong Sam Wa house as part of the "Leave your house with police during the Songkran festival" project.

The project, conducted from Friday until Thursday, aims to look after homes while the owners visit relatives upcountry.

It includes an app that enables them to get photo updates from police.

More than 2,000 houses nationwide were registered for the scheme, with about half in Bangkok.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Deaths-injuries-down-on-Day-2-30257905.html

-- The Nation 2015-04-12

[marko kok prong]

59 dead,723 injured,in a day,and they think this is good because it is less than last year,words fail me.

[Strangebrew]

What there going to lose there Hub of road deaths.

[Commerce]

Yesterday's news. Let's wait for yesterday's results today.

[Anthony5]

Does the red sign on the right of the picture holds the prognoses for the next day and the whole 7 dangerous days?

[Thaddeus]

Does anyone seriously believe any numbers in any news article?

[Songhua]

Does the red sign on the right of the picture holds the prognoses for the next day and the whole 7 dangerous days?

Lol. No, it's distance to Kabinburi and Nakhon Rat.

[whatawonderfulday]

59 dead,723 injured,in a day,and they think this is good because it is less than last year,words fail me.

And that is just a small part of the carnage statistics. They only count deaths at the scene of the accients, not those that succumb to their injuries later in hospital. Typically Thai. So multiply every stat by 2, add on another 50 % for unreported accidents and you may be nearer the truth.

Natures way I suppose in culling the weak.

[Bluespunk]

"In Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as the gateway to the Northeast, a provincial transport office hiked the number of daily bus trips from 300 to 400 to support holidaymakers, as at least 30,000 people were expected to travel by bus in the province yesterday."

75 people per bus.

Yikes!

[lee b]

our Russian friend met up with us last night, she had a deep cut through her arm exposing her bone, she went to the hospital to get it treated, came back with many tablets.....motorbikes and booze never mix, especially when looneys are throwing water in your face, but like her many just don't register the threat

[DavisH]

Again bikes take the lion's share of accidents. Perhaps bikes should be banned from the roads from 6pm to 6 am. Drunk driving = automatic loss of licence and / or confiscation of bike. When the police / government take this seriously, nothing is going to change.

[Lite Beer]

Songkran road toll rises to 121

BANGKOK: -- The first three of seven days for monitoring road accidents during the long Songkran holidays saw 1,215 accidents occur, killing 121 people and injuring 1,281 others.

On the third day or Saturday, 492 accidents occurred, killing 62 people and injuring 516 others.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Songkran-road-toll-rises-to-121-30257926.html

-- The Nation 2015-04-12

[NickJ]

329....

[dudopode]

Last year more than 26.000 people died on the roads in Thailand. That's 500 a week! Every week. So why all the fuss during songkran? Get the laws applied every day!

After 3 days "only" 121 deaths that is twice less than any average day in Thailand. So why every year the authorities go berserk during songkran? It s the safest time of the year...

[diehard60]

Police are out but they are just collecting money and maybe writing some tickets but the Thai people do not care about the tickets. Most will just throw them away.

[trainman34014]

Double the figure they have given so far and you will be somewhere near the truth !

[Alwyn]

What's all the '7 dangerous days' all about? Thailand averages 71 deaths each and every day on the roads. Move along, nothing to see here...

[Shiver]

"Most accidents were the result of drunk driving (31 per cent) followed by speeding (25 per cent) and most took place from 4pm-8pm (28 per cent)."

...and in other Statistics news, 100% of accidents occurred between 12:00am and 11:59pm, but we lost the reports from 2 entire provinces so the result is thought to be >100%

[English 1]

These people are Dumb....No Change.

[EyesWideOpen]

Last year more than 26.000 people died on the roads in Thailand. That's 500 a week! Every week. So why all the fuss during songkran? Get the laws applied every day!

After 3 days "only" 121 deaths that is twice less than any average day in Thailand. So why every year the authorities go berserk during songkran? It s the safest time of the year...

Best running joke in Thailand. Well except for tourists thinking that

the Thai police are tasked with stopping crime. I propose that the

Songkran holiday be renamed the 7 safety days, due to much lower

death accident rate during this time period.

[empireboy]

Very saddening numbers!

[Commerce]

Yesterday's news. Let's wait for yesterday's results today.

I DID SAY wait. 53 for 2 days ---->> 121 for yesterday's results inclusive. Those figures are creamed.

[ToddinChonburi]

You can do it !!!!!

[janpharma]

And every year it's the same...What about education? What about the original meaning of Songkran? What about respect? What about traditional values?

[starky]

IMHO, like a few posters predicted before all this started, not only are the Songkran figures at odds with Thailand's yearly road deaths statistics i.e. lower generally. Some correctly guessed that somehow magically this years road deaths during Songkran would be the lowest ever.... something to do with a new government perhaps and their ability to make everything "better"

[jackanapes]

if the thai people were taught road sense from an early age there would not be so many road deaths tv coverage and police talks I think would help to keep down the figures .