283 killed on roads during Songkran, down 17% from last year

[rooster59]

283 killed on roads during Songkran, down 17% from last year

By The Nation

 

 

A total of 283 people were killed and 3,087 others injured in 2,985 road accidents nationwide in the first five days of the so-called “seven dangerous days” of the Songkran holiday, the Road Safety Centre announced on Sunday.

 

Most of these cumulative accidents resulted from drunk driving (45.26 per cent) and most crashes involved motorcycles (78.96 per cent).

 

The death toll was down by almost 17 per cent while the number of injuries and crashes rose compared to the same period during previous Songkran when 338 deaths and 2,891 injuries were reported in 2,724 road accidents.

 

Highway Police Division chief Maj-General Somchai Kaosamran said that Nakhon Ratchasima was the province with the highest death toll, with 17 people kiilled during the five-day period, while Chiang Mai had both the highest accidents and injuries at 140 cases and 145 people respectively.

 

After five days of the road accident monitoring period, nine provinces (Krabi, Narathiwat, Bung Kan, Phang Nga, Phuket, Mae Hong Son, Yala, Samut Songkhram and Amnat Charoen) reported no road deaths while Chaiyaphum was the only province without injuries related to road accidents.

 

Somchai also said that 600 accidents (including 269 drunk driving incidents, 149 speeding cases and 88 crashes because a vehicle suddenly cutting in front of another) happened on Saturday alone, killing 53 people – 29 of whom died at the scene– and injuring 634 others. 

 

Most accidents on Saturday stemmed from drunk driving at 44.83 per cent followed by speeding at 24.83 per cent. The Saturday road carnage mostly involved motorcycles (83.95 per cent), while 61.83 percent occurred at a straight section of road, and 33 per cent took place between 4pm and 8pm, Somchai said.

 

Some 64,000 state officials manning 2,041 checkpoints on Saturday cited 149,758 motorists for traffic violations - mostly for failing to wear a helmet (43,783 cases) and failing to present a driver's licence (38,540 cases), he said. In addition, 21,708 other checkpoints were set up and manned by 170,752 community officials.

 

Somchai also reported that the public transport use as of Saturday was at 8.25 million passengers – a 2.8 per cent increase from the same period in the previous Songkran.

 

It was also reported at the event that officers, enforcing the National Council for Peace and Order head's order number 46/2558 to seize vehicles from drunk drivers, had taken legal action against 301,425 people for drunk driving during the first five days of the Sonkran holidays. 

 

They also impounded 3,969 motorcycles and 1,243 cars and public transport vehicles as well as seizing the licence of 14,170 drivers under the influence of alcohol.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312397

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-16

[darksidedog]

I'm not sure why they seem to be patting themselves on the back here. 283 dead in four days is absolutely disgraceful.

I note that the number of accidents are actually higher than previous years, so the fact that the deaths are slightly down is probably just good luck, although enforcement of the seat belt laws is quite possibly the difference. Clearly the Drink Driving message has totally not sunk in, with more than 300,000 cases in five days!

[just.a.thought]

9 provinces without road deaths including one without injuries over a period of five days. What are the chances of that happening?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

 

 

[SABloke]

16.3% equals nearly 17%? No wonder I struggled with maths, I was rounding down when I should have been rounding up

[darksidedog]

1 minute ago, SABloke said:

16.3% equals nearly 17%? No wonder I struggled with maths, I was rounding down when I should have been rounding up

Thais are not good at maths. Buy a Red Bull at 10 Baht and pay with a 20. Most of them need a calculator to work out your change.

[potherb]

Well done Chaiyaphum with no injuries. I guess they forgot to register the guy that crashed in front of our house, resulting in a badly broke leg.

[Pattaya28]

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

as well as seizing the licence of 14,170 drivers under the influence of alcohol.

above quote says it all.

 

[survivalblue]

Keep impounding vehicles and enforcing traffic laws daily till next April would be worthy of a celebration.

[webfact]

283 killed on roads during Songkran, down by 17%
By THE NATION

 

Transport hubs were crowded with holiday-makers returning to Bangkok from their hometowns yesterday. Many, like the young man seen here carrying a rice sack at Hua Lamphong Train Station in Bangkok.

 

BANGKOK: -- A TOTAL of 283 people were killed and 3,087 others injured in 2,985 road accidents nationwide in the first five days of the so-called “seven dangerous days” of the Songkran holiday, the Road Safety Centre announced yesterday.

 

Many of the accidents resulted from drunk driving (45 per cent) and most crashes involved motorcycles (79 per cent).

 

The death toll was down by almost 17 per cent while the number of injuries and crashes rose compared to the same period during the previous Songkran when 338 deaths and 2,891 injuries were reported in 2,724 road accidents.

 

Highway Police Division chief Maj-General Somchai Kaosamran said that Nakhon Ratchasima was the province with the highest death toll, with 17 people killed during the five-day period, while Chiang Mai had both the highest number of accidents and injuries at 140 cases and 145 people respectively.

 

After five days during the road-accident monitoring period, nine provinces – Krabi, Narathiwat, Bung Kan, Phang Nga, Phuket, Mae Hong Son, Yala, Samut Songkhram and Amnat Charoen – reported no road deaths, while Chaiyaphum was the only one with no injuries related to road accidents.

 

Somchai also said 600 accidents (including 269 drunk driving incidents, 149 speeding cases and 88 crashes because a vehicle suddenly cutting in front of another) happened on Saturday alone, killing 53 people – 29 of whom died at the scene– and injur?ing 634 others. 

 

Many accidents on Saturday stemmed from drunk driving at 45 per cent followed by speeding at 25 per cent. Saturday’s road carnage mostly involved motorcycles (84 per cent), while 62 per cent occurred on straight sections of road, and 33 per cent took place between 4pm and 8pm, Somchai said.

 

Some 64,000 officials manning 2,041 checkpoints on Saturday cited 149,758 motorists for traffic violations – mostly for failing to wear a helmet (43,783 cases) and failing to present a driver’s licence (38,540 cases), he said. In addition, 21,708 other checkpoints were set up and manned by 170,752 community officials.

 

Somchai also reported that public transport use as of Saturday was at 8.25 million passengers – a 2.8 per cent increase from the same period during the previous Songkran.

 

It was also reported at the event that officers, enforcing the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) order number 46/2558 to seize vehicles from drunk drivers, spurred legal action against 301,425 people for drunk driving over the first five days of the Songkran break. 

 

They also impounded 3,969 motorcycles and 1,243 cars and public transport vehicles, and seized the licence of 14,170 drivers under the influence of alcohol.

 

Meanwhile, a recent poll by the ThaiHealth Promotion Foundation found that 3,218 respondents inter?viewed from April 1 to 14 had ranked the causes of motorcycle deaths as stemming from drunk driving (69 per cent), failure to wear a helmet (67 per cent), reckless or speeding driving (53 per cent), and running against traffic or making a U-turn in prohibited spot (52 per cent). 

 

Respondents also urged the gov?ernment to set up special to strictly control motorcycles at areas around schools and universities (95.5 per cent), around industrial estates and business hubs (91 per cent), at roads running parallel to expressways (90 per cent), at entertainment venues (79 per cent) and community areas (79 per cent), at civil service complex centres (74.5 per cent), at various tourist attractions (69 per cent), and at state offices (63 per cent).

 

Bangkok-bound traffic on various highways was more congested with yesterday as holidaymakers started to head back to the capital. 

 

Authorities manned checkpoints to check for traffic violations and set up rest stop tents for motorists to take a break or receive urgent mechanic services in an effort to prevent accidents.

 

Transport hubs were also crowded with travellers, many who were carrying souvenirs from the provinces such as rice and dried food to help cope with the capital’s high living costs.

 

See more photos: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/photo/view/133

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312423

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-17

[smedly]

when talking about loss of human life - percentage is not the correct way of reporting 

[Get Real]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

when talking about loss of human life - percentage is not the correct way of reporting 

And just exactly how would you like to report the difference for make it more understandable?

[Sphere]

13 hours ago, just.a.thought said:

9 provinces without road deaths including one without injuries over a period of five days. What are the chances of that happening?

 

9 out of 76. 

 

[Dibbler]

14 hours ago, just.a.thought said:

9 provinces without road deaths including one without injuries over a period of five days. What are the chances of that happening?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

 

 

Possibly police in those provinces haven't reported the numbers yet or may even be delaying reporting until the count is finished!

[Dibbler]

14 hours ago, potherb said:

Well done Chaiyaphum with no injuries. I guess they forgot to register the guy that crashed in front of our house, resulting in a badly broke leg.

Evidence that the police are not reporting actual numbers. Fear of getting transferred likely greater than fear of telling the truth!

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

22 minutes ago, Dibbler said:

Evidence that the police are not reporting actual numbers. Fear of getting transferred likely greater than fear of telling the truth!

I don't trust news coming from the police of the military here.

[Prbkk]

With 45% reported to involve booze, it's way overdue to implement a real plan to deal with drunk driving: education, enforcement, judicial ( not the token reduction to .02). In the majority of the countries that have had success in reducing alcohol-related deaths, if you kill or seriously injure someone while boozed-up you will go to prison regardless of social status: in Thailand more likely than not you won't even be charged, EG Boss Red Bull.

[BEngBKK]

I choose to celebrate and be happy that the progress is going in the right direction.....

 

 

 

 

[jimstar1]

Yew well I am Amazed at the Figures oh add one more I Farang speed up to avoid water splash out side my Place didn't see Speed bump went Arse over Kite in front of on coming car I went out to assist as many others did a few Bruises said was just released from hospital 1/2 hr ago from bike accident got on his bike nd took of so he was not counted  also I feel he should give up the bike his luck is not there

[badlad]

police roadside check point close to a large tesco store near to where i live, i have passed through it and on the opposite side of the road from it around 40 times in the  last 6 days it is fully manned and i have not seen a single vehicle of any sort stopped, i have seen motor cycle riders with no helmets and on the wrong side of the road pass the check point with impunity so i have to ask why is it there complete with a bus to be used as sleeping quarters for the officers and a fire engine. i  assume it is to respond to accidents only and not to police the roads as we were led to believe with all the extra police that were drafted in

[Ramen087]

the 5200+ vehicles that were impounded probably had a lot to do with it...  hopefully it is expensive to get your vehicle back, which will provide monetary incentive in the near future and beyond to change drinking and driving habits...

[wgdanson]

16 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I'm not sure why they seem to be patting themselves on the back here. 283 dead in four days is absolutely disgraceful.

I note that the number of accidents are actually higher than previous years, so the fact that the deaths are slightly down is probably just good luck, although enforcement of the seat belt laws is quite possibly the difference. Clearly the Drink Driving message has totally not sunk in, with more than 300,000 cases in five days!

The enforcement of the seat belt law will not change the vast majority of deaths which are piss heads on motorbikes.

[oldsailor35]

16 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I'm not sure why they seem to be patting themselves on the back here. 283 dead in four days is absolutely disgraceful.

I note that the number of accidents are actually higher than previous years, so the fact that the deaths are slightly down is probably just good luck, although enforcement of the seat belt laws is quite possibly the difference. Clearly the Drink Driving message has totally not sunk in, with more than 300,000 cases in five days!

How many actually died from road accidents over this songkran period, including those who died from injuries in hospital.

[dinsdale]

I wonder if there were actually less people travelling this year. Just seemed a bit quieter this year. Thailand lost it's father. Don't know just speculation but less people travelling this year may impact on the figures.

[Emster23]

I did a little lazy investigation. Got figures from 2013, average death per day on roads then worked out to 66.4. Okay, times 5 would be 332. This years 5 day is 283. If any of these numbers are half way valid, seems to terrible carnage of Songkran is less than any other random 5 day period.

 I also assume they don't count those who die in ambulance or in hospital.....

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Dibbler said:

Evidence that the police are not reporting actual numbers. Fear of getting transferred likely greater than fear of telling the truth!

"Fear of getting transferred likely greater than fear of telling the truth"!

 

I thought the police would be happy to get a transfer, is that to an inactive post? Oh! wait, that means they won't be collecting tea money then, or is an exception made for that?

[JAG]

16 hours ago, potherb said:

Well done Chaiyaphum with no injuries. I guess they forgot to register the guy that crashed in front of our house, resulting in a badly broke leg.

He wasn't injured by the motorcycle crash.

 

It was the impact with the road which broke his leg.....

 

PS: I know that this is rubbish - but then so are the statistics.

Edited April 17, 2017 by JAG

[BadCash]

13 minutes ago, Emster23 said:

I did a little lazy investigation. Got figures from 2013, average death per day on roads then worked out to 66.4. Okay, times 5 would be 332. This years 5 day is 283. If any of these numbers are half way valid, seems to terrible carnage of Songkran is less than any other random 5 day period.

 I also assume they don't count those who die in ambulance or in hospital.....

I attempted that exercise myself since I thought I'd heard a way higher yearly average number. WHO reports 80 (!) traffic deaths every day in Thailand. The problem is that 

 

"...statistics taken inside Thailand only includes victims who died at the scene, while WHO statistics include persons that died within 30 days of the accident."

 

Which means the real death toll is not in yet... 

Full article at https://asiancorrespondent.com/2015/03/thailand-road-deaths/#2QG6Kb2tWyFM7Pvg.99

[cyberfarang]

Songkran, Thailand`s annual population cull.

Edited April 17, 2017 by cyberfarang

[Ramen087]

52 minutes ago, BadCash said:

I attempted that exercise myself since I thought I'd heard a way higher yearly average number. WHO reports 80 (!) traffic deaths every day in Thailand. The problem is that 

 

"...statistics taken inside Thailand only includes victims who died at the scene, while WHO statistics include persons that died within 30 days of the accident."

 

Which means the real death toll is not in yet... 

Full article at https://asiancorrespondent.com/2015/03/thailand-road-deaths/#2QG6Kb2tWyFM7Pvg.99

that is a very revealing post... the italics highlighted sentence is just scary

[CantSpell]

3 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

I don't trust news coming from the police of the military here.

PM does, he asked for less accidents this year: it always looks good on the records...

 

He's got reported statistics as per his orders 

 

Might even make a poll about happiness in a few days..