New Year's road toll rises to 179 dead in 3 days

BANGKOK: -- Nearly 200 deaths and more than 2,000 injured heralds a grim beginning to the New Year's holiday high season for highway carnage.

Despite lower reported deaths and injuries than in the comparable period one year ago, accidents throughout Thailand during the first three of the kingdom's seven day "most dangerous week" of the New Year holiday, beginning December 28, already has left 179 people dead and 2,131 injured, a senior Interior Ministry official said Sunday.

Permanent Secretary for Interior Pongpayom Wasaputti said a total of 1,918 road accidents took place during the past three days, with 179 persons killed, lower than earlier projected by 21 per cent, and 2,131 people injured, less than forecast by 19 per cent

He said driving while under the influence of alcohol accounted for nearly half -- 47 per cent -- of the fatalities, followed by speeding almost 25 per cent and motorcycles, over 11 per cent.

Most accidents took place on highways and from 4 pm to 8 pm, he said.

Mr. Pongpayom urged revellers who planned to attend parties on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day not to consume alcohol at all if they must drive and that they should refrain from speeding.

Concerned authorities have been trying to reduce this New Year accidents by 15 per cent, or holding casualties to not more than 4,000 road accidents, lower than last year's holiday high season, Mr. Pongpayom added.

-- TNA 2007-01-01

I'm assounted that the Thai authorities could come up with such stats in such a short space of time

I agree, Casanundra. I don't think the paperwork flies that fast.

Any previous stats for comparison, George? Ta kindly.

Oh, and may we have a better new year after today. Good, get all the bad sh** out of the way now so the great stuff can flow through.

New Year death toll climbs to 275

The New Year's road accident death toll had climbed to 275 on Sunday as 2006 came to an end, the Interior Ministry reported yesterday.

There were also 3,067 injuries in the 2,785 recorded accidents from Thursday to Sunday.

The last day of 2006 saw 96 people killed and 936 injured in 867 accidents, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said.

Most accidents occurred on local roads. Drunk driving and speeding were the main causes, the agency said.

It added that 88% of the accidents involved motorcycles.

From Thursday to Sunday, Si Sa Ket recorded 91 accidents, the highest number, followed by 90 in Chiang Rai, 82 in Surin and 81 in Chiang Mai.

Nakhon Sawan reported the highest number of deaths, 12, while Prachuap Khiri Khan and Bangkok had 11 each. Twelve provinces were fatality free.

Nakhon Ratchasima had the highest number of injuries with 113, followed by Si Sa Ket with 100.

Throughout the country, 3,155 police checkpoints were set up along highways yesterday, with 92,350 officials and volunteers on duty.

Local agencies also set up 13,800 checkpoints on local roads throughout the country yesterday.

Bangkok Post

I'm assounted that the Thai authorities could come up with such stats in such a short space of time

If you drove upcountry you would have noticed the police, reminding you every 50-100KM to drive safely this week-end.

Last Friday I did my 90 day border run. Drove from Kanchanaburi to Mae Sot.

During that drive I saw 2 fatal accidents. Bodies still at the side of the road.

3 overturned sugar cane trucks, one on top of a bike.

2 overtuned container trucks.

5 smashed up pickups.

Also saw a few rear enders.

And the number of near misses was off the scale.

Crazy!

New Year death toll rises to 351

The number of those killed in road accidents during the first five of seven dangerous days of New Year holidays stand at 351, a senior official announced Tuesday.

Anucha Mokkhaswes, director-general of the Civil Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said New Year Day, which was the fifth day of the week-long road accident monitoring period, saw 784 accidents, killing 76 people and injuring 903 others.

Drunk driving remained the biggest cause of the accident, constituting 47.96 per cent of the accidents, he said.

He said motorcycles involved in 88.35 per cent of the accidents.

The Nation

they all have the bhudda images, or flowers or monk's blessings painted inside the cars...how about learning how to drive? you wouldn't need all that stuff if you just use common sense. i know that it is impossible to require driving lessons to drive over here as i don't think i have ever seen a thai with a driver's liscence. maybe the rewards outway the risks kind-of-thing. my wife wanted to have a monk bless the car and write something on the inside of the hood but i told her i had taken classes, a written test and driving test in order to be able to drive in my country and have the i.d. to prove it. oh well, nothing will change, i guess but where are they in such a hurry to go to? sure, they drive fast in europe but they know how to drive. there, i got that off of my chest. won't do any good, but what the heck.

they all have the bhudda images, or flowers or monk's blessings painted inside the cars...how about learning how to drive? you wouldn't need all that stuff if you just use common sense. i know that it is impossible to require driving lessons to drive over here as i don't think i have ever seen a thai with a driver's liscence. maybe the rewards outway the risks kind-of-thing. my wife wanted to have a monk bless the car and write something on the inside of the hood but i told her i had taken classes, a written test and driving test in order to be able to drive in my country and have the i.d. to prove it. oh well, nothing will change, i guess but where are they in such a hurry to go to? sure, they drive fast in europe but they know how to drive. there, i got that off of my chest. won't do any good, but what the heck.

Most Thais I know have a DL but the sad fact is the laminated paper counts for very little as far as standards are concerned.

Example 1 Wifey went through the stop sign and got lost on the route for her bike test. Still passed.

Example 2 Sister in law failed(after zero lessons) her car test last week. This week will pay someone to "help" her pass.

Having driven from Chiangmai to Chiangrai on New Years day to visit the inlaws I can only express surprise that the death toll is so low (351 at last count). during the drive no fewer than ten minivans overtook us crossing continuous double yellow lines, one even overtook us on the inside swerving into our lane when a motorcyclist emerged from a sidesteet without looking. My personal favourites were the repeated occasions I had to slow down to let the Pu Yaays approaching headlong on my side of the road squeeze back into there own lane.

I guess the fact they were flashing me made it ok though. I guess I need to get my attitude adjusted and start to believe in reincarnation.

Having seen the appalling level of competency accepted at both motorbike and car licensing tests, I am not surprised at the numbers routinely massacred on the road.

There is no formal teaching method or tuition, and the Highway Code exists virtually in name only, leaving Thais to their own resources as to whether they learn to drive safely and responsibly, or simply figure out how to make a car go from one place to another with the assumption of no impediment to progress, such as other road users.

They are not taught that cars can maim and kill and wreak havoc with innocent families, or that the 3 seconds recklessly saved comes with the potential for many more seconds wasted attending hospitals, morgues and courts on the offchance that a well placed 500 bath doesn't clear the air.