Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, there were 1,664 traffic accidents from December 29 to January 1, with 218 people killed and 1,647 injured, The southern province of Surat Thani reporting the most accidents with 56.
The northeastern province of Sakon Nakhon had the most injured people, with 57, and the northernmost province of Chiang Rai had the most road deaths, with 12.
These figures were lower than the first four days of the road safety campaign last New Year’s, when 226 people were killed and 1,894 people were injured in 1,915 traffic accidents.
On New Year’s Day, there were 478 traffic accidents, with 66 people killed and 465 injured.
According to police, speeding was the leading cause of accidents (37%), followed by drunk driving (33%). 88% of accidents involved motorcycles. The time period with the highest number of accidents (15.7%) between midnight and 1am.
Drunk Drivers in Thailand
Mr. Veerakit Hanparipan, Director-General of the Department of Probation said, 4,300 motorists were placed on probation during the first four days of Thailand’s New Year holiday for drunk-driving.
Another 11 were sentenced to probation for reckless driving, and 197 were sentenced for driving under the influence of a narcotic. 4,508 drivers were placed on probation between December 29 and January 1.
The provinces with the highest number of drunk-driving offenders were Roi-et (255), Nonthaburi (253) and Loei (243). (245).
Mr. Veerakit stated that those placed on probation must strictly adhere to the following conditions: reporting to probation officials on a regular basis, participating in activities to educate people about traffic laws, and refraining from consuming alcohol.
Those found to be at risk of alcohol addiction would be sent to a Ministry of Public Health rehabilitation facility for treatment.
Those found to be extremely likely to repeat the offense would be sent to a three-day intensive behavioral adjustment camp. During this time, they would participate in public services such as assisting hospital medical staff in caring for people injured in car accidents in order to raise their awareness of road safety.
Thailand Top 10 for Road Accidents
Thailand is one of the top ten countries in the world for the number of road accidents. Thailand is ranked ninth in the world for the highest number of road fatalities, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), while Thailand’s roads are ranked first in Southeast Asia.
The Accident Information Center for Culture and Road Safety collected road accident data between 2021 and 2022 in order to analyze the main causes of accidents.
According to the statistics, there were 13,488 deaths from road accidents during this time period, and the accidents were caused by three major factors: 1.) a collision, 2.) human behavior like speeding or overtaking, and 3.) equipment failure like brake failure.
Because of the sheer number of motorcyclists on the road, especially in urban areas, more road accidents occur.
Data collected by the ‘Social Mobilization for Motorcycle Safety’ project on 1,000 kilometers of Thai roads revealed that three out of four roads pose a risk to motorcyclists due to factors such as deterioration, potholes, or the road’s design being unsuitable for motorcycles when compared to cars.
Roadside structures such as poles and trees can also exacerbate risks for motorcycles that lose control on the road, and the law appears to work against safety at times.
Motorcycles sliding under trucks are a common accident in Thailand because motorcycles and trucks are required to drive in the leftmost lanes.
