Safety measures put in place as people get ready to celebrate
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Authorities in different parts of the country are preparing safety measures and emergency services for revellers and motorists during the New Year holidays.
The Road Safety Centre was officially launched yesterday with Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit meeting with relevant agencies to ensure that they work hand in hand and reduce the number of road accidents. Yongyuth said the centre has named the period from yesterday to January 4 as the “seven dangerous days” and will be strictly enforcing safety measures to prevent accidents.
He said the centre had been told to adhere to five main measures: effective management, law enforcement, traffic engineering, public relations and emergency medical service and rescue. In addition, he wants involved agencies to stick to four other measures, namely enforcing law in order to control factors leading to accidents, controlling alcohol consumption, setting up effective checkpoints and reducing accidents on roads damaged by floods.
The police will also keep an eye out for motorists who break speed limits, drunk driving and those not wearing a helmet in areas where celebration events are being held as well as on highways, secondary roads and roads damaged by floods.
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DPMD) directorgeneral Wiboon Sanguanpong said he had instructed Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Offices nationwide to set up accident prevention centres.
Meanwhile, Chiang Mai Governor ML Panadda Diskul has beefed up security at the two countdown venues – Royal Flora 2011 and Thaphae Gate. Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Offices in Chiang Mai, Lampang, Lamphun and Mae Hong Son have also set up centres to assist motorists.
The Office of Highway 8 has temporarily closed 47 of the 124 Uturns on Mittraphap Road in Saraburi, Nakhon Ratchasima and Khon Kaen to prevent accidents, especially since hundreds of thousands to vehicles will be going down that route to head for the Northeast every day.
Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradecha has also told authorities to work round the clock to protect tourists – especially on New Year’s Eve.
Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 Front Archive will also closely check identification cards and licence plates of vehicles travelling past checkpoints in the South to prevent violent incidents.
People can call the 1341 hotline round the clock if they notice anything suspicious.
Police, civil defence volunteers and rescue workers in Songkhla’s Sadao district also started patrolling from yesterday in order to ensure people’s safety.
As of press time yesterday, four people had died and one was injured from road accidents. One death was reported in Lamphun, while the other three deaths and one injury took place in Phetchabun.
