Road toll up, but fewer crashes this year
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The first four days of the New Year Festival's seven-dangerous-day period saw 241 people killed and 2,382 injured, the Road Safety Centre reported yesterday.
There were 2,167 serious road accidents reported nationwide.
Buri Ram had the most deaths at 16, while Chiang Rai recorded the most number of road injuries at 88 and the highest number of accidents at 85.
The total of 241 fatalities was seven higher than the same period last year, while the 2,382 injuries and 2,167 accidents were lower than last year by 274 persons and 306 accidents, Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri said yesterday.
On New Year’s Day alone, 562 accidents were reported, compared to last January 1’s 777 accidents. Some 76 people were killed, seven less than the 83 on New Year’s Day last year. Another 600 others were injured, compared to last New Year’s 845 injuries, he said.
Drunk driving was blamed for 48 per cent of accidents and speeding for nearly 20 per cent. Some 83 per cent of accidents involved motorcycles, he said.
The 2,465 checkpoints had stopped 704,164 vehicles and found 97,359 motorists who broke the law, most of whom failed to wear helmets (30,698 cases) or failed to show a driver’s licence (27,121 cases).
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Wibul Sanguanpong said this New Year festival had seen more severe accidents than the previous one and that speeding, dozing behind the wheel, failing to wear helmets, riding on the back of trucks and failing to fasten seat belts were important factors leading to crashes.
