Govt hopes to find lessons in road toll drop
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The seven dangerous day period of this New Year Festival has seen a decrease in road casualties and accidents compared to last year, with 335 deaths and 3,375 injuries in 3,093 accidents, the Road Safety Centre reported yesterday. Most accidents resulted
Saying that on January 4 alone, 237 accidents killed 21 people and injured 259 others, Deputy PM and Interior Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit told a press conference that the centre would study road accidentrelated issues during this sevenday period to suggest measures to the Cabinet for the upcoming Songkran Festival.
Ten provinces had no road accident deaths: Sukhothai, Tak, Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Si Sa Ket, Nonthaburi, Trat, Satun, Yala and Pattani.
From December 29, 2011 to January 4, 2012, there were 3,093 accidents (404 cases or 11.55 per cent fewer than last year), killing 335 persons (a drop of 23 persons or 6.42 per cent on last year), and injuring 3,375 persons (375 persons or 10 per cent fewer than last year). Chiang Rai had the most cumulative injuries at 121 and the most accidents at 115 cases.
Most accidents resulted from drunk driving (37.28 per cent) and speeding beyond legal limit (20.63 per cent). Most accidents involved motorcycles at 81.47 per cent followed by pickup trucks at 9.34 per cent. Over half (62.30 per cent) of the accidents took place on straight stretches of road and the period from 4pm to 8pm saw the most accidents occurring at 28.87 per cent.
About 54 per cent of road casualty victims were of working age. The nationwide checkpoints stopped 4,797,164 vehicles and punished 643,445 lawbreaking motorists, mostly for not wearing helmets (200,909 cases) and not carrying a driver’s licence (185,856 cases).
Although the accidents were lower than last year, the rate of major accidents causing the death of many remained high, Yongyuth said. Four risk factors were involved: drivers speeding beyond legal limit, drivers dozing off behind the wheel, bikers failing to wear helmets, and truck passengers failing to fasten seatbelts or riding in the truck’s open part in the back.
In related news, Metropolitan Police deputy chief Pol Maj General Worasak Noppasitthiporn reported on the city traffic situation from December 29, 2011 to January 4, 2012, saying that Bangkok City had witnessed 34 accidents (15 per cent down from last year), killing 12 people (five people more than last year) and injuring 31 others (17 persons fewer than last year). Most accidents involved motorcycles and resulted from drunk driving, failure to wear helmets, speeding beyond legal limit and sudden overtaking of other vehicles. City police also arrested 5,133 lawviolating motorists during the period, higher than last year by 2,300 cases.
