Road toll at 39 on first day of Songkran
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Road accidents resulted in 39 deaths on Thursday - nine more in comparison to last year's first of the "seven dangerous days" of the long Songkran holiday, the Road Safety Centre reported yesterday.
Thursday saw 39 deaths and 342 injuries in 326 road accidents, and 56 per cent of those killed or injured were working-age people, Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt told a press conference yesterday.
He said on the first day of Songkran last year, there were 30 deaths, but the number of those injured was higher at 375 and there had been 343 road accidents.
The biggest accident yesterday was when the driver of a public bus fell asleep behind the wheel, causing the bus to overturn in Chaiyaphum’s Khon Sawan district. Up to 70 passengers sustained injuries. The bus had departed Bangkok for Khon Kaen and Loei.
Even though the authorities have announced the strict enforcement of laws against drunk driving and other traffic violations, drunk driving was still a major cause of deaths at about 29 per cent, followed by speeding at 21 per cent. Around 78 per cent of the accidents involved motorcycles and 12 per cent had to do with pickups.
The highest number of fatalities occurred at Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ayutthaya, Yasothon, Songkhla and Samut Sakhon, with three deaths at each province. The highest number of accidents occurred in Chiang Mai and Nakhon Si Thammarat with 14 each; while Chiang Mai also had the highest number of injuries at 17. So far, 52 provinces have encountered no deaths.
Chadchart said that since most roads and highways were crowded with vehicles as people were either heading to their hometowns or other destinations, relevant authorities have been instructed to give top priority to safety. Police at checkpoints need to enforce the law strictly to help prevent accidents.
He added that bus drivers should be tested before going behind the wheel in line with the government’s zero-alcohol campaign. Also their driving speeds would have to be strictly controlled.
Police have stopped 476,651 vehicles at various checkpoints across the country and 82,895 traffic-law violators arrested. Up to 24,469 drivers arrested did not have a valid licence and 23,207 were detained for failing to wear a helmet.
To avoid congestion, police have added more traffic lanes in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district. Downtown Khon Kaen was also crowded with motorists. Many public buses were arriving at destinations late by several hours. For instance, the bus to Buri Ram was three to four hours late. The highway to the North was also congested, as rescue workers helped facilitate traffic flow in Ang Thong.
