Road toll rises to 253 on fourth day

MORE than 250 people have been killed on the country’s roads in the first four days of New Year period’s ‘Seven dangerous days’ despite efforts to boost road safety.

During that period 253 people were killed and 2,412 injured in 2,338 accidents, compared to 227 deaths and 2,163 injuries from 2,104 accidents in the same period last year.

Highways and other major arteries were clogged with traffic yesterday as holidaymakers started returning to Bangkok, resulting in the Road Safety Centre instructing provincial authorities to adjust traffic plans for the remainder of the holiday period.

The authorities were told to set up new checkpoints and move existing checkpoints to better suit traffic volume and risky times. 

Meanwhile, the crackdown on drink driving and speeding has been ratcheted up, permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry Dr Sophon Mekthon said.

The authorities are also paying more attention to motorists travelling long distances, Sophon said. 

In the four-day period Chiang Mai in the North was the province with the highest number of accidents (91) and injuries (91), while the provinces Nakhon Ratchasima, Chiang Rai, Songkhla and Pathum Thani reported the most deaths – nine each. 

Eight provinces reported no road deaths during this period. They were Kalasin, Trang, Phang Nga, Phrae, Ranong, Samut Prakan, Sing Buri and Sukhothai.

On Friday there were 647 accidents nationwide and 75 deaths and 657 injuries.

Most of the accidents were the result of drink driving (33 per cent) and speeding (16 per cent). Most accidents occurred between midnight and 4am. 

On New Year’s day, there were 65,642 officials stationed at 2,103 checkpoints nationwide. They booked 106,661 motorists – mostly for failing to wear a helmet (29,987 cases) and failing to present a driver’s licence (29,959).

Colonel Sirichan Ngathong, deputy spokeswoman for the National Council for Peace and Order, reported that from December 25 until Friday soldiers at checkpoints impounded 2,140 vehicles (1,952 motorcycles and 188 cars) for drink driving, while 16,650 motorcyclists and 6,565 drivers face legal action.

In Buri Ram’s Prakhon Chai district, highway No 24 was so congested with motorists heading back to Bangkok – a scenario also expected today – police had to manually control traffic lights and urged people to use alternative routes.

Bus terminals in Nakhon Ratchasima in the Northeast were crowded as people queued to buy tickets. And despite an increase in the number of buses to Bangkok from 200 to 400 a day during the holiday period, it was still insufficient. So, a further 50 buses were added, provincial transport office director Sira Boonthamkul said. 

The Mitraprap Highway, which passes through Nakhon Ratchasima en route to Bangkok, experienced traffic jams yesterday.

In Pathum Thani’s Thanyaburi district, a traffic jam stretched five kilometres on Kanchanaphisek Road (Motorway Route 9) in front of the Thanyaburi Toll Gate, as people returning from hometowns in the North and Northeast headed to Bangkok and Chon Buri.