FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Seven-day road safety campaign kicks off

Seven-day road safety campaign kicks off

THE INTERIOR Ministry yesterday kicked off its seven-day road-safety campaign for the New Year in an effort to lower the number of injuries, deaths and accidents on roads by trying to control factors causing road accidents.

Despite the intense campaign against risky driving behaviour such as drunk and reckless driving, reports of road accidents and fatalities continued to pour in from across the country, especially on the main highways, as people embarked on their holiday travels yesterday.

Seven-day road safety campaign kicks off
Interior Minister General Anupong Paojinda, who also heads the Road Safety Operation Centre, announced the official opening of the Road Accident Prevention Command Centre, marking the first day yesterday of the seven-day road safety promotion period until January 3.

Seven-day road safety campaign kicks off
Anupong said the slogan for the campaign was “Driving with thoughtfulness, respecting the traffic rules”. He said that during the period, the Road Safety Operation Centre, under the control of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, would work in collaboration with all related agencies and local authorities to promote road safety in order to achieve the goal of decreasing the number of accidents, injuries and fatalities.

Seven-day road safety campaign kicks off
“We are focusing on controlling every risk factor causing road accidents – vehicles, drivers, road condition and environment – by strictly enforcing the traffic laws, monitoring dangerous driving behaviour, setting up more traffic checkpoints and managing the traffic to provide both convenience and safety to all road users,” he said.
He said during the early and late stages of the campaign, officers would prioritise inter-city highways because most people would be travelling out of Bangkok to their destinations across the country and then returning to the capital, while officers would focus on enforcing road safety on local roads during the interim period.
“We would like to urge drivers not to drive too fast, not to drink and to avoid using mobile phones.” 
He said drivers should avoid driving when they were feeling sleepy and use safety equipment to save their own lives and those of other road users from fatal road accidents.

Seven-day road safety campaign kicks off
Meanwhile, the Road Safety Operation Centre also had duties to ensure the safety of public transport, as public vehicles and drivers would be examined before departing terminals, while officials would provide water transport safety and assist emergency medical services in case of accidents, he said.
Despite the road safety measures, road accidents were reported from every part of the country on the first day yesterday, with some fatalities.
One death was reported from a road accident on Highway No 37 to the South. The road was slippery due to the rains, creating dangerous conditions for driving.

Seven-day road safety campaign kicks off

Commuters ride in the back of a pickup after authorities permitted the transport mode despite acknowledged risks.
Six accidents were reported yesterday on the highway in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Hua Hin district because of slippery road conditions.
High traffic volumes were reported on highways to the Northeast in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district and Prachin Buri, while traffic was still light on highways to the North.

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