Drivers must be punished if they are found drunk

The New Year holiday season should mark a fresh beginning. Unfortunately, in Thailand, the holiday also marks the worst period for alcohol-related traffic fatalities. Thais will celebrate New Year in a festive mood, expressing their hopes for a bright future. But the number of road accidents usually rises during this long holiday because of drunk driving. Many drunk drivers get behind the wheel after a party, while some are not qualified to drive or are unable to cope with a long holiday journey on the road.

This is indeed unfortunate, because Thailand already suffers with one of the worst casualty rates in the world from road accidents. This is due to a combination of factors: Thais are among the heaviest consumers of alcohol, and law enforcement on drunk driving is lax. 

Earlier this year the penalty for drunk driving was adjusted. The Office of Alcoholic Beverages announced that occupants of vehicles of any kind who drink alcohol while travelling are now subject to six months’ imprisonment and/or a Bt60,000 fine. But the new penalty still doesn’t seem strong enough to deter careless drivers from getting behind the wheel. 

Horrific accidents remain commonplace. And this year their number will no doubt increase along with the more than 1 million new cars that will hit the road as a result of the government’s tax subsidy for first-time car buyers. Some of these first-time buyers will be inexperienced. Meanwhile, repeat offenders are back on the road, leaving other people’s lives exposed to risk.

The festive season gives these drivers an excuse to drink and drive, alcohol being too often a part of festivals, holidays and celebrations here. The accident statistics during the Songkran festival last April showed that drunk driving remained the most common cause of road deaths, at 39 per cent of the total. That was followed by violation of the speed limit at 22 per cent, careless driving at 15 per cent, motorcycle-related accidents at 15 per cent, poor vision at 8 per cent, and fatigue at 2.5 per cent.

Tour buses are also one of the main causes of accidents. Their drivers usually try to complete as many round trips as possible over the holiday season to ensure a good profit from the increased number of travellers. But these drivers are not always fit to drive. Some use stimulants in an attempt to keep awake and alert. Bus accidents often happen in the early hours of the morning because drivers are asleep at the wheel. This is not to mention the poor condition of some buses.

Although the public campaign for zero tolerance of drunk driving during the “dangerous seven days” kicked off on December 27, we have already seen fatal road accidents.

A combination of measures should be strictly enforced. Drunk drivers must be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Car passengers must share the blame for letting them get behind the wheel; they can do more to prevent crime and death. Stiffer laws should be enacted. The authorities must strictly enforce roadside breath tests. And society in general must act more responsibly. For instance, any celebrity caught drunk driving should be made to do strict community service, if only to serve as an example to young people.

The authorities aim to reduce accident statistics this weekend, but the statistics will never be as telling as the faces and feelings of the injured parties and the families of the victims when they realise that their holiday, which should have been a joyful event, has turned into pain or a life beyond repair because of a drunk or dangerous driver.