Road toll after 4 days: 275 dead, 3,000 hurt
Road accidents over the first four days of the week-long New Year holiday have left 275 people dead and 3,067 injured, with drunk driving and speeding blamed for most of the casualties.
The worst-hit province was Nakhon Sawan, which reported 12 deaths, while Nakhon Ratchasima had the most injuries at 113. Education Permanent Secretary Charuaypon Torranin, a Road Safety Centre committee member, said that on Sunday alone there were 867 accidents that left 96 people dead and 936 injured. He said drunk driving was responsible for about 50 per cent of the fatalities while speeding caused 22 per cent. About 88 per cent of the accidents involved motorcycles, followed by pick-up trucks and passenger cars at 5 and 3 per cent, respectively. Most accidents occurred on straight stretches of secondary roads between 4pm and 8pm, he said. On Sunday, Roi Et recorded the most deaths with six, followed by Kamphaeng Phet and Buri Ram, each with five, while Chiang Rai reported 32 accidents, Chiang Mai 31, and Si Sa Ket 27. Over the first four days, 2,785 accidents have been recorded. The death toll is eight less than for the same period last year. Prachuap Khiri Khan and Bangkok have each recorded 11 deaths. Si Sa Ket has had the most accidents with 91, followed by Chiang Rai 90, Surin 82, and Chiang Mai 81. Of nearly two million motorists who were stopped at checkpoints, 43,456 were fined - mostly for not wearing safety helmets, reckless driving and failing to present a driver's licence.
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