20% fewer road deaths this year during Songkran’s ‘7 Dangerous Days’
Road deaths during this Songkran break have dropped by almost 20 per cent from last year, Deputy Interior Minister Nipon Bunyamanee said on Friday.
He also said that he expects an overall improvement in road accidents, injuries and deaths during the “Seven Dangerous Days” from April 11 to 17.
Thai roads are among the world’s deadliest, with road accidents claiming 32.7 lives for every 100,000 people or 25,000 per year on average.
Nipon, a key Democrat Party figure, called on motorists to help cut down on losses and make roads safer. He also reckons that strict enforcement of the law by traffic police would help greatly.
“Motorists should cooperate by avoiding actions that could cause fatal accidents, such as driving while drunk, speeding and ignoring safety gear,” he said.
He also advised drivers to rest sufficiently before heading off, so they do not fall asleep at the wheel.
“In the first four days [of Songkran] this year, deaths reduced by 20 per cent,” he said.
The minister was inspecting a police checkpoint in Songkhla’s Na Thawee district, where he was greeted by provincial governor Jessada Jitrat and other local officials.
The first four of the seven dangerous days this year have claimed 157 lives, compared to 192 in the same period last year.
The first four days saw 1,195 road accidents, with 1,185 people getting injured, a significant drop from 1,795 road accidents and 1,818 injuries during the same period last year.
