Death toll rises to 215 in first 5 of Thailand’s ‘10 Dangerous Days’
Speeding, drunk driving and lane cutting were the leading causes of accidents, with Bangkok and Nonthaburi recording the most deaths
The accumulated death toll from road accidents during the first five of the “10 Dangerous Days” of the New Year break has risen to 215, the road safety centre announced on Wednesday.
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said that since the holiday period began on December 27, 1,398 road accidents have been recorded, injuring 1,354 people and killing 215 others.
People are generally expected to take 10 days off for New Year's and return to their places of work on January 6.
On Tuesday, the fifth day of the period, there were 262 accidents, which led to 36 deaths and 245 injuries.
Somsak reported that Ayutthaya recorded the highest number of accidents, with 44 incidents, while Phuket had the most injuries with 43. Bangkok and Nonthaburi had the highest death toll, with 10 fatalities each.
Speeding was the primary cause of accidents, accounting for 42.75% of accidents, followed by drunk driving at 24.43% and cutting in front of others at 21.37%.
Motorcycles were involved in the majority of accidents, making up 89.93%, followed by pick-up trucks at 4.10% and sedan cars at 2.61%.
