New Year holiday death toll at 282 after six of ‘7 dangerous days’
As many as 239 road accidents on Tuesday left 259 people injured and 15 dead, raising the death toll during the year-end break to 282, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DDPM)'s Road Safety Centre reported on Wednesday.
As on the sixth day of the “7 dangerous days” (December 29, 2022 to January 4, 2023), the centre instructed Bangkok and provincial authorities to carefully monitor the speed limits of motorists so as to prevent road accidents.
Deputy permanent secretary at the Interior Ministry, Chotnarin Kerdsom, said that the centre has been in collaboration with relevant agencies to gather data regarding road accidents that occur during the period.
Car accident data on Tuesday:
Top causes of accidents
• Speeding - 38.49%
• Getting cut off - 24.47%
• Drunk driving - 15.48%
Vehicle type with the most accidents
• Motorcycles - 82.73%
Where most accidents took place
• Straight roads - 86.61%
Location of most accidents
• Highways - 48.12%
• Village roads - 24.27%
Time of most accidents
• 6pm-7pm - 9.21%
Age-range of most casualties
• 40-49 - 16.79%
Chotnarin said that on Tuesday alone, up to 55,787 officials were deployed at 1,880 road checkpoints countrywide, with 365,238 vehicles being stopped.
Of a total of 54,629 who faced legal action on Tuesday, 15,873 will be charged with riding motorbikes without a helmet, 15,494 with driving without a licence, and 7,384 with breaking the speed limit, among others.
Nakhon Si Thammarat province had the highest number of road accidents with 12 recorded on Tuesday and the highest number of injuries at 12. Meanwhile, Chachoengsao and Phuket provinces had the highest number of deaths at two people each.
Over the past six days, Chotnarin said Thailand had recorded 2,201 road accidents, in which 2,197 people were injured and 282 killed.
He said that Nakhon Si Thammarat had the highest number of road accidents at 76 as well as the highest number of injuries at 81.
Meanwhile, Chiang Rai experienced the highest number of fatalities at 13 people, followed by Bangkok and Pathum Thani (11 people each).
Six provinces — Narathiwat, Bueng Kan, Phang Nga, Yala, Satun and Sukhothai — did not report any road deaths, he added.
Boontham Lertsukhikasem, director-general of DDPM and secretary-general of the centre, said that the main roads heading to the capital are mostly free of traffic, as holidayers were already back at their residences.
To report an incident, the centre can be reached via Line application @1784DDPM or contact 1784, Boontham added.
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