Authorities to crack down on drunk driving during long break
Thai authorities have promised tighter measures, including more stringent enforcement of the laws, to prevent drunk-driving accidents during the four-day New Year break.
Police chief Pol General Torsak Sukvimol on Wednesday said that he had instructed authorities nationwide to be strict in apprehending drunk drivers at security checkpoints.
Torsak urged commuters to be extra cautious and to never drive if they were intoxicated. He also said everyone should check their cars before leaving to avoid accidents.
The law specifies that drivers under the age of 20 who have held a driving licence for less than two years, or possess a licence for special vehicles, will be considered drunk if they register a blood alcohol concentration of more than 20 milligrams (mg) per 100 millilitres (ml) in a DUI breath test.
Meanwhile, individuals aged 20 and above, possessing a permanent or five-year driving licence, will be deemed intoxicated if their alcohol level exceeds 50mg/100ml of blood.
Drunk drivers could face a maximum fine of 120,000 baht, a six-year prison sentence, and their driver's licence could be revoked. If they are found guilty of causing death to others, they could be subject to a fine of up to 200,000 baht and a potential 10-year imprisonment.
Torsak said police would also focus on addressing drug and gun violence concerns during the New Year holidays, which lasts from December 29 to January 1, 2024.
Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry also set up an operational centre to especially tackle accidents during this weekend.
The centre would concentrate on working with associated entities to enforce the law more strictly and to prepare health services by setting up checkpoints in areas where accidents happen frequently, Interior Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul said on Wednesday.
Anutin also said that he wanted the New Year's celebrations to be "the festival of happiness and warmth”, where people could return to their hometown to meet their families in safety and enjoy.
According to the Department of Probation, during the same period last year, as many as 8,923 accidents happened from December 29, 2022, to January 4, 2023. Around 96.01 of them – or 8,567 cases – were related to drunk driving, up 8.88 per cent over the numbers in 2021–22.
