256 people killed in over 2,000 road accidents during New Year holidays
More than 2,000 road accidents occurred during the New Year holiday break, leaving 256 people dead and 2,106 others injured between December 29 and January 3, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
A total of 2,083 road accidents were reported nationwide during those six days, Education Ministry permanent secretary Suthep Kaengsanthia told a press conference at the department.
He chairs a committee tasked with holding press conferences on the data gathered by the centre for the prevention and reduction of road accidents during the 2024 New Year festival.
On Wednesday alone, which was the sixth day of the government campaign for “safe driving and accident-free roads”, there were 239 road accidents, leading to 35 deaths and 250 injury cases.
Most of the accidents were caused by speeding, immediate lane change, and drunk driving, while as many as 84% of the road mishaps involved motorcycles, Suthep said on Thursday.
He said that over 84% of the reported road accidents occurred on highways, and the largest group of fatalities and injuries were those aged between 50 and 59.
Ayutthaya province saw the most road accidents on Wednesday, with 11 cases, and also the highest number of injuries (15 people), while the most fatalities — three —were reported in Nakhon Pathom province. They are both part of the main highway routes to the North and the South, respectively.
Between December 29 and January 3, Kanchanaburi province saw the most road accidents with 77 cases, as well as the highest number of accumulative injury cases (83).
Bangkok saw the highest number of fatalities from road accidents, with 17 deaths reported, while 11 provinces had no reported cases of deaths during the six days.
Suthep said that most of the road accidents during those six days involved motorcycles, accounting for more than 84%. Many of the motorbike riders involved in accidents were found to wear no crash helmets. In many cases, accidents occurred after motorists changed lanes abruptly, while others exceeded the speed limit or drove under the influence of alcohol, he added.
Chaiwat Junthirapong, director-general of the Interior Ministry’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said at the press conference that the seven-day campaign on road safety would end on Thursday.
He added that traffic on most highways was no longer congested on Thursday, as most holidaymakers had returned to Bangkok and other big cities across the country.
Chaiwat urged the public to report road accidents to the department through its hotline 1784 or official Line account, with the ID @1784DDPM, for urgent assistance.
