Thailand's 7 deadly days on the road 2014/15

[buksida]

FIFTY-EIGHT people were killed and 517 others injured in 508 road accidents nationwide on Tuesday, the first day of the New Year holiday period, the Road Safety Centre reported yesterday.

Chiang Mai and Surat Thani had the most accidents at 23 cases each, Buri Ram had the most deaths at six and Surat Thani had the most injuries at 23.

The figures rose from the previous New Year period's first day (December 27, 2013), which saw 39 deaths and 399 injuries in 392 road accidents.

Deputy Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said the major contributing factor on Tuesday was drunk driving, at 36.61 per cent, followed by speeding at 23.82 per cent, and that most accidents involved motorcycles, at 82.41 per cent.

More than half (58.86 per cent) of the accidents took place on straight sections of road, he said. Most accidents occurred between 4pm and 8pm (34.84 per cent). More than half of the victims (51.83 per cent) were of working age.

The 2,243 main checkpoints manned by 64,505 officers stopped 531,490 vehicles and initiated legal actions against 76,168 motorists, most of whom were accused of failing to wear a motorcycle helmet or failing to present a driver's licence, Arkhom said. The Road Safety Centre, under the Interior Ministry's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, is working with provincial authorities to enforce laws against such risky behaviour as drunk driving and speeding, especially on primary and secondary roads, as well as at accident-prone spots and areas surrounding fairs or tourist attractions.

The government is also working with various organisations to provide security and convenience for holidaymakers, Prime Minister's Office spokesman Yongyut Maiyalap said via the Government House website yesterday.

Commuters leaving Bangkok via the No 7 motorway (Bangkok-Chon Buri) and No 9 (Bang Pa-in-Bang Pli) are now exempted from tolls until midnight of January 4, he said.

Transport Co has set aside 10 women-only seats in the front of buses going to Nakhon Phanom and Sakon Nakhon. The State Railway of Thailand has also installed closed-circuit cameras on trains bound for Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani, in compartments reserved for female passengers. Thai Airways International has increased its luggage weight limit by 10 kilograms for all destinations except the US.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 51054.html

[Nereus]

NY road toll: 128 killed, 1,158 injured

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... 58-injured

Seventy people were killed and 641 injured in 625 road accidents on New Year’s Eve, bringing carnage totals for the holiday-travel season to 128 dead and 1,158 hurt.

During the start of the "seven dangerous days" safety campaign, there have been 1,133 accidents, according to the centre for prevention and reduction of road accidents.

Kannikar Saengthong, director-general of the Justice Ministry's Probation Department, said accidents mostly were caused by drunk driving (41.92%) and speeding (26.40%). Most, or 83.8%, of the accidents involved motorcycles.

From Dec 30-31, Chiang Mai province recorded the largest number of accidents: 49. The provinces with the largest number of deaths - seven each - were Phetchabun, Surat Thani, Chiang Mai and Buriram.

The province with the largest number of injuries - 33 - was Nakhon Sawan.

Mrs Kannikar said the road-safety campaign centre has, therefore, instructed all provinces to strictly enforce the Alcohol Control Act of 2008, particularly the ban on sales of alcoholic drinks to youths under 20 years of age.

[richard]

Mrs Kannikar said the road-safety campaign centre has, therefore, instructed all provinces to strictly enforce the Alcohol Control Act of 2008, particularly the ban on sales of alcoholic drinks to youths under 20 years of age.

Dream on

The 'Police' in the provinces are far too tied up in peddling 'meths' to the kids rather than pulling them up for careering around with no helmets and loaded up to the gills with Laos Khow

[Dr Mike]

A story from China. A city in south China had out of control traffic, driving thru red lights, on the sidewalk, wrong way down one-way streets everything. The mayor had tried to get the police to act but nothing happened. He went to a conference in Hong kong. On his return he called a meeting of the police and told them --Good news, I have talked to the HK police chief and he is going to send six senior officers here who will take control of traffic control and will teach you how to do it.
That day the police were out, stopping, arresting, fining, beating up drivers and in a week the traffic was well controlled.
The most powerful motivator in Asia is --Loss of face.

[Frank Hovis]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... 82-injured

Sixty people were killed and 625 injured in road accidents nationwide on Jan 1, bringing the total number of casualties during the first three of seven “dangerous days” to 190 dead and 1,782 hurt, according to the centre for prevention and reduction of road accidents.

Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin, deputy chairman of the National Road Safety Policy Committee, said that on Jan 1, said 604 accidents occurred on New Year's Day with 49.2% of them caused by drunk-driving and 24.1% by speeding. There were 1,737 accidents since Dec 30.

Most, or 85.14%, of the accidents involved motorcycles. Most crashes occurred between midnight and 4am.

[Nereus]

NY road toll: 227 killed, 2,163 injured

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... 63-injured
............................................................................
And yet another train fatality:

Two killed in rail crossing collision

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... -collision

[BOZ]

Wow 3 "accidents" in less than a week.... Seems like. Good place for some of that improvement money to be spent.... Sad waste of life.... RIP.....

[Spitfire]

........and initiated legal actions against 76,168 motorists, most of whom were accused of failing to wear a motorcycle helmet or failing to present a driver's licence, Arkhom said.

This is the bit that always gets me, so let's say (at a conservative estimate) 25k of them failed to produce a license.

Blimey! Bloody lunatics everywhere.

[HHTel]

Thailand's New Year:
NY road toll: 227 killed, 2,163 injured

NY deaths in the UK:
A 17-year-old boy found dead in a flat has brought Britain's tragic New Year's death toll to 11.

Slight difference in two countries with similar populations!!!

[Nereus]

And some more. What a mess! (photo of car at link)

3 dead in Mercedes-pickup truck crash

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... ruck-crash

Three people were burned beyond recognition when a speeding Mercedes Benz veered off the road and slammed into an oncoming pickup truck before catching fire in Rayong on Saturday afternoon.
^
^
^
Pol Lt Chanut Panthong of Nikhom Phatthana district police station in Rayong quoted witnesses as saying that the Mercedes Benz heading to downtown Rayong was coming from an elevated bridge near Map Kha intersection at high speed and suddenly veered off the road and crashed into the pickup truck. The impact of the crash caused the sedan to catch fire and flames spread quickly to the pickup truck....

[buksida]

Highways congested as travellers head back to Bangkok

Highways have been congested as many thousands of people continue to travel back to Bangkok after the long holiday break.
The Road Safety Centre said 227 people have been killed and 2,163 others injured in 2,104 road accidents over the first four days of the seven-day accident-monitoring period over the New Year.

The northern province of Chiang Mai has had the worst road casualties with 12 deaths and 91 people injured in 93 accidents over the four days.

Only eight of the 77 provinces have reported no fatalities: Trang, Nakhon Phanom, Phatthalung, Sing Buri, Uttaradit, Yasothon, Mae Hong Son and Narathiwat, an adviser to Deputy Education Minister Gen Suthat Kanchananonkul said.

On Friday, there were 367 road accidents around the country, with 37 people killed and 381 injured, Suthat said. Drunk driving was still the major cause at 36.5 per cent followed by excessive speeding at 19 per cent.

Some 82 per cent of the accidents involved motorcycles, while 39.5 per cent of accidents took place on highways and another 37 per cent occurred on village roads.

Two thirds of crashes occurred on straight stretches of road (67 per cent) followed by curves at 17 per cent.

About a quarter of accidents occurred between 4pm and 8pm. And just over half the victims (51 per cent) were of working age, he added.

Officials manning 2,277 checkpoints arrested 87,353 traffic law violators - 26,638 of who failed to present a driver's licence, while 25,004 others failed to wear motorcycle helmets.

Despite Udon Thani governor Nophawat Singsakda's previous order for speed bumps to be installed on 43 roads leading to rail crossings, a train crashed into a pick-up on Friday night, killing two people in Muang district.

This was the province's third such accident in seven days. On December 28, a train-car crash killed one person and injured four others, and two days later two people were killed in a similar crash.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 51140.html
There will be more deaths today for sure, best stay off the roads ....

[Spitfire]

Officials manning 2,277 checkpoints arrested 87,353 traffic law violators - 26,638 of who failed to present a driver's licence, while 25,004 others failed to wear motorcycle helmets.

So, out of a decently large sample size, more people have helmets than driving licenses....you've got to be shitting me.

[dtaai-maai]

I wonder if 'failed to present' means they didn't have a licence on them or didn't have one at all.

[Big Boy]

Officials manning 2,277 checkpoints arrested 87,353 traffic law violators - 26,638 of who failed to present a driver's licence, while 25,004 others failed to wear motorcycle helmets.

So, out of a decently large sample size, more people have helmets than driving licenses....you've got to be shitting me.

That doesn't surprise me - most Thais have a helmet, just don't wear it. They need something to carry in their little wire baskets to block out their headlights at night.

Incidentally, Thai news has just upped the number dead to 260.

[Frank Hovis]

most Thais have a helmet, just don't wear it. They need something to carry in their little wire baskets to block out their headlights at night.

That is so true.

And the people that ride with one hand shielding their face from the sun, while the basket contains a perfect sun-shield (in the form of a helmet).