Prachuap province second highest in New Year road deaths

[buksida]

A total of 281 people were killed in road accidents during the first five days of the seven dangerous days (Dec 29-Jan 4) of the New Year festival.

Altogether 3,091 people were injured in road accidents during the five days, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported on Monday.

The major causes of accidents were drunk-driving and speeding.

Lop Buri had the largest number of fatalities at 12, followed by Prachuap Khiri Khan (10), it said.

The department yesterday reported the road death toll at 234.

Source: MCOT

Thoughts: I'm surprised the figure is not higher but not by the fact that our province is second on the death list! Drove back from the south yesterday and the standards of driving were atrocious; especially from those in minivans who should know better having the responsibility of the lives of their passengers on their shoulders.

[Spitfire]

The full scale of the carnage will not be known until somewhere around the 10th or so, plus the figures given out in the press are massaged downwards as generally at these holiday/festival times it is only those that have died on the spot at the accident location that are given in the preliminary figures, not those that are taken to hospital and then die afterwards. Also you have to wait till all the hicks-ville hillbilly area hospitals put together a list of yokels that have 'bit the dust' and submit it to the government central info collection office so countrywide stats can be put together, takes a while.

Even though it's the biggest province in Thailand, Nakhon Ratchasima usually takes the crown for the greatest death toll as almost everyone that wants to go up into Isaan has to pass through it.

As for mini van drivers.......well...... The usual driver is a raving lunatic that doesn't own what he's driving and has about as much chance of owning his own vehicle and driving responsibly as I have of shagging Cat Deeley.

Edit - Typos

[ste860]

i was up north near chaiyaphon and lost count of the crashes i saw,including a few dead bodies just laid on the road as we drove back home yesterday,when you see that it makes you realise ,just how bad the driving is over here,,maybe if they showed a few videos it would hit home .

[PeteC]

Once again this year the stats are showing about 86% of the accidents and fatalities involved motorcycles. Pete

[Takiap]

Pete, I think it's to be expected that there are more accidents involving motorcycles given there so many of them on the road. Also, riding a bike myself 99% of the time, I can assure you, only about 2% of car and pick-up drivers give a toss about those on bikes. In fact, it's got to the stage where I'm considering a small tractor , then we'll see if some bugger still wants to pull straight out in front of me With all that said, I'm so used to the driving here now that I can't remember when last I got pissed off on the roads.

Minivan drivers - lock them away and throw away the key. The vans don't belong to them, so they don't give a damn about that, and besides, they have an amulet or two on the dash or hanging from the mirror, so of course they can't have an accident. I don't understand why the owners of those vans don't clamp down though. I won't even use the minibuses anymore, and that says something.

[Spitfire]

"Officially", there were 358 deaths on the roads in the so called "seven most dangerous days", 11 more than last year.

We can expect the final total to be a little higher as there will still be people traveling home today, tomorrow and the next day.

Looks like there were, again "officially", 3750 injured according to the deputy PM in said seven days.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews ... h-toll-358

In many other countries of equal population it would be considered a massacre.

A lot of milage could be gotten out of this...........but

[HAPPYGOLFER]

I just wonder, how many have driving license of those involved in different types of accidents on the roads?

[Spitfire]

^ Not just driving licenses, try insurance too, probably be lucky if 60% of them have it, seems to be something they often skip for some reason.

I guess the only consideration for many is just getting on the roads with four wheels in the quest for the face accredited to it, to hell with the "technicalities" apart from fuel.

This leads on to many other "issues" too for foreigners when they have a crash. First thing you should demand to see is the license and insurance of the Thai, then take it from there. If they have none then you are in a stronger position.

Another tip is to keep a cheap digital camera in the car and then, if something happens, get out of your car and start taking snaps of the situation, nobody will say zip to you, just wait for the insurance guy and keep quiet at the cop station until the insurance guy gets there and show him the pics.