Thirty-four people died and 335 others were injured in road accidents across the country on the first of the New Year travel “Seven Dangerous Days” yesterday, according to the Command Centre for the Prevention and Reduction of Road Accidents.
86% of the road accidents involved motorcycles, 86.43% occurred on highways and 41% occurred on secondary roads in villages.
39.23% of the accidents were caused by speeding and 23.01% by drunk driving. Most accidents occurred between 6pm and 7pm. Most casualties are in the 20-29 age group.
The north-eastern province of Khon Kaen tops the list with the most road accidents at 34 and the highest number injured at 23, while the eastern province of Prachin Buri tops the list of fatalities, at four.
Deputy Permanent Secretary of Interior Chotnarin Kerdsom said today that most holidaymakers who left Bangkok yesterday have already arrived at their destinations.
For safety reasons, he said that provincial officials have been instructed to close all U-turns on main and secondary roads and to keep close watch on high risk locations, such as road junctions and on roads where construction is under way.
For southern provinces, where heavy and very heavy rain is reported, motorists have been advised to exercise additional caution.
In case of an accident, motorists can call 1784 around the clock.
