Throughout the first five days of the Songkran festival period, a total of 197 people lost their lives in traffic accidents, while 1,738 others sustained injuries, according to the Interior Ministry. Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Chotenarin Kerdsom, announced that these accidents took place across the nation from April 11 to 15, accounting for 1,744 incidents.
In the northern province of Nan, the highest number of accidents was recorded, with 59 occurrences. Meanwhile, Bangkok experienced the highest death toll at 15. The province of Nan also reported the highest number of individuals injured in traffic accidents, totaling 59 people, said Chotenarin.
On April 15 alone, there were 311 traffic accidents, leading to 31 fatalities and 304 injured people. Speeding was found to be the primary cause of these incidents, accounting for 35.37% of the accidents. Drink driving came in second, contributing to 25.72% of accidents. Motorcycles were involved in a significant 78.93% of the accidents.
Chotenarin pointed out that a large number of Songkran travelers were returning from their holidays on Sunday, which led to increased traffic volumes. He advised drivers to exercise caution, as fatigue from the Songkran festivities could pose a risk on the road.
In addition, the Director-General of the Department of Probation, Weerakit Hanparipan, revealed that between April 11 and 15, there were 5,869 cases of drink driving, 95 instances of drivers under the influence of drugs, and 23 cases of reckless driving.
Assistant National Police Chief Pol Lt Gen Prachuap Wongsuk stated that the number of Songkran traffic accidents during the first five days of the holiday period increased by 17.20% compared to the same period last year. However, it decreased by 12.58% when compared to the three-year average. The number of injured people rose by 19.70% from the previous year but declined by 13.53% in comparison to the three-year average. The number of deaths due to traffic accidents decreased by 10.05% from last year, and 21.51% compared to the past three-year average, he shared.
Be First to Comment