BANGKOK, Jan 6 — A total of 341 people were killed and 3,117 others injured in 2,997 road accidents across Thailand during ‘the seven dangerous New Year holiday days between December 30 and yrsterday, January 5, according the Road Safety Centre.
Permanent Secretary for Interior Wiboon Sanguanpong announced the statistics today, saying that there were 265 accidents, killing 40 people, and wounding 274 others yesterday, the last of the seven day monitoring period.
Chiang Mai remains the province with the highest number of accumulated road accidents at 133, the highest death toll at 18, and 129 people injured.
Meanwhile, two provinces that made the list of zero deathsl are Singhburi and Nakhon Phanom.
The main cause of the road accidents was drinking and driving at 38.3 per cent. Over half–52.51 per cent of the dead were of working age, while motorcycles were involved in 82.26 per cent of the incidents. Nearly two-thirds of the highway accidents occurred on straightforward roadways–64.06 per cent, andMost accoidents occurred between 4pm and 8pm, slightly less than one-third or 30.36 per cent.
The high ranking interior mi9nistry official said he is satisfied with the overall outcome of the prevention campaign, as statistics showed a decline of 5.5 per cent in road accidents, and 7 per cent in the death toll.
He said the main reason for the success was due the cooperation given diligently by every sector in trying to minimise road accidents, while stricter traffic laws were implemented on DIU and speeding. (MCOT online news)
