While the overall number of people killed on the roads during Buddhist new year festivals in Laos and Cambodia paled in comparison with Songkran carnage in Thailand, neither country was able to reduce fatalities and deaths in Laos actually outpaced Thailand on a per-capita basis.
Authorities in Phnom Penh and Vientiane reported over the weekend that 39 and 45 people were killed, respectively, during the Khmer and Lao new year period The Phnom Penh Post reported statistics covering April 13-19, while the Lao News Agency said that country's numbers covered April 12-18.
Thailand tallies accidents, injuries and fatalities for seven days, from April 9-15. This year 364 people were killed and 3,559 hut in 3,373 accidents, all substantial increases over last year. Authorities attributed those increases to an overall jump in the number of holiday travellers.
Cambodia, however, has a population of around 15 million while Laos has just 6.8 million people. On a per-capita basis, Cambodia had about half as many road deaths as Thailand, but Laos recorded 24% more people killed during the period.
The Post, whose numbers covered a longer timeframe than a report from Cambodia's National Police Department, said the Khmer New Year saw 248 injuries with 200 vehicles, including 157 motorbikes and 40 cars, damaged.
"Most of the accidents were caused by speeding, drunken driving, careless driving and changing direction illegally," a police department report said. "Most of the victims in motorbike accidents were not wearing helmets."
Fatalities increased by one over 2014, although injuries dropped by 58.
Driving proved far deadlier, on a per capita basis, in Laos.
There, 45 people were killed and 528 hurt in 325 accidents. A total of 592 cars and motorbikes were wrecked. If multiplied by 10 to match Thailand's population, Laos would have recorded 450 deaths, compared with 364 in Thailand.
Police told the news agency that said that most of the accidents were caused by intoxication, reckless driving or violations of traffic rules. Vientiane saw the largest number of accidents, 52.
Accidents and fatalities both increased from last year, when 39 people were killed. Injuries, however, declined by 11.