The highway death rate during this year’s Songkran holiday’s steered back toward past years on Wednesday, but still remains 50% higher than 2015.
Through the first three of the "seven dangerous days" through Wednesday, 181 people died on the roads, up 49.6% from the same period last year, and 1,771 people were hurt, up 38.3% from 2015, in 1,661 accidents, according to the Interior Ministry's road safety centre.
Road crashes on the nations' roads on Wednesday alone -- the third of the seven-day road safety campaign from April 11-17 -- claimed 65 lives, three more than last year.
The centre said 66% of the incidents involving motorcyclists travelling at high speed on straight local roads in districts, sub-districts and villages.
Chatchai Promlert, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said speeding motorcyclists contributed more than two thirds of the accidents and their mortality rate at the scene was high, about 55%. This had raised the severity of road crashes.
He said low amount of traffic on main roads due to Songkran being in full swing also encouraged high-speed driving, which increased the risk of road fatalities.
Mr Chatchai said provincial authorities had been instructed to increase the deployment of security officers and community volunteers on both main and local roads to regulate reckless motorists, including pickup trucks carrying people and large water tanks in their beds.
Chiang Mai remains the province with the largest number of accidents as well as the most injuries for the third straight day. Buri Ram still ranks tops for the most fatalities with 10 for the second day.