Bangkok should look to Phuket as an example for curbing road injury rates, Public Health Minister Dr Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn said on Friday at a regional conference on road safety.
The minister made his statement after Thailand and other South and East Asian countries -- Myanmar, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India and Indonesia yesterday signed the "Phuket Commitment" during a regional conference held by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Countries that signed the agreement pledged to lower their road injury and death rates over the next three years. The agreement is part of the WHO's Decade of Action for Road Safety initiative.
Dr Piyasakol expressed grave concern over Thai road safety.
"Thailand must also follow suit, as it is one of the countries with the highest road-related death rates in the world," he said.
The conference is being held in Phuket because, according to the adviser for road safety at the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Dr Wiwat Seetamanotch, Phuket has been active in lowering its road death rates. Previously, the famous tourist island province had been among the most dangerous provinces in Thailand.
In 2014, there were an average of 45 road deaths per 100,000 people, according to Vachira Phuket Hospital. That figure last year went down to 34 cases per 100,000 people.
This improvement has been the outcome of better law enforcement and vigilant surveillance. The provincial authority has invested heavily in technology and upgrading safety infrastructure over the past decade.
"Accident-prone areas such as the Surin Clock Tower's roundabout have been modified to ensure safety, and we are currently waiting on state funding to accident-proof more hot spots," said Teeraphol Thipjaroen, commander of the Phuket Provincial Police.
In terms of emergency care, Phuket has also received funds from its provincial government to install surveillance cameras in its government hospital ambulances. Last week, the hospital began using live-update surveillance footage in 10 of its ambulances, to provide better emergency care for patients, according to Dr Lersak Leenanithikul of Vachira Phuket University, who is overseeing the project.