A new report on deaths among footpath users is shocking and unacceptable.
On Monday, the Department of Disease Control released its safety report, saying 5,066 pedestrians were killed in accidents from 2015 to 2024, or 506 deaths annually.
The report says 58,705 pedestrians, or 5,870 footpath users, were admitted to hospitals. Major causes of death and injuries vary, led by reckless drivers, substandard footpaths, and obstacles posed by street furniture.
Some pedestrians also fail to use zebra crossings or are absorbed in their mobile phones instead of focusing on the road.
What is more worrying is the fatality rate is increasing. In 2020, the percentage of pedestrian deaths compared to total accidents that occurred in footpath areas was 0.57% and dropped to 0.56% in 2021-22.
In 2023, a year after the death of Dr Waraluck "Kratai" Supawatjariyakul, a young optician killed while walking on a pedestrian crossing in front of the Bhumiraj Nagarindra Kidney Institute on Phaya Thai Road, the percentage rose to 0.62% and 0.63% last year.
That figure suggests more law violations and inefficient guardrails to protect users.
It also means the public uproar that accompanied that tragedy and led to a new safety campaign in 2022 appears to have counted for little.
This week, a 76-year-old former district chief, Adul Hanphong-kittikul, was killed after he was struck by a vehicle while using a zebra crossing in front of Phrae Hospital.
The recent accidents involving pedestrians, such as the case in Phrae on Monday, tell us that the money spent upgrading transport infrastructure is going to waste.
Pedestrians are still vulnerable to being hit by cars and motorcycles or suffering injuries from falling down manholes or from footpaths in disrepair.
The question is how to protect pedestrians and make footpaths safe to use. First and foremost, the government must enforce traffic laws. Right now, law enforcement is not good enough to earn public trust.
Look no further than the footpath areas in the capital city, which motorcyclists use as shortcuts.
The question is why are these drivers not scared of law enforcers or even CCTV, which has been installed in public and traffic spaces. The design and quality of pedestrian spaces are to blame.
To begin with, the small and narrow footpaths and the poor quality of footpath pavements, compounded by potholes and uneven surfaces, enhance risks to pedestrians -- especially the elderly, who are at risk of physical injuries.
The biggest factor is the lack of political will and sincerity to tackle the problem.
Right after any high-profile traffic accidens, governments and ministers pay lip service to improving safety.
For the responsible agency concerned, such as the Ministry of Transport, the focus has been on building highways, expressways, and roads, without attention to pavement design and safety issues.
This week, the government allocated a 49 billion baht budget -- in fact, the biggest share of the 150 billion baht stimulus package -- to the Transport Ministry to improve transport infrastructure, including road safety.
With the rise in road accidents, the transport minister needs to spell out how the money will be spent to improve pavement area infrastructure.
Without clear goals and follow-up action plans, the government risks causing more accidents.