The road safety and accident reduction centre has been launched ahead of the New Year holiday travel, with the campaign’s period increased to 10 days from seven in previous years.
The National Alcohol Beverage Policy Committee resolved to extend the New Year road safety campaign at its meeting on Wednesday. The extension was intended to cover the longer holiday period this year, running from Dec 27, 2024 to Jan 5, 2025.
Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul presided over the opening of the road safety and accident reduction centre. He said the extended New Year holiday period posed higher risks for road users, prompting the campaign’s focus on 10 critical days until Sunday Jan 5. He urged motorists to help authorities reduce road accidents by strictly complying with traffic regulations and refraining from drink-driving or drowsy driving.
Law enforcement agencies had been instructed to strictly enforce traffic laws, aiming to minimise fatalities, and keep a close eye on bus inspections to prevent recurring accidents. The Ministry of Public Health had been asked to prepare medical teams to handle accident emergencies, Mr Anutin said.
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said emergency medical teams would closely monitor high-risk areas prone to frequent accidents and be ready to provide support along main highways, including Motorway No. 6 (M6), which runs from Bang Pa-In to Nakhon Ratchasima, and the new 96-kilometre Motorway No. 81 (M81) linking Bang Yai district in Nonthaburi province with Kanchanaburi. A coordinated effort among land, water, and air transport agencies has also been put in place.
Dr Taejing Siripanich, secretary-general of the Don't Drive Drunk Foundation, said extending the road safety campaign from seven to 10 days was good but the government needed to prioritise this issue all year round. He cited statistics showing such campaigns could significantly reduce road accidents by 50%, compared to an average of 40 fatalities per day outside the so-called “seven or 10 dangerous days”.
A total of 284 people were reported killed and 2,307 injured in 2,288 traffic accidents across the country during the "seven dangerous days" of the New Year holiday last year.
