New Year holiday traffic accidents have claimed 363 lives and injured 2,090 people across Thailand in the eight days from Dec 27 to Jan 3.
On Friday alone, there were 205 accidents that killed 32 people and injured 199 others, according to the Road Safety Directing Centre of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
From Dec 27 to Jan 3, there were 2,149 accidents that claimed 363 lives and injured 2,090 people, said Saharat Wongsakulvivat, the deputy chief of the department.
Cutting in was the major cause of accidents, at 32.2%, followed by speeding, at 31.2%, and poor visibility at 17.6%. Ninety percent of the vehicles involved in accidents were motorcycles.
Surat Thani province recorded the highest number of accidents and injuries at 78 and 88, respectively. Bangkok had the highest number of deaths, at 21.
Four provinces — Trang, Trat, Yala and Samut Songkhram — have recorded no deaths.
Authorities this year extended the New Year road safety campaign to 10 days, as they sought to raise public awareness and promote more responsible driving. The campaign period runs from Dec 27 to Jan 5.
In the past, authorities have publicised statistics for “seven dangerous days” each year during the New Year and Songkran holidays.
A year ago, a total of 284 people were killed and 2,307 injured in 2,288 accidents during the seven-days New Year holiday period.
In the first seven days of the current 10-day campaign, to Jan 2, a total of 321 people were reported killed and 1,894 injured in 1,938 traffic accidents.
The number of fatalities was 13% higher than in the same period a year ago.
A pickup truck is seriously damaged after it crashed into a tree on Asian Highway 41 in Surat Thani on Thursday morning. Seven people, including four children, were killed in the worst single road accident of the holiday period so far. (Photo: Supapong Chaolan)
