Thread: Songkran 2017 Road Carnage

We shall see if this helps to reduce the yearly Songkran road carnage.

Traffic law crackdown starts.

Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paojinda kicked off a road safety campaign yesterday (Apr 10), marking the so-called “seven dangerous days” of the Thai New Year festival.

More security checkpoints will be set up to encourage motorists to respect speed limits, avoid imbibing and show consideration for other drivers, he said.

Drunk drivers will be detained and their vehicles impounded, at least temporarily, he said.

District Office Chiefs, kamnan and village heads are responsible for implementing the road-safety measures on their turf during the festival, he said, adding that major accident spots have been identified nationwide and special attention paid to them.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam asked the public to stay vigilant and report any law enforcement officers who abuse their authority by demanding bribes from motorists.

“We only want the police to stop cars and warn passengers sitting in the back of trucks if they spot any unsafe behaviour,” he said.

This includes sitting on the side of a pickup truck bed while travelling, and drinking alcohol while in the back of the truck, he said.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called a meeting with the national police chief and other officials yesterday morning and stressed the importance of relaxing certain traffic regulations until the end of the festival for the convenience of motorists.

Previously, the government found itself in hot water after it introduced new traffic rules that prohibit people from sitting on the trays of pickup trucks.

Gen Prayut became the target of criticism after the stiff safety measures were issued under Section 44 of the interim charter that grant special powers to the PM.

Mr Wissanu said it was important to balance safety and convenience.

As the clock ticks to Songkran, which falls on Thursday (Apr 13) but the festivities of which last for several days, crowds loaded with gifts were already massing at Mor Chit Bus Terminal in Bangkok.

Noppharat Karunyavanich, Executive Vice President for bus operations management of Transport Co said 136,340 passengers left Bangkok on Sunday for the provinces, while from yesterday to tomorrow (Apr 12) 1,500 additional trips will be provided by the company and its concessionaires.

Normally, only about 6,500 bus services are operated per day, he said.

Naras Savestanan, Director-General of the Probation Department, said an extensive public campaign will be carried out during Songkran to raise public awareness about the punishments dealt out to those caught driving recklessly or under the influence of alcohol.

Over the past year, the department has asked the court to consider ordering traffic law offenders to serve at least 48 hours of community service, he said, adding that the period of service should vary according to the nature and severity of the misconduct in question.

So far, 6,750 people convicted of breaking the traffic law have fulfilled the required punitive community service at hospital emergency wards and mortuaries, while 4,325 others did so at hospital in-patient wards, said Col Naras.


Read more at Traffic law crackdown starts

day 1

I predict more accidents and deaths in the north this year due to predicted strong summer storms. I am housebound now until next Tuesday.

Interesting stuff Rick. I was in Laos a few months ago and saw the wreckage of many motorcycles. They all involved cars or trucks. It made me take notice as I too scooted around. If I were to spend a great deal of time there I most certainly would be in a truck. That alone would boost the odds of walking away from an accident.

I don't know if your housebound do to illness but if so get well soon, fish.

Thanks Fish, but I am housebound because I don't really want to drive in the Songkran traffic and craziness. :-) A trip to Macro today has given me enough provisions to last the duration until next Tuesday when my son goes back to summer school. It is a good thing since it has been raining hard since I got back. I can only imagine what has been happening out on the roads. Maybe fewer motorbikes?

You are right on about driving around in a pick up. I use mine most the time for driving in and out of town since I like having some steel around me.

Songkran Storm Warning for Northern Thailand | Chiang Rai Times English Language Newspaper

Thirty-three people were killed and 420 injured in traffic accidents on April 11, the first of the seven-day campaign to reduce the road toll during the April 11-17 Songkran holiday, according to the civil affairs office of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

Speaking at the centre for the prevention and reduction of road accidents of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, Lt Gen Thanes Kalpruek said there were 409 road accidents reported nationwide on Tuesday.

These resulted in 33 people being killed and 420 injured.

On the first day of the campaign last year, also April 11, there were 387 accidents, 52 deaths and 431 injuries, according to official figures.

Drink-driving was responsible for the greatest number this year, 45.48%, followed by exceeding the speed limit, 24.94%.

As usual, most of the accidents, 77.80%, involved motorcycles.

He said 65.28% of the accidents occurred on straight roads, 36.67% on highways and 32.03% on rural roads, and 29.34% occurred from 4.01pm - 8pm.

About 46% of those killed and injured were of working age.

Chiang Mai recorded the highest number of accidents, at 18. The provinces with highest death tolls, four each, were Ubon Ratchathani and Nakhon Ratchasima.

The biggest number of injuries, 17, occurred in Chiang Rai.

The government has set up 2,025 main checkpoints, manned by 63,299 officials, along major highways. On April 11, 603,474 vehicles were checked. A total of 93,564 were slapped with various traffic-related charges, including 27,081 for driving without a licence and 26,465 for not wearing crash helmets, Lt Gen Thanes said.

33 road deaths on first of 'seven dangerous days' | Bangkok Post: news

I hope that an on-to-it journalist publishes the stats on how many of the hundreds that will have died by the end of the holiday period were passengers in the back of pick-ups and passengers/drivers without seat belts. If for nothing else, to show the government up as spineless in backing down on the rules "for the sake of Songkarn".
Thailand needs a very graphic advertising campaign of "speed thrills, speed kills" and "make it click".

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

I predict more accidents and deaths in the north this year due to predicted strong summer storms. I am housebound now until next Tuesday.

Wise man.

Some guys like Songkran, but after my first experience, I hated that so called celebration. I started taking my vacation from Thailand and visiting the Philippines.

I was the foreigner, so I had to adapt, which I pretty much did. After I'd had enough it was hasta luego baby

Songkran road accidents claim 82 lives and 1,049 injuries in two days

As Songkran holidaymakers continued to travel out of the capital to celebrate the week-long Thai New Year holiday by motor vehicles on roads today, the Road Safety Centre said a total of 82 people have died and 1,049 injured in the first two days of the 7-dangerous day campaign that began from April 11 to 17.
The centre said that only yesterday, April 12, 48 were killed and 630 injured in 586 road accidents nationwide.

Major cause of road accidents remain to be drunk driving or 42.32%, followed by speeding 30.38%.

Motorcycle continues to be the vehicle that engaged in most road accidents or 84.16%.

Most accidents occurred on straight sections of highways or 66.38%, while 36.18% on secondary roads in districts and villages.

It said most accidents or 31% happened during 16.01-20.00 pm, and most deaths are people in the ages of 50 and over.

Songkran road accidents claim 82 lives and 1,049 injuries in two days - Thai PBS English News

The Road Safety Centre said traffic accidents during the past three days of the Songkran festival have claimed 167 lives and 1,795 i juries.
It said only in a single day yesterday, the third day after the campaign “7 Dangerous Days” was launched from April 11-17, 79 people were killed, and 752 injured in a total of 748 traffic accidents recorded from roads and highways nationwide.

In total, the centre said altogether 167 people died and 1,795 others were injured during the past three days of the campaign to reduce traffic accidents.

Chiang Mai and Udon Thani topped the most accidents in the past three days of 33 accidents each.

However for fatality count, Bangkok and Sakhon Nakhon came first with highest fatalities in three days of five each, while Chiang Mai came on top for injuries of 37 people.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/son...es-three-days/

Nakon Panom.
At a Songkran Party some get carried away and start boxing.
[Media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qWAjPl2gI8[/media]

As I suspected, Udon and Chiang Mai provinces showed highest amount of accidents which might be contributed to the wet roads. Today, it still looks like rain, so I think that trend will continue.

226 died, 2,457 injured in four days of Songkran festival

The Road Safety Centre said today traffic accidents during the past four days of the Songkran festival have now claimed 226 lives and 2,457 injuries.

Only yesterday, the fourth day of the campaign to reduce traffic accidents, and road fatalities during the “7-Dangerous Days” campaign, 57 were killed and 664 others injured in a total of 642 traffic accidents happened across the country.

Drunk driving is a major cause of yesterday fatality rates or 44.08%, followed by speeding, 27.41%.

In total, the centre said 226 people have died and 2,457 others were injured during the past four days of the campaign to reduce traffic accidents.

Udon Thani had the highest accumulated traffic accidents of 32 cases while Nakhon Ratchasima topped the highest accumulated deaths of 13 people.

Chiang Mai had the highest accumulated injuries of 119.

Motorcycles remained the vehicle that engaged in most road accidents, followed by pickup trucks and cars.

226 died, 2,457 injured in four days of Songkran festival - Thai PBS English News

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312397

283 killed on roads during Songkran, down 17% from last year

A total of 283 people were killed and 3,087 others injured in 2,985 road accidents nationwide in the first five days of the so-called “seven dangerous days” of the Songkran holiday, the Road Safety Centre announced on Sunday.

Most of these cumulative accidents resulted from drunk driving (45.26 per cent) and most crashes involved motorcycles (78.96 per cent).

The death toll was down by almost 17 per cent while the number of injuries and crashes rose compared to the same period during previous Songkran when 338 deaths and 2,891 injuries were reported in 2,724 road accidents.

Highway Police Division chief Maj-General Somchai Kaosamran said that Nakhon Ratchasima was the province with the highest death toll, with 17 people kiilled during the five-day period, while Chiang Mai had both the highest accidents and injuries at 140 cases and 145 people respectively.

After five days of the road accident monitoring period, nine provinces (Krabi, Narathiwat, Bung Kan, Phang Nga, Phuket, Mae Hong Son, Yala, Samut Songkhram and Amnat Charoen) reported no road deaths while Chaiyaphum was the only province without injuries related to road accidents.

Somchai also said that 600 accidents (including 269 drunk driving incidents, 149 speeding cases and 88 crashes because a vehicle suddenly cutting in front of another) happened on Saturday alone, killing 53 people – 29 of whom died at the scene– and injuring 634 others.

Most accidents on Saturday stemmed from drunk driving at 44.83 per cent followed by speeding at 24.83 per cent. The Saturday road carnage mostly involved motorcycles (83.95 per cent), while 61.83 percent occurred at a straight section of road, and 33 per cent took place between 4pm and 8pm, Somchai said.

Some 64,000 state officials manning 2,041 checkpoints on Saturday cited 149,758 motorists for traffic violations - mostly for failing to wear a helmet (43,783 cases) and failing to present a driver's licence (38,540 cases), he said. In addition, 21,708 other checkpoints were set up and manned by 170,752 community officials.

Somchai also reported that the public transport use as of Saturday was at 8.25 million passengers – a 2.8 per cent increase from the same period in the previous Songkran.

It was also reported at the event that officers, enforcing the National Council for Peace and Order head's order number 46/2558 to seize vehicles from drunk drivers, had taken legal action against 301,425 people for drunk driving during the first five days of the Sonkran holidays.

They also impounded 3,969 motorcycles and 1,243 cars and public transport vehicles as well as seizing the licence of 14,170 drivers under the influence of alcohol.

Quite a haul of both man and machinery during a five day period. I wonder how much money this translates to for the government. It is good to see the death rate down by 17% over the previous year as long as the statistics are accurate.

^The statistics accuracy will be somewhere between dubious and pure bullshit. Before Songkran there was an article saying the aim was to have 5% less deaths than last year (not a joke, they are prepared to consider a 5% reduction in the hundreds of people splattered on the roads this week a success).

This being the case, the numbers they will release at the end of the carnage will most likely be in the 10-15% region so everyone can see what a great job they've done this year. Fuck, they should all put in for bonuses...

Songkran celebrations claim 335 lives in six days - Thai PBS English News

Songkran celebrations claim 335 lives in six days

Road accidents in six days of Songkran celebrations from April 11-16 claimed a total of 335 deaths and 3,506 injuries.

The Road Safety Centre under the Department of Public Disasters Prevention and Mitigation stated Monday that the fatalities were counted from 3,388 road accidents which happened in six days from April 11-16.

It said Chiang Mai topped the highest number of accumulated accidents at 153 and injuries at 160, while Nakhon Ratchasima led with the highest number of deaths at 17.

Only yesterday alone, 44 people were killed and 427 injured in 403 accidents. Drink driving remained the main cause of all road accidents or 37.72% , followed by speeding, 31.02%.

Motorcycles were accounted for 81.58% of all road accidents, while pickup trucks 8.37%.

Thank you Wilsonandson for posting up the statistics. I can see the articles before you post them, but I am having a problem copying on my tablet.