PUBLISHED: 6 Jan 2025 at 14: 22
A total of 436 people died and a further 2, 376 were injured in 2, 467 traffic accidents across Thailand from Dec 27 to Jan 5 ( Sunday ), the ten-day period the government considered the high-risk New Year holiday travel period.
The number of casualties rose, according to Deputy Interior Minister Songsak Thongsri, but the number of accidents and injuries was lower than in the same time last month.
The southwestern province of Surat Thani recorded the highest number of fatalities, 89, and of injured, 100. Bangkok had the most casualties, 26. Samut Songkhram, Trat and Yala were free of highway fatalities during the time.
On Sunday only there were 139 traffic fatalities, 128 hurt people and 29 deaths on Thai streets. Motorcycles were involved in 83 % of the incidents, and speeding was the most prevalent cause.
Suriya Singhakamol, director-general of the Probation Department, said that during the ten times, courts presided over 7, 306 instances of drink-driving, 342 instances of drug-abusing vehicles, four cases of reckless driving and two speeding cases, with the criminals put on probation.
Bangkok had the most drink-driving circumstances, 605, followed by 441 in Chiang Mai and 395 in Nonthaburi, he said.
Electronic monitoring devices were attached to 41 drink-drivers and three vehicles who took pharmaceuticals, he said.