Songkran death toll reaches 226
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Songkran death toll reaches 226

A Mazda sedan is split in two after hitting a roadside power pole in Muang district of Phitsanulok province on Friday night. Driver Ronnakorn Jaenrungroj, 21, was killed on the spot. (Photo by Chinnawat Singha)
A Mazda sedan is split in two after hitting a roadside power pole in Muang district of Phitsanulok province on Friday night. Driver Ronnakorn Jaenrungroj, 21, was killed on the spot. (Photo by Chinnawat Singha)

The fourth day of the "seven dangerous days" of Songkran ended with 57 people killed in road accidents across the country on Friday, bringing total deaths so far to 226, a decrease of 12.7% from the same period last year.

On Friday alone, 642 road accidents were reported, with 664 people injured in addition to the 57 who lost their lives, said Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation on Saturday.

Udon Thani recorded the highest number of road accidents on Friday, at 32. Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen and Phetchabun each recorded four deaths. Chiang Mai and Udon Thani had the highest number of injuries, at 32 each. 

The figures brought the accumulated deaths to 226 and injuries to 2,457 in 2,385 accidents over the four days, from April 11-14, said Mr Arkhom.

Chiang Mai recorded the highest number of accidents over the four days, at 114, as well as the highest number of injuries, at 119. Nakhon Ratchasima had the most fatalities at 13, followed by Roi Et, Sakhon Nakhon and Bangkok with eight each.

Drink-driving remained the main cause of accidents, at 44.1%, followed by speeding at 27.4%. Motorcycles were involved in 84.4% of all accidents and pickup trucks in 6.6%.

The Road Safety Directing Center, meanwhile, amended the statistics for April 13, increasing the number of fatalities from 79 to 81, with injuries reduced from 752 to 750, after two accident victims died. 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha proposed this week that more information, including graphic details, of serious road accidents be released to the public in order to shock people into improving their driving habits.

Road accidents during the "seven dangerous days" of Songkran in April last year claimed 442 lives, 78 more than the previous year, with drink driving the number one cause of crashes.

There were a total of 3,447 road accidents during the period, with 3,656 people injured.

According to the World Health Organization, Thailand has the second-highest road traffic fatality rate in the world at 36.2 per 100,000 people, with road deaths estimated at 24,000 per year or 66 per day. Only Libya is worse. 

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