Police are stepping up road safety measures after at least 52 people were killed and 431 others were injured in traffic accidents across the country on Monday, the first day of the government's campaign to prevent road casualties during the Songkran festival.
Pol Lt Gen Anan Srihiran, assistant chief of the Royal Thai Police and spokesman for the government's campaign centre, said 37% of the traffic accidents were caused by speeding and 27% by drink-driving.
Just under 80% of the smash-ups involved motorcycles, he said.
Police and road safety volunteers deployed at checkpoints would strictly enforce laws against speeding, drink-driving and traffic violations, Pol Lt Gen Anan said.
The checkpoints have been set up along all major roads during the festival, he added.
Police were told to be on high alert for a possible spike in road accidents Tuesday, the last working day before the holiday.
An exodus of holidaymakers leaving large cities for the long break was expected to begin Tuesday, Pol Lt Gen Anan said.
As well as ordinary motorists, police are paying special attention to drivers of passenger buses and vans, he said.
The police were looking to bring the drink-driving rate among public bus and van drivers as close to zero as possible during this Songkran festival, he said. These drivers can expect to be stopped more often than usual for breath tests, Pol Lt Gen Anan added.
Beginning Wednesday, the road safety campaign will be ramped up on local roads across the country as many travellers would have arrived at their destinations and were celebrating the festival, said Chatchai Phromlert, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
A total of 3,085 people were arrested for drink-driving and 75 vehicles impounded at road safety checkpoints between Saturday and Monday, National Council for Peace and Order deputy spokeswoman Col Sirichan Ngathong said Tuesday.
Of those arrested, 1,994 were charged with reckless driving while 255 had their driver's licences seized.
Officials impounded 63 motorcycles and 12 cars or public transport vehicles. The owners of these vehicles could reclaim them after the Songkran festival.
On Monday, 1,345 people were arrested for drink-driving, including 875 motorcyclists and 470 drivers of cars and public transport vehicles. Forty-seven vehicles -- 38 motorcycles and nine cars -- were impounded.
The arrests and seizures were part of the campaign against drink-driving.
Checkpoints like this failed to prevent carnage on the roads in the Songkran holiday's first "deadly day", with 52 road deaths compared with 25 last year. (Post Today photo)
