BANGKOK - The Don’t Drive Drunk Foundation has urged the government to clamp down on drunk driving with harsher sentences.
File photo
Dr Taejing Siripanich, the foundation’s secretary-general, said on Saturday that during holidays, such as New Year and Songkran, authorities should zealously crack down on driving under the influence of alcohol, just as they do on narcotics.
Penalties for drunk driving were toughened last year. Offenders now face up to six months' imprisonment and/or fines of up to 60,000 baht. However, the harsher penalties do not appear to have deterred drunk driving significantly.
During the "seven dangerous days" over the New Year, a total of 365 people died in road accidents, up 8% from the year before, and alcohol was a factor in many of the deaths.
"The government needs to fully enforce drunk-driving laws with stiffer penalties and to put the offenders behind bars to keep them off the streets during holidays," said Dr Taejing.
He also proposed offering a cash incentive of one million baht for provinces that successfully reduce the number of road fatalities each year. During the past decade, the number of drunk-driving accidents had risen constantly, he added.
However, Dr Taejing acknowledged that the rising number of road accidents might also be correlated with the increase in number of vehicles on the roads.