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.
Deputy Interior Minister Songsak Thongsri said that the number of traffic accidents and injured people was lower than in the same period last year, but fatalities rose.
The southern province of Surat Thani recorded the highest number of accidents, 89, and of injured, 100. Bangkok had the most fatalities, 26. Samut Songkhram, Trat and Yala were free of road fatalities during the period.
On Sunday alone there were 139 traffic accidents, 128 injured people and 29 deaths on Thai roads. Speeding was the most common cause and motorcycles were involved in 83% of the accidents.
Suriya Singhakamol, director-general of the Probation Department, said that during the ten days, courts presided over 7,306 cases of drink-driving, 342 cases of drug-abusing drivers, four cases of reckless driving and two speeding cases, with the offenders put on probation.
Bangkok had the most drink-driving cases, 605, followed by 441 in Chiang Mai and 395 in Nonthaburi, he said.
Electronic monitoring devices were attached to 41 drink-drivers and three motorists who took drugs, he said.
