Skip to main content

Thailand’s dangerous roads prove risky for users

Late December and early January has proven to be a dangerous time to use the roads in Thailand. Official data shows that there were 3,092 road crashes, causing 3,216 injuries and 340 deaths in the period between the 29th December 2015 and the 3rd January 2016. The death toll was the highest in Nakhon Ratchasima at 15, while the number of injuries and accidents were the highest in Chiang Mai, both at 125. A total of 339 crashes occurred nationwide on 3 January 2016 with 361 injuries and 48 deaths. Among the
January 4, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Late December and early January has proven to be a dangerous time to use the roads in Thailand. Official data shows that there were 3,092 road crashes, causing 3,216 injuries and 340 deaths in the period between the 29th December 2015 and the 3rd January 2016. The death toll was the highest in Nakhon Ratchasima at 15, while the number of injuries and accidents were the highest in Chiang Mai, both at 125. A total of 339 crashes occurred nationwide on 3 January 2016 with 361 injuries and 48 deaths. Among the main reasons for crashes include speeding at 16.2% and drunk-driving at 19.8%. Most of the accidents happened on major roads at 68.7% while motorcycles accounted for below 80% of the whole figure.

With a view to reducing the toll of deaths and injuries on its roads, the Thailand Government implemented its 'seven dangerous days' road safety campaign, which started on the 29th December 2015 and ended on the 4th January 2016. The campaign saw police and soldiers arrest people driving drunk and seize their vehicles.

The authorities in Thailand are introducing measures to lower the country’s crash rate. As one part of that initiative, a pilot road safety project was run during New Year on a short stretch of the country’s Highway No4, the Phetkasem Road. The trial was run jointly by the Highways Department and the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT). If this pilot proves successful, the scheme may be extended to other major roads across the country.

A section of the Phetkasem Road was selected as this stretch is considered one of the most risky in the country. Thirty road crashes, resulting in three deaths and 38 injuries, were reported on this stretch of road last New Year alone.

Related Content

  • Intersection dangers for drivers
    October 12, 2023
    Intersections are dangerous for drivers.
  • Addressing road safety issues worldwide
    February 27, 2012
    Actions are planned on road safety but are they enough? - *Charles Melhuish and *Alan Ross report. Deaths and injuries on the world's roads are now a major health concern. Road crashes now cause around 1.3 million deaths and injure or disable as many as 50 million persons globally each year. The vast majority of these deaths and injuries (over 90%) occur in low- and medium- income countries adding to their already overburdened health facilities as well as adversely affecting economic and social development
  • US road safety concern at increasing fatalities
    September 2, 2016
    Concern has been expressed over the rise in road fatalities in the US. An analysis of road crash data has been called for in a bid to identify the primary causes of the increase in road deaths for 2015 compared with the previous year. During 2015 there were 35,092 road deaths in the US, a gain of 7.2% over the previous year. A combination of low fuel prices and a steady increase in the country’s economic activity have been known to be factors in the gain in road deaths. US citizens drove a record total dist
  • IAM welcomes drop in UK road deaths, but concerned over drink-drive casualties
    August 2, 2013
    The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), Britain’s largest independent road safety charity, has welcomed new UK Department for Transport (DfT) road casualty figures showing a fall in the amount of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents. The DfT reports there were 1, 680 people killed in the year ending March 2013, 10% reduction from 1, 870 in the year ending March 2012. The number of people killed or seriously injured also fell to 23, 660, a 6% decrease.