Full Road Accident Statistics for Songkran 2016

7days

These are the full statistics for the Seven Dangerous Days of the Songkran Holiday in 2016. This year the period is from 11th to 17th April.  The final tally from the the SEVEN days, compared to last year, is 442 deaths (364 deaths), 3,656 injuries (3,559 injuries) and 3,447 accidents (3,373 accidents) from road accidents. Most accidents were caused by drunk driving (34.09%), followed by speeding (32.93%). Out of the vehicles involved in accidents, 80.67% were motorcycles, 8.85% pick-up trucks and 4.97% cars. Only 0.25% involved vans and 0.20% buses. 37.86% of accidents took place on highways and 64.49% on straight stretches of roads. Most accidents (30.23%) happened between 4pm and 8pm.

Sources for all of these statistics are from Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (see website). Others sources may vary. The report is released in Thai language only and I have translated the highlights.

These are the statistics from each day this year, 2016, with the previous year in brackets (2014):

Day 1: 52 deaths (25) and 431 injuries (348) in 387 reported accidents (324)
Day 2: 64 deaths (34) and 550 injured (417) in 520 reported accidents (399)
Day 3: 65 deaths (62) and 796 injured (516) in 754 reported accidents (492)
Day 4: 78 deaths (70) and 601 injured (527) in 555 reported accidents (520)
Day 5: 79 deaths (60) and 513 injured (724) in 508 reported accidents (671)
Day 6: 59 deaths (55) and 380 injuries (538) in 380 reported accidents (509)
Day 7: 45 deaths (58) and 385 injuries (489) in 343 reported accidents (458)

The following are some of the statistics about deaths from the combined seven days:

  • 344 of the dead were male and 98 female
  • Most deaths were in the age group 50 upwards (29.64%), followed by 20-24 (16.29%), 30-39 (15.16%) and 40-49 (14.03%)
  • 58.82% of people died in the sub-district (tambon/khet) where they live
  • 70.59% of the people that died were the drivers, followed by passengers (21.72%), and pedestrians (6.11%)
  • 64.77% of vehicles involved in fatal accidents were motorcycles, followed by pick-up trucks (15.72%), cars (11.92%), and vans (1.36%)
  • Six bicycles were involved in fatal accidents (1.63%)
  • Most fatal accidents were caused by speeding (40.27%), followed by cutting in (18.81%) and drunk driving (17.27%)
  • 143 motorcyclists who died weren’t wearing a helmet
  • 58.08% of  fatal accidents happened on highways
  • 67.40% of fatal accidents happened on straight roads followed by 20.27% on bends
  • Most people died at scene of accident (53.17%), followed by at the hospital (40.27%) and on the way to the hospital (6.56%)
  • Most fatal accidents happened between 4pm and 8pm (21.64%) followed by midnight-4am (21.10%)
  • Most people died in Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima (19), followed by Phichit (17) and Kanchanaburi & Chiang Rai (15)

Please note, deaths are counted even if they died the following day. For example, if they had an accident on day 1 and died later on day 2, then they will be included in the day 2 statistics. However, anyone who died after the “7 dangerous days” are not counted in these statistics.

The total number of deaths for the SEVEN days is 442 (364). This is an increase of 21.4%.

DAY ONE STATISTICS:

  • Province with the most road accidents was Chiang Mai: 19 accidents
  • Province with most deaths on the roads was Prachinburi: 6 deaths
  • Most accidents were caused by speeding (36.69%) followed by drunk driving (26.87%)
  • 79.60% of accidents involved motorcycles and 10.20% pick-up trucks

DAY TWO STATISTICS:

  • Province with the most road accidents was Chiang Mai: 26 accidents
  • Province with most deaths on the roads was Pichit: 6 deaths
  • Most accidents were caused by drunk driving (36.35%) followed by speeding (33.36%)
  • 81.03% of accidents involved motorcycles and 6.81% pick-up trucks

DAY THREE STATISTICS:

  • Province with the most road accidents was Nakhon Ratchasima: 37 accidents
  • Province with most deaths on the roads was Nakhon Ratchasima: 6 deaths
  • Most accidents were caused by drunk driving (39.79%) followed by speeding (32.76%)
  • 83.12% of accidents involved motorcycles and 7.27% pick-up trucks

DAY FOUR STATISTICS:

  • Province with the most road accidents was Chiang Mai: 26 accidents
  • Province with most deaths on the roads was Bangkok: 9 deaths
  • Most accidents were caused by drunk driving (39.82%) followed by speeding (32.07%)
  • 78.83% of accidents involved motorcycles and 10.84% pick-up trucks

DAY FIVE STATISTICS:

  • Province with the most road accidents was Chiang Mai: 36 accidents
  • Province with most deaths on the roads was Chiang Rai: 7 deaths
  • Most accidents were caused by drunk driving (33.86%) followed by speeding (30.31%)
  • 80.42% of accidents involved motorcycles and 9.70% pick-up trucks

DAY SIX STATISTICS:

  • Province with the most road accidents was Chiang Mai: 22 accidents
  • Province with most deaths on the roads was Nakhon Ratchasima: 4 deaths
  • Most accidents were caused by speeding (31.05%) followed by drunk driving (28.16%)
  • 80.88% of accidents involved motorcycles and 10.08% pick-up trucks

DAY SEVEN STATISTICS:

  • Province with the most road accidents was Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Rai: 14 accidents
  • Province with most deaths on the roads was Chiang Mai and Prachuap Khiri Khan: 4 deaths
  • Most accidents were caused by speeding (35.57%) followed by drunk driving (23.91%)
  • 79.14% of accidents involved motorcycles and 8.00% pick-up trucks

Statistics from each day last year, 2015, with the previous year in brackets (2014):

Day 1: 25 deaths (41) and 348 injuries (402) in 324 reported accidents (379).
Day 2: 34 deaths (63) and 417 injuries (491) in 399 reported accidents (471).
Day 3: 62 deaths (59) and 516 injuries (747) in 492 reported accidents (689).
Day 4: 70 deaths (43) and 527 injuries (502) in 520 reported accidents (488).
Day 5: 60 deaths (44) and 724 injuries (501) in 671 reported accidents (454).
Day 6: 55 deaths (32) and 538 injuries (283) in 509 reported accidents (273).
Day 7: 58 deaths (44) and 489 injuries (299) in 458 reported accidents (238).

These are the statistics from previous years:

Songkran 2007: 361 deaths, 4,805 injuries and 4,274 accidents
Songkran 2008: 368 deaths, 4,801 injuries and 4,243 accidents
Songkran 2009: 373 deaths, 4,332 injuries and 3,977 accidents
Songkran 2010: 
361 deaths, 3,802 injuries and 3,516 accidents
Songkran 2011:
 271 deaths, 3,476 injuries and 3,215 accidents
Songkran 2012: 320 deaths, 3,320 injuries and 3,129 accidents
Songkran 2013: 321 deaths, 3,040 injuries and 2,828 accidents
Songkran 2014: 322 deaths, 3,225 injuries and 2,992 accidents
Songkran 2015: 364 deaths, 3,559 injuries and 3,373 accidents
Songkran 2016: 442 deaths, 3,656 injuries and 3,447 accidents

What’s it like on a normal day?

  • Between October 2013 and September 2014, there were a total of 6,985 deaths on the roads in Thailand. This averages at 19 deaths per day.
  • In April 2014, there were 602 recorded deaths in road accidents. This averages out at 20 per day. On Day 2 of Songkran this year, 64 people died in just one day.

15 thoughts on “Full Road Accident Statistics for Songkran 2016

  • April 16, 2017 at 8:21 am
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    Hi Richard. I’ve just been comparing last year’s Songkran figures with this year and I came across the following:
    What’s it like on a normal day?
    Between October 2013 and September 2014, there were a total of 6,985 deaths on the roads in Thailand. This averages at 19 deaths per day.

    I’m a bit puzzled because this figure, 6,985, seem very low, even by the most conservative of estimates. Could enlighten me please?

    Reply
    • April 17, 2017 at 8:04 pm
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      It only includes deaths at scene. Songkran stats includes deaths later in hospital.

      Reply
  • April 9, 2017 at 8:01 am
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    PS – the WHO is the basis for the “2nd most dangerous in the world” accolade . This is their per 100k population figure – they compile road safety stats for the whole world and have done so for a long time – they are experienced at analysing the stats available and IMO come up with some of the most reliable info available.

    Reply
  • April 9, 2017 at 7:57 am
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    Thailand’s stat gathering for road safety is not very convincing. They don’t even appear to have the yearly figures for incidents and the 2 categories or injuries that most countries provide.
    Most sources put the daily death rate between 60 and 80 which leaves song Khran on the norm. What most people fail to realise is that worldwide, death rates fall on holidays due to the nature of the traffic – slower, less motorcycles and commercial traffic etc etc…..this again poses the question about the Thai stats above that put motorcyclists at 80% over the holiday – this is the norm for the rest of the year, however, I would expect to see a drop here as motorcycles would quite probably be used less over this period. I suspect it reflects the inaccuracy of the Thai stats and how they are gathered and interpreted more than anything else.

    Reply
  • December 25, 2016 at 12:08 am
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    Richard. I dont know if you still read comments here but i am hoping you may assist me. I am writing a document og all things that need to xhange here m my goal to remove thai from the dreaded no.1 spot for road deaths. I want to send it to local newspapers bangkok post and hopefully a minister for transportation. If you have any contacts it would be appreciated thanks

    Reply
    • April 16, 2017 at 8:03 am
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      If Parents were made to pay fines for allowing their children to ride after school hours,and not wearing a helmet ,The Moped if not insured should also be added to the fines,as 50 % of deaths were under 2 years of age ,I say a reduction up to thirty %. Its workable and should work.Hit people in the pocket it works!.Regards George Hensher

      Reply
  • April 29, 2016 at 10:39 am
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    Even though Thailand is bettered at road deaths per 100,000 of the population by just Libya, which had no government and loads of civil war for the past few years, the count is still based on dead in a couple of days.

    The WHO count deaths from a traffic accident when death occurs within 30 days of the accident. As do, it seems, almost all other countries. According to the WHO report Thailand DOESN’T. WHO adjusted figures give Thailand the second spot though even without the adjustment (13,650/yr to 24,237/yr) it would it would only climb a third of the way up/down the table.

    Reply
    • April 29, 2016 at 10:57 am
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      The WHO figures are, as you noted, “estimates”. By the way, as noted above in the Songkran statistics, if people didn’t die at the scene, even if during the following days, they were still counted. Maybe WHO needs to do an update. Having said that, I am not sure if Thailand counts for 30 days.

      Reply
  • April 19, 2016 at 8:27 pm
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    Thailand does NOT record deaths of people who are injured at the scene but dead afterwards as a ROAD DEATH.

    This is why the numbers are SO VERY MUCH under recorded.

    ### Songkran 2016: 442 deaths, 3,656 injuries and 3,447 accidents ###

    So that leaves 3,656 people that COULD have died after leaving the scene…

    Reply
    • April 19, 2016 at 8:30 pm
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      As I mentioned in the blog, the statistics of who died are broken down to ones who died at scene, on the way to the hospital, and later at the hospital. In the daily report, it would be noted how many people died from an earlier day.

      Reply
  • April 17, 2016 at 7:12 pm
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    “What’s it like on a normal day?” well as the WHO reckons 24000 deaths per year the figure given above seems somewhat at odds with this.

    At 24000 per annum the daily death rate is about 66 which is on a par with the figures for Song Khran…or are these only 1/3 of the real figures?

    Reply
  • April 14, 2016 at 9:10 am
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    So how do these figures compare with a “normal” day on Thailand’s roads, about the same number of fatalities, more or less?

    Reply

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