Full Road Accident Statistics for New Year 2014-2015 in Thailand
Twice a year the Thai government publicize the full daily statistics for road accidents. These are for the New Year and Songkran holidays. They label them as the “Seven Dangerous Days” on the roads. This is partly due to large numbers of people travelling, but also because so many people seem to think that it is alright to drink and drive. The New Year holiday is usually only five days and the dangerous days are these plus one on each end. However, this year, people took off two extra days to make a nine day holiday. This meant that many people headed upcountry a week early. I really hoped that this would mean that daily deaths would be down this year. Unfortunately, that was no so. The following are the daily statistics.
7 Dangerous Days on Thailand’s Roads:
Day 1: 58 deaths (39 last year)
Day 2: 70 deaths (47 last year)
Day 3: 60 deaths (75 last year) *1
Day 4: 37 deaths (48 last year) *2
Day 5: 33 deaths (57 last year) *3
Day 6: 42 deaths (xx last year) *4
Day 7: 40 deaths (xx last year) *5
*1 One person injured on an earlier day succumbed to their injuries
*2 Four people injured on an earlier day succumbed to their injuries
*3 Seven people injured on an earlier day succumbed to their injuries
*4 Seven people injured on an earlier day succumbed to their injuries
*5 Six people injured on an earlier day succumbed to their injuries
The final figure is 341 killed and 3,117 injured in road accidents in Thailand during the “Seven Dangerous Days” of the New Year holiday. The number of deaths has dropped by 7% compared to last year. 37.30% of accidents were caused by drunk driving. The figure last year was 41.71%. Most accidents happened on straight roads (64.06%), and between 4:01pm and 8pm (30.36%). Most people killed or injured were less than 20 years old (24.84%).
Tuesday 30th December 2014: On the first day, 58 people were killed and 517 injured in 508 road accidents. Causes of most accidents were drink driving (36.61%) and speeding (23.82%). Most accidents involved motorcycles (82.41%) and pick-up trucks (8.22%). The most dangerous provinces for accidents were Surat Thani & Chiang Mai. Provinces with the highest number of deaths were Buriram (6 deaths) and Chiang Mai (4 deaths).
Wednesday 31st December 2014: On the second day, 70 people were killed and 641 injured in 625 road accidents. Causes of most accidents were drink driving (41.92%) and speeding (26.40%). Most accidents involved motorcycles (83.80%) and pick-up trucks (7.94%). The most dangerous provinces for accidents were Nakhon Sawan & Chiang Mai. Provinces with the highest number of deaths were Phetchabun (5 deaths) and Surat Thani (4 deaths).
Thursday 1st January 2015: On the third day, 60 people were killed and 625 injured in 604 road accidents. Causes of most accidents were drink driving (49.17%) and speeding (39.47%). Most accidents involved motorcycles (85.14%) and pick-up trucks (7.11%). The most dangerous provinces for accidents were Nakhon Sawan & Chiang Mai. Provinces with the highest number of deaths were Chonburi (4 deaths) and Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phayao, Trad & Bangkok (3 deaths each).
Friday 2nd January 2015: On the fourth day, 37 people were killed and 381 injured in 367 road accidents. Causes of most accidents were drink driving (36.51%) and speeding (19.35%). Most accidents involved motorcycles (82.41%) and pick-up trucks (9.45%). The most dangerous provinces for accidents were Chiang Mai & Udon Thani. Province with the highest number of deaths was Chiang Mai (4 deaths).
Saturday 3rd January 2015: On the fifth day, 33 people were killed and 379 injured in 537 road accidents. Causes of most accidents were drink driving (31.58%) and speeding 23.39%). Most accidents involved motorcycles (74.93%) and pick-up trucks (10.70%). The most dangerous provinces for accidents were Chiang Mai & Nakhon Sawan. Province with the highest number of deaths was Phichit (4 deaths).
Sunday 4th January 2015: On the sixth day, 42 people were killed and 301 injured in 287 road accidents. Causes of most accidents were drink driving (27.53%) and speeding (26.83%). Most accidents involved motorcycles (79.12%) and pick-up trucks (9.43%). The most dangerous provinces for accidents were Nakhon Ratchasima, Chiang Mai & Surat Thani. Province with the highest number of deaths was Uttaradit (5 deaths).
Monday 5th January 2015: On the sixth day, 40 people were killed and 274 injured in 265 road accidents. Causes of most accidents were drink driving (20%) and speeding (27.17%). Most accidents involved motorcycles (84.17%) and pick-up trucks (5.76%). The most dangerous province for accidents was Surat Thani. Provinces with the highest number of deaths were Chumphon, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Phetchabun (3 deaths each).
Every year these stats are rolled out.
sadly they are virtually meaningless as they are set out of context.
the fact is that the death rate per 100k is lower or about the same as every other day of the year.
there are of course good reasons for this (I won’t go into that now)
there are also internationally recognised criteria for gathering info and stat on road safety.
e.g. Deaths per 100k, injuries are classifies as “serious” or “minor”, VKT (billions),
part from deaths per 100k, absolutely NONE of this is done in Thailand.
Gathering information is left to the haphazard results gleaned from hospitals or police – neither of whom have recognised methodologies or trained staff.
The fact that every year the media obsesses with these stats as if they are some kind of football result just shows how poor the understanding of road safety is in Thailand, and this ranges from the Authorities, through the media to members of the general public.
remember – just because you drive a car, it doesn’t make you an expert on road safety!
Hi there everyone,
I understand the focus on the New Year and the road toll, however there is a more underlying problem that needs to be addressed. Thailand has the 2nd highest road traffic accident death rate globally and this is what needs to be addressed.
Putting aside the (witnessed) poor standard of driving evident everywhere you go in Thailand, the bigger issue that would have a direct impact is the provision of ‘pre-hospital emergency care’ ie the ‘interventions’ provided at the scene of the accident by the ambulance service(s).
As anyone who has lived in or visited Thailand, there is a very dis-jointed ambulance provision with a majority of the ambulance response being provided by volunteer organisations. Now I am not knocking the service which these guys provide, in a number of cases, they actually provide an excellent service and do save lives.
However this is not always the case across the country and there are places where the emergency medical service provision is lacking and not meeting the needs of the community.
We are based in Khonkaen and this province is extremely fortunate in that there is a well structured, planned and managed emergency medical response service using both a range of volunteer and full time hospital based intensive care ambulances.
I work with a new Foundation (ie to Westerners, an NGO) which is leading the way in provision of pre-hospital emergency care in Khonkaen, and we are hoping to work with a number of other foundations across the province and nearby in order to expand our service in time.
One of the bis issues which all Foundations and NGO’s face is funding. We are a self funding organisation currently, and this limits what we are able to deliver. There are discussions taking place with a number of key stakeholders who are looking at various ways in which they may be able to support us with our development plans.
We are launching a pilot project in Khonkaen later this year in order to evaluate a number of plans we have, and in time, we will expand across the province.
If you have thoughts, please do feel free to contact me (I am based in the UK but am out in KK at least once a year).
Chris
Hi Richard, the number of RTA deaths here is appalling and I think everyone would agree that lack of respect for the law at all levels of society and lack of enforcement by the police are major factors. What I am curious about though is why no-one is saying that the holiday figures are actually better than normal. According to the WHO there are normally about 500 RTA deaths per week in Thailand so the work by the police is probably helping to cut this during the holidays – just need them to get off their butts for the rest of the year.
Richard, I live in Chiang Mai, and for sure, the level of driver competence and ability is sometimes staggeringly bad.. couple that with supreme arrogance, inattention and sheer bloodymindedness. I drive a motorbike and am a serious cyclist, two of the worst things to be on here. I’ve lost track of the amount of times I’ve been clipped, nudged and forced off the road, by cars, trucks and other motorbikes, I think the attitude is, I see you, but if I look away you’re not there anymore and it’s your problem if you hit me..I do question, just how many do have a actual license to drive too, judging from the caliber of the decision making and thought of what their actions have on anyone else, which I think in 90% of the time, never enters their heads.
The police here are as is suggested, totally laughable, I only ones I ever see are at roadblocks, looking for “tea money”.. I understand their pay situation but being a cop here can make you some serious coin if you apply yourself… it’s a whole other story I’m not getting into my Thai wife worries someone will read what I write and find me out, then have things happen…
Point is that until a stable Govt happens in Thailand, therecan be no official and long term adressing of this ridiculous death toll and driver incompetance..
it would help so much if these thais were tought to drive before getting a licence . but it would really help if the so called thai police instead of waiting at toll booths and other places just to get a hand out were made to patrol the roads and stop speeders or drunk drivers and cars allmost touching bikes as they overtake at high speed ,tell the police to get off there ass and start doing what there paid to do , that will reduce the road toll , sure / thailand should be ashamed
Thanks for the details.