Songkran (Thai New Year) traffic toll

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Songkran (Thai New Year) traffic toll

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Making the traffic during the Thai Songkran-days safer is one matter, but it is not only the drunk driving. I suppose that the driver of this car was not drunk but he failed proper thinking and a proper traffic-education to get his driving license. To get rid of the high tolls caused by road-accidents the authorities has to start at the source: to educate the drivers.

On this (only 2-lane!) road several drivers are jumping the long queue, without any reason because the queue was kilometers long! 

You can find an explanation concerning this Thai New Years-festival in:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toni_uni/sets/72157604571404567

The Thai Road Safety Centre brought these figures I found published at April 18:

Road toll in Thailand over the Songkran period since April 11:

Accidents:  3.955

Deaths:          324

Injured:       4.884

        Accidents    Fatal     injured (1993-2002)  

1993   84,892      9,496    25,330    

1994 102,610    15,176    43,541

1995   94,362    16,727    50,718

1996   88,556    14,405    50,044

1997   82,336    13,836    48,711

1998   73,725    12,234    52,538

1999   67,800    12,040    47,770

2000   73,737    11,988    53,111

2001   77,616    11,652    53,960

2002   91,623    13,116    69,313

2000-2002

Car                   44,019

Bicycle               2,584

Motorcycle       53,732

Light Truck      26,226

Medium Truck   3,220

Heavy Truck      4,523

Bus                     6,114

Others                4,700

Source: statistics from the Royal Thai Police