Road accidents claim 215 lives and 1,354 injured in five days

Casualties on Thailand’s roads during the first five days of the New Year holidays have risen to 215 killed and 1,354 injured in 1,398 accidents, according to the Directorate to Prevent and Reduce Road Accidents.

On New Year’s Eve, 36 people were killed and 245 others were injured in 262 accidents across the country. Speeding was involved in 42.75% of the accidents, followed by drunk driving (24.43%) and cutting in (21.37%). Motorcycles were involved in 89.03% of the accidents and 76.72% occurred on straight roads.

Most of the accidents occurred between midnight and 1am and between 5pm to 7pm. People aged from 20 to 29 accounted for 18.51% of the casualties.

Only 11 of Thailand’s 77 provinces have seen no road deaths in the past five days.

Ayutthaya had the most accidents (44), while Phuket recorded the most injured (43). Bangkok and Nonthaburi saw the most fatalities, at 10 each.