The balance can be made after the Seven Dangerous Days during the New Year holidays in Thailand. It shows that 40 percent of all road deaths are caused by drunk drivers. The good news is that the number of accidents involving alcohol has fallen by 23 percent.
The sad balance of Seven Dangerous Days is: 3.791 accidents, 463 dead and 3.892 injured. The number of violations increased by 3.000 to 9.453. 8.706 offenses involved driving under the influence of alcohol, followed by driving under the influence of drugs (701). Of the drunk drivers, 153 had been caught before in the last three years.
The Department of Probation is setting up a program with the Disease Control Department aimed at repeat offenders. These persistent drink drivers are sent to a hospital for treatment. Alcoholics go to hospitals run by the Department of Medical Services, and people with mental health problems go to Department of Mental Health hospitals. Non-problem alcoholics are required to do social work and take traffic lessons.
For the time being, electronic bracelets (EM) will continue to be used to track problem drinkers. Their driver's licenses will be suspended for six months and they will be placed under house arrest, not allowed to leave their home between 22.00 p.m. and 4.00 a.m. On January 2, the court ordered 26 people to be equipped with bracelets, bringing the total number of EM carriers to 116.
Source: Bangkok Post
I don't think the cause of traffic deaths between New Year's and the rest of the year will make much of a difference.
Drink and drugs, exhaustion and no proper driving training.
This apart from failing brakes, bad roads and lampposts on the center line of a two-lane road.
Great class. Again 40 more than last year. Exist stupid Thai. Yes, there are terrible stupid Thai. Yes, and they will never learn and then the government can bleat all they want. Next year it will just be more….
In the Netherlands, someone was caught driving under the influence for the 6th time, while the driver's license had already been confiscated.
Only now the car has been confiscated!
Caught driving under the influence?
Seize the vehicle before there are casualties or deaths!
The police really don't set a good example. Like seeing a cop directing traffic in Phuket with a liter bottle of Chang in hand that still had a little in it.
Of course it was confiscated!
Or drink yourself courage with that chaotic traffic around!