Although the number of road deaths in the first three of the 'seven dangerous days' is lower than last year, the Ministry of Health calls the death toll 'worrying'.
Indeed, 65 percent of the victims died at the scene of the accident, which indicates that these are serious accidents. So says Noppadon Cheanklin, deputy director general of the Department of Disease Control.
He urges witnesses to an accident to call the emergency number as soon as possible, because the sooner an ambulance is on the scene, the greater the chance that victims will survive an accident.
After three dangerous days (Friday to Sunday), the death toll has risen to 161 (last year: 174), the number of victims to 1.640 (1.526) and the number of accidents to 1.539 (1.446). [The increase in the number of accidents and victims compared to last year also seems to me to be a source of concern, but Noppadon says nothing about this or the newspaper does not report it.]
The main causes were drunk driving (38 percent) and speeding (24 percent). Accidents mainly involved motorcycles (79 percent), followed by pickup trucks (12 percent). The emergency number 1669 was called in only 31 percent of the number of cases: 3.937 of the 12.578 cases. [Here too the newspaper makes a mistake, because what is meant by 'business'?]
Official reports have been drawn up against 192 persons in connection with alcohol: 113 for selling alcohol, 34 for selling alcohol or drinking during hours when this was prohibited, 22 for discounting alcohol and the rest for selling alcohol in a place where this was not allowed or because they sold alcohol to minors.
Revelers are expected to return from their native region today. Hospitals, especially hospitals along main roads, have therefore been advised to be on standby 24 hours a day.
(Source: bangkok mail, April 15, 2014)
Just a quick question; do they speak English at the emergency center?