Thailand: New Year road accidents killed more than 400

By Arun Saronchai

BANGKOK (AA) - More than 400 people were killed in road accidents in Thailand over the New Year period, according to government statistics released Wednesday.

A total of 426 deaths were reported on the Southeast Asian country’s roadways from Dec. 29 through Jan. 3, with the majority of incidents stemming from drunk driving or speeding.

Fatalities were at their highest point in more than five years, despite a government campaign to increase road safety awareness.

Bangkok Metropolitan Police Spokesman Sanit Mahataworn told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday that despite the increase in fatalities, the number of accidents in the capital had decreased by 20 percent.

"We have good preventative strategies that we have implemented in Bangkok, if the countryside adopts similar measures the number could be lowered," he said by phone.

Thailand is frequently ranked among the countries with the most dangerous roads, with even its Public Health Ministry acknowledging that a general lack of responsibility contributes to the problem.

A 2015 World Health Organization report, found that Thailand came in second after war-torn Libya for road fatalities.

It said that while 14,059 people were recorded to have died on Thai roads in 2012, resulting in 36.2 deaths per 100,000 people, the United Nations agency estimated that the actual figure might stand at 24,237, or 42 percent more than the Public Health Ministry reported.