Nearly 40 deaths on first of "Seven Dangerous Days" in Thai New Year

BANGKOK, December 28 (TNA) - A total of 39 people died and 399 others were injured in 392 road accidents on Friday, the first day of the “Seven Dangerous Days" of New Year travels in Thailand this year. The figures were reported on Saturday by Chanchai Suwisuttagul, Inspector-General for Transport, citing official statistics released by the Road Safety Directing Center (RSDC), run by the Thai Ministry of Interior's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Chanchai said that the number of road accidents, deaths and injuries nationwide on the first of “Seven Dangerous Days" of New Year travels increased from the corresponding period of last year, when 32 people were killed and 321 others were injured in 313 road accidents. Chanchai acknowledged that drunk driving was the main cause of Friday’s road accidents, accounting for 30.36 per cent, followed by speeding at 23.7 per cent, while most accidents, or 81.82 per cent, were caused by motorcycles, followed by pickup trucks at 7.37 percent. According to the inspector-general, highest road accidents on the first dangerous day of New Year travels were recorded in Phitsanulok and Samut Sakhon Provinces, both at 20, while Pathum Thani, Prachin Buri and Surat Thani Provinces saw the highest death toll at three each. The first-day survey also found that there were no road accidents reported in 12 provinces, including Chachoengsao, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Nayok, Bueng Kan, Phang-nga, Yasothon, Yala, Rayong, Loei, Sakhon Nakhon, Samut Prakan and Samut Songkram, apart from 14 provinces where there was zero death toll and 51 provinces where there was zero injury. A total of 2,220 checkpoints have been, meanwhile, set up nationwide and a total of 62,789 security officers have remained on duty to facilitate New Year revelers across the country. (TNA)