April 16 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Thai authorities have raised this Tuesday to more than 200 the number of deaths in road accidents recorded since the end of last week within the framework of the Thai New Year celebrations, which are usually accompanied by massive movements of citizens throughout from the country.
This new balance indicates that, between April 11 and 15, there have been more than 1,500 traffic accidents throughout the country, leaving a provisional balance of 206 dead and another almost 1,600 injured, according to the Thai newspaper ' Bangkok Post'.
Compared to the previous year's figures, the number of accidents has decreased by more than ten percent, while the number of injuries is similar. Regarding the injured, they have decreased by 8.3 percent compared to 2023, when there were more than 1,730.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has highlighted the high traffic on the roads towards the capital, Bangkok, and has urged drivers to be sure that they are able to take the wheel.
Likewise, the authorities have emphasized that in this same period more than 4,100 violations of traffic regulations have been registered, the vast majority (more than 95 percent) for driving under the influence of alcohol.
The celebration of the Thai New Year, known as Songkran, is one of the dates in which the greatest movement of citizens is concentrated in the country. During the first days of these dates, millions of Thais leave Bangkok and other large cities to travel to the provinces where they come from.
Thailand is one of the countries in Asia that has the most cars, which, added to the road conditions, make traffic accidents common. According to United Nations figures, Thai roads account for a high percentage of deaths from car accidents in the world.
