Highway No.4 set for road safety test over New Year

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A pilot road safety project will be held on Highway No.4, or Phetkasem Road, over New Year, the Highways Department and the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) said yesterday.

If successful it is hoped the scheme will be extended to other major roads across the country. The project will initially cover several sections along a 111km stretch between Wang Manao Junction in Ratchaburi to Hua Hin and Rajabhakti Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.

The stretch is considered one of the most accident-prone in the country. Thirty road accidents, resulting in three deaths and 38 injuries, were reported along this road last New Year.

The department has spent 11.2 million baht to improve road safety along the most dangerous parts of the stretch. This included installing guardrails and upgraded warning signs on sharp bends, resurfacing the road, repainting road markings, and increasing street lighting, department deputy director Sarawut Songsivilai said.

The EIT has given technical and academic support for the project. "We expect to reduce the number of traffic accidents by 20% from last year," he said. In the long-term, the measure will cover the whole 111km stretch with an investment cost of 229 million baht.

He said the Highways Department plans to expand the project to other highways and will use Highway No.4 as a litmus test.

EIT president, Sichatvee Suwansawat, said road safety must keep up with technology changes to reduce accidents. "Cars are faster than before and there are also many LED billboards that are too bright. These can be factors that cause accidents which is why we need to address them," he said.

Highways Department research office director Montri Dechasakulsom said road safety is a big issue that needs to be addressed as Thailand is now ranked second in the world in terms of traffic fatalities, with 44 deaths per 100,000 people.

According to department data, 95.7% of all road accidents in Thailand are down to human error.

"If we really want to solve the problem, state agencies cannot just improve road conditions, but drivers must also change their driving habits," he said.

Source: Bangkok Post