New Year exodus starts, traffic (and carnage) builds up on Thai roads

[Nereus]

Exodus starts, traffic builds up

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transp ... -builds-up

Heavy congestion slowed northbound traffic on Highway 1 in Nakhon Sawan province and Highway 2 in Nakhon Ratchasima to provinces in the Northeast as the New Year exodus from Bangkok gained momentum on Thursday.

In Nakhon Sawan, heavy traffic was reported on Highway 1 (Phayon Yothin Highway) at Dechatiwong intersection leading to the provincial centre and Uthayan Sawan intersection. Other roads through the heart of the province were also congested.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, snarl-ups occurred at four locations on Highway 2 (Mitraparp Highway) to Khon Kaen province.
Traffic built up along about five kilometres of the highway where a new motorway is under construction in tambon Nong Sarai of Pak Chong district, and along three kilometres on the uphill section near a motorway construction site close to Lam Takong reservoir in tambon Khlong Phai of Si Khiu district.

An eight-kilometre-long tail was seen near an interchange in tambon Jor Hor of Muang district, and a similar build up over about six kilometres at Non Sung intersection in tambon Tanod of Non Sung district.

Meanwhile, traffic remained light on Highway 304 (Pak Thong Chai-Kabin Buri).

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[handdrummer]

Ditto in Hua Hin. A good weekend to stay home.

[StevePIraq]

And the horrific accidents and death toll will now escalate faster than you can count.

Never take long road trips at this time of year in Ting Tong Land.

[T.O.M.]

And the horrific accidents and death toll will now escalate faster than you can count.

Never take long road trips at this time of year in Ting Tong Land.

Agree with you that the number of fatalities are way too high.
But most people killed on the road here are motor cyclists (73%).
People travelling by car are relative safe....."Only" 6400 killed in car accidents last year.
The same number for the UK was 1800.
Almost same size population and same number of cars....So the risk of getting killed in a car accident here is about 3.5 times higher here.
The good news is that the numbers are coming down.....just like they have done in the UK, where if you look historically the numbers (with fewer cars on the roads) was as high as Thailand's present numbers.
The motor bikes here is a completely different story....

[Dannie Boy]

And the horrific accidents and death toll will now escalate faster than you can count.

Never take long road trips at this time of year in Ting Tong Land.

Agree with you that the number of fatalities are way too high.
But most people killed on the road here are motor cyclists (73%).
People travelling by car are relative safe....."Only" 6400 killed in car accidents last year.
The same number for the UK was 1800.
Almost same size population and same number of cars....So the risk of getting killed in a car accident here is about 3.5 times higher here.
The good news is that the numbers are coming down.....just like they have done in the UK, where if you look historically the numbers (with fewer cars on the roads) was as high as Thailand's present numbers.
The motor bikes here is a completely different story....

Wednesday evening I went to the local temple with my wife to pay respects following the death of a friends 15 year old daughter and her boyfriend both killed when their motor cycle collided with a pickup.

[Dannie Boy]

We have a flight from Bangkok at around 11:45PM on December 31. I was thinking of leaving Huahin at around 4:00 on the 31st to make the flight, driving directly to the airport. Is that enough time given the holiday traffic? Any advice appreciated.

I would expect most of the traffic flowing to HH rather than from it on the 31st, so I reckon you’ve allowed more than sufficient time - all being well you’ll be there by 7.00am

[Nereus]

We have a flight from Bangkok at around 11:45PM on December 31. I was thinking of leaving Huahin at around 4:00 on the 31st to make the flight, driving directly to the airport. Is that enough time given the holiday traffic? Any advice appreciated.

I would expect most of the traffic flowing to HH rather than from it on the 31st, so I reckon you’ve allowed more than sufficient time - all being well you’ll be there by 7.00am

Hmm, too much Christmas Cheer for you!

[Dannie Boy]

We have a flight from Bangkok at around 11:45PM on December 31. I was thinking of leaving Huahin at around 4:00 on the 31st to make the flight, driving directly to the airport. Is that enough time given the holiday traffic? Any advice appreciated.

I would expect most of the traffic flowing to HH rather than from it on the 31st, so I reckon you’ve allowed more than sufficient time - all being well you’ll be there by 7.00am

Hmm, too much Christmas Cheer for you!

Well spotted - 7.00pm!!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Nereus]

Traffic jams worsening on highways to North, Northeast

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... recent_box

Traffic congestion was heavy on major roads in Nakhon Ratchasima province in the Northeast and Highway 32 in Chai Nat province in the North on Friday morning - and expected to get worse as the mass New Year exodus from Bangkok continued.

In the Northeast, traffic was already moving slowly on a section of the Nakhon Ratchasima-Khon Kaen bypass at Pak Thong Chai intersection in tambon Pruyai, Muang district, around 8.30am on Friday.

Vehicles moved at a snail’s pace for a distance of more than two kilometres, the bottleneck caused by the linking of the Mitraparp Highway and Highway 304 (Pak Thong chai-Kabin Buri).

The provincial traffic coordinating centre reported snarl-ups at four locations, all on the Mittraparp Highway. The first was a section near a motorway construction site in tambon Nong Sarai of Pak Chong district, where the tailback stretched over 10 kilometres. Traffic police opened an extra lane along more than three kilometres to ease the congestion.

At a section along the Lam Takhong reservoir in Sikhiu district where a new motorway is being constructed traffic was stacked up for about five kilometres.

A section of a bypass road was the third spot. Many vehicles were stuck in edging-forward traffic for more than two kilometres.

The fourth was on the way down from the elevated bridge in tambon Jor Hor of Muang district, where traffic was slow for a distance of more than eight kilometres.

On Highway 304 (Pak Thong Chai-Kabin Buri), traffic was heavy only on an uphill section in tambon Thai Samakhi of Wang Nam Khieo district. Traffic was flowing better on other sections of this route.

In the North, traffic congestion was reported on a section of Highway 32 in Chai Nat province on Friday morning as motorists passed through Sapphaya and Muang districts before entering Nakhon Sawan province through Phayuha Khiri district.

Officials predicted that the traffic situation on the northern-bound route would worsen on main roads onFriday afternoon, particularly at Hang Nam Sakhon intersection. Motorists were advised to use Highway 340 (Suphan Buri-Chai Nat) to enter Nakhon Sawan.

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[Nereus]

Day 1: 42 dead, 432 injured

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... recent_box


Forty-two people were killed and more than 400 injured in road accidents across the country on Thursday, the first of the “seven dangerous days’ of the New Year holiday.

Drink driving was given as the major cause.

A total of 420 road accidents were reported on Dec 27, the first day of the road safety campaign, with 42 deaths and 432 injuries, Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said on Friday, citing a report from the Road Safety Directing Centre .

Drink-driving was the biggest single cause of road accidents, accounting for 37.62%, followed by speeding, 21.19%. Four out of every five accidents involved motorcycles, Mr Weerasak said.

Chiang Mai and Ratchaburi recorded the highest number of accidents with 19 each, while Khon Kaen and Lop Buri had the highest number of fatalities, four deaths each. Chiang Mai also had the highest number of injuries with 20.
The most common time for accidents was between 4pm and 8pm. People over 50 made up the largest age group of injured and dead, 31.22%.

A total of 114,177 traffic offenders were arrested at 2,042 road checkpoints, of 637,544 vehicles checked. A total of 34,165 motorcyclists failed to wear crash helmets, 30,923 drivers had no licences and 14,411 were not wearing safety belts.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Chaiyaphol Thitisak, secretary of the Road Safety Directing Centre, urged people to call hotlines 1784 or 1669 if they saw a road accident.

[hhinner]

^^ probably not what I would call arrested. Fined and allowed to continue (committing the offence) most likely. IMO.

[Nereus]

313 drink-drivers sent to court on first day of NY holiday

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... recent_box

A total of 313 drink-driving cases were sent to court and nine of the offenders were ordered to wear electronic tags on Thursday, the first day of the New Year holiday.

Prasarn Mahaleetrakul, director-general of the Probation Department, said on Friday that in total 514 cases were sent to court on charges including drink-driving, reckless driving and speeding on Thursday, the start of the seven dangerous days road safety campaign.

Of these, 313 involved drink-driving, accounting 60% of the cases, 22 reckless driving (4.28%), one speeding (0.1%), and 178 driving under the influence of drugs (34.6%).

The Probation Department chief said the courts ordered nine drink-driving offenders to wear electronic monitoring devices. They were ordered not to leave their homes between 10pm and 4am for 15 days, report to probation officials and do community service for 24 hours. Their driving licences were suspended for six months.

Bangkok had the most drink-driving cases with 60, followed by Maha Sarakham (40) and Ubon Ratchathani (33).

[Dannie Boy]

A small step in the right direction, but a long way to go.

[Nereus]

Two-day holiday road death toll reaches 98

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... reaches-98

Alcohol involved in nearly 40% of all accidents

The road death toll has reached 98 and number of people injured has passed 1,000 on the first two days of the New Year holiday traffic exodus.

Cumulative road accidents on Dec 27 and 28 stood at 990 with 98 deaths and 1,024 injuries, Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said on Saturday, citing a report from the Road Safety Directing Centre.

On Friday alone, the second of “seven dangerous days” of the holiday season, 56 people were killed and 592 injured in 570 crashes across the country.

Drink-driving remained the major cause of road wrecks at 38.9%, followed by speeding at 28.6%. Motorcycles were involved in 76.7% of all accidents, followed by pickup trucks at 7.7%, said Mr Arkhom.

Chiang Rai had the highest two-day accident total at 33. The northern province was also among the provinces with the most deaths and injuries. Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Lop Buri had five fatalities each, while Chiang Mai and Nakhon Ratchasima had the highest number of injuries with 35 each.

A total of 145,636 traffic offenders were caught at 2,049 road checkpoints on Friday, with 749,821 vehicles stopped for checks. A total of 42,841 offenders were cited for failing to wear crash helmets and 38,912 had no driving licences.

In the seven-day New Year holiday period a year ago, the country recorded a total of 3,841 accidents, with 423 deaths and 4,005 injuries. The accident total was down 1.5% from the year before and deaths declined by 11.5%, authorities said at the time.

Thailand was recently found to have the eighth worst record in the world for road safety, based on fatalities per 100,000 population, in a World Health Organization study. That was actually an improvement from the previous WHO survey when the country was the second-worst in the world, behind only Libya.

A Mercedes-Benz with Bangkok licence plates lies in a ditch after striking a tree on Phetkasem Road southbound in Muang district of Prachuap Khiri Khan on Saturday. Driver Kornkrit Sinsuwan, 33, of Nonthaburi, was killed in the crash. Police believe he might have dozed off behind the wheel. (Photo by Chaiwat Sadyaem)

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[T.O.M.]

What are the point of those updates?
To cheer us up?

Anyway the number of road fatalities during the so called "Dangerous Days" are well below the yearly average.
So this show is just a photo opportunity for the authorities to get their 15 minutes of fame....