2020 New Year Holiday Road Carnage Thread

[Nereus]

https://thethaiger.com/news/bangkok/and ... year-break

Hundreds of thousands of Bangkok residents have already started heading out of the capital, headed to various Thai provinces to welcome in 2020 in the company of friends and family. The long weekends starts from tonight with many Thais being granted a public holiday on Monday, in addition to the Tuesday and Wednesday public holidays. It seems many also took today off to make it a mega long weekend.

Thai PBS World reports that the police are monitoring the highways out of the city, to make sure traffic continues to move smoothly, with CCTV units along all major routes having been checked over to ensure they’re working properly, and road works suspended until after the holiday period.

It’s understood that the Ratchaprasong intersection, in the Pathum Wan district of Bangkok, will be closed to traffic from 2pm on December 31, in order to allow police to carry out security checks ahead of the New Year countdown being held in the busy shopping area later that night.

A number of extra buses are being laid on until December 28, taking the total of state-run buses from 5,419 a day to over 8,200 in an effort to cope with what is expected to be around 160,000 travellers a day over the year-end period.

Transport officials recommend passengers arrive at bus terminals at least an hour before departure, adding that tickets should only be purchased from official ticket booths, to avoid being scammed by con artists selling fraudulent tickets. Alternatively, passengers can book in advance by going to www.tansport.co.th or calling 1490.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World

[Dannie Boy]

The main Phetkasem road from Bangkok was really busy this morning heading towards Hua Hin. As is normal, the BIB had closed off a number of u-turn junctions so the ones that were open were even busier than normal (I still don’t understand the logic in closing any, as all you do is move one potential hazard further down the road).


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[Nereus]

Hundreds of thousands of Bangkok residents have already started heading out of the capital

Good! At least I can now see further than the end of the Soi!

Bangkok air quality index (AQI) and PM2.5 air pollution is 76 US AQI, PM2.5 | 24.2 µg/m³

https://www.airvisual.com/thailand/bangkok

[Lost]

Please be extra careful on the roads this time of year, folks. There are many men out getting drunk...

... and letting their wives drive the car.

[Nereus]

Day 1: 43 dead, 466 injured in New Year road accidents

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... s#cxrecs_s

Drink driving remains major cause, motorcycles affected the most

Forty-three people were killed and 466 injured in road accidents nationwide on Friday, the first day of the so-called “seven dangerous days’’ of the New Year holidays. Drink-driving remained the major cause.

A total of 464 road accidents were reported on Dec 27, with 43 deaths and 466 injuries, according to the Road Safety Directing Centre.

Last year, there were 45 deaths and 428 injuries in 419 road accidents on the first day of the dangerous period across the country.

Drink driving was the major cause, accounting for 30.4% of the crashes so far this year, followed by speeding at 24.78%. Most of the vehicles involved in the accidents were motorcycles, same as previous years.

Surat Thani recorded the highest number of accidents with 20. This southern province also had the highest number of injuries at 22. Chiang Rai and Prachuap Khiri Khan had the highest number of deaths, at four each.

Public Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said authorities had focused on stricter rules and law enforcement as most accidents were caused by drink driving.

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[VincentD]

Got on the tollway and forgot it's free till the 3rd of Jan, every mother's son and their dog are on it, horrible traffic jam. Wipawadee Rangsit road is flowing very nicely, avoid the expressways!!

[buksida]

Just spent a couple of hours on the highway and these stats should really be much higher considering the utter disregard many Thai motorists have for other road users. If they behaved like this in a shop or restaurant they would be beaten senseless.

If you can avoid using highways at all during this period of utter lunacy, please do so.

[Nereus]

This bloke has got the right idea:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Dastardly farangs?

https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag

It's about time the authorities did something about the farang drivers on our roads.

For far too long farangs have caused havoc as they hog the left lane, stick to the speed limits, even the roadwork limits, and stop at red lights, causing great inconvenience and often preventing others from doing whatever they like.

Another major concern is that by avoiding fines they are not doing their bit for the revenue of the state and, therefore, placing a burden on Thai drivers.

Until farangs can prove that they are proficient at weaving in and out of traffic, driving while texting, tail-gating, using drugs or doing tyre burnouts, they must be banned from holding a licence.

Wunfer Lefrog

[PeteC]

"Drink driving remains major cause, motorcycles affected the most"......

Same as every year, and the same as during the Songkran period.

At the end of the day when we look at the numbers we'll also find that the totals are the same or not significantly different than what happens everyday of the year here.

[uncle tom]

and letting their wives drive the car

A week ago my Thai GF borrowed my car - and didn't notice a telegraph post...

[PeteC]

Peaceful Sunday in Bangkok with all the cars and people out of town. (Photos from http://www.khaosodenglish.com )

[buksida]

They're all in Hua Hin

[Nereus]

Peaceful Sunday in Bangkok with all the cars and people out of town.

Don't believe too much of what is posted there, Pete. That's what I thought looking from my Condo, so I ventured out.
It all depends on which area of Bangkok, and around where I am there is still a surprising amount of traffic, and NO parking space at Villa Market in Thong Lor!

[buksida]

27km traffic jam in Nakhon Ratchasima
raffic moved at a snail's pace for a distance of 27 kilometres on Mitrapharp Highway from Pak Chong district to Si Khiu district in this northeastern province on Sunday morning.

The traffic congestion on the main highway linking Bangkok with northeastern provinces was particularly heavy on the uphill section of Mitrapharp Highway (Highway 2) from tambon Nong Sarai in Pak Chong district to Si Khiu district.

Northeast-bound vehicles moved faster after they passed Si Khiu interchange, where Mitrapharp Highway adjoins Highway 201 leading to Chaiyaphum province and Highway 24 to Buri Ram, Si Sa Ket, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani provinces.

Police assumed heavy traffic conditions would last until Monday as people working in Bangkok return to their native provinces in the Northeast for the New Year holiday.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ratchasima

[Nereus]

Day 2: 66 dead

New Year road accidents kill over 100

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... 0#cxrecs_s

Drink driving major cause in two days, followed by speeding

Two days of the New Year exodus saw 974 road accidents, down 1.4% year-on-year, 109 deaths, down 3.5%, and 993 injured, down 1.4%, the Transport Ministry reported.

Anon Lueangboribon, deputy permanent secretary for transport, said on Sunday that on Saturday alone there were 510 traffic accidents in which 66 people were killed and 527 others injured.

Drink driving was still the most common cause, resulting in 35.5% of the accidents, followed by speeding (30%). Motorcycles were involved in 64.6% of the incidents.

The northern province of Lampang saw the highest number of accidents of 21. The highest death toll, five, was reported in Nakhon Sawan province, which is on the way from Bangkok to the North. The province which saw the highest number of injured people, 26, was also Lampang.

On the first two days of New Year holiday travel, Friday and Saturday, the highest number of accidents, 33, was reported in the southern province of Surat Thani. The highest death toll of six was in the northern province of Chiang Rai and the Central Plain's Nakhon Sawan. The highest number of injured people, 37, was also reported in Surat Thani.

Drink driving remained the most common cause, followed by speed limit violation, Mr Anont said. There were no traffic casualties in 28 of 77 provinces.

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