BANGKOK – As the Fourth UN Global Road Safety Week will be held from 8-14 May to focus on speed under a slogan “Save Lives Slowdown”, the United Nations (UN) World Health Organization (WHO) and the Network of Road Safety urge Thai people to drive slowly in bid to reduce road traffic deaths.
The head of an accident-prevention center working in co-operation with the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Wittaya Chartbanchachai said according to a WHO report on status of road safety 2015 Thailand ranked second in road death tolls in the world, which had 200,000 deaths per year or 60 deaths per day. Currently, during Songkran festival, the number of fatalities fell from last year but the number of road accidents increased.
Dr Wittaya added major causes of road accidents in Thailand involved speeding. If the authorities can manage to have drivers slow down, the number of road traffic deaths will be decreased. He also said that the successful countries have proven measures to reduce road traffic deaths including the building or modifying of roads with features which can calm traffic, establishing speed limits on the road, enforcing speed limits, installing in-vehicle technologies and raising awareness about the dangers of speeding. However, Thailand still needs more steps to encourage the authorities and drivers to be highly concerned over this issue, such as a media campaign and law enforcement, especially involving speed management.
