559 private vehicles of drink drivers nationwide were impounded by authorities on Sunday, bringing the total number of seized vehicles to 1,011 since the first day of the road safety campaign on Thursday.
On New Year’s Eve, the vehicles seized comprised 414 motorcycles and the rest cars.
Since Thursday, the onset of the so-called “seven dangerous days” road safety campaign, a total of 10,111 traffic violations were committed nationwide. Of these, 7,298 were offences involving motorcycles.
Of all traffic violations involving private cars, 2,813 cases were sent to court on Thursday.
In total, 1,011 private vehicles have been impounded on traffic violation charges related to drink-driving since Thursday. Of them, 810 were motorcycles.
The overall cases of drink drivers brought to court since Thursday stood at 17,614, the majority of which involved motorcyclists. Police are withholding the vehicles and the drivers’ licences for the duration of the New Year holiday, which ends Tuesday, or until the owners pay their fines and reclaim their vehicles.
Drink-driving remains the biggest cause of New Year road accidents, followed by speeding, the Centre for Road Accident Prevention and Reduction said on Sunday. The centre said that more staff had been deployed at roadside checkpoints to strictly enforce road rules from 4pm to 8pm, when most traffic accidents tend to occur.
According to the Transport Operation Centre, the first three days of the New Year holiday beginning on Thursday saw an 85% increase in traffic on average in main roads nationwide, compared to the same period last year .
Whilst the loss of life is always a sad and regrettable event, it always seems more poignant at Christmas and New Year. Driving in Thailand is not a particularly pleasant experience and near-misses are a daily occurrence for most drivers.
One of the most worrying statistics is that 30,646 drivers when stopped did not have a driving licence. The Thai driving tests are not the most stringent in the world but it is better than nothing.
Perhaps harsher penalties for driving without a licence would reduce the number of offenders. The same could be said of motorcyclists not wearing a helmet. There can be no argument, helmets save lives, full stop.
The majority of us are guilty of not wearing a helmet at times, but that is not to say it is right.
(Source:Bangkok Post)