Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, April 14, 2003
Nearly 200 Die in Thailand's Songkran Road Accidents
Police figures show that 188 people were killed and over 10,000 people injured in traffic accidents over the first two days (April 12-13) of the Songkran festival.
Police figures show that 188 people were killed and over 10,000 people injured in traffic accidents over the first two days (April 12-13) of the Songkran festival.
About 89 percent of the road accidents over the Songkran period involved motorcyclists who failed to wear crash helmets, while 50.7 percent of drivers were over the permitted alcohol limit, according to a report of TV channel 9 on Monday morning.
Motorcycles emerged as the most dangerous type of vehicles, accounting for 89.5 percent of accidents, with pick-up trucks and saloon cars trailing behind at 8.26 percent and 2.25 percent respectively.
The data also showed that 50 percent of the accidents occurred on rural highways.
At the same time, data from 977 police checkpoints scattered across the country showed that 32,963 motorists had been tested for drunk driving.