The Thai probation department reports that nearly 900 drunk drivers were arrested and put on probation in the first 3 days of the "7 Dangerous Days" of New Year holidays in Thailand.
Witthawan Sunthornkhajit, Director-General of the department, said that as of Friday, 875 drivers were put on probation for drunk driving from December 29 to 31.
585 of them were put on probation for drunk driving on December 31 alone, he said.
Chaiyaphum province recorded the highest number of drunk driving cases: 105, followed by Chanthaburi: 104 and Buri Ram: 99.
A total of 13 people have been ordered to wear an electronic monitoring (EM) bracelet.
They must also stay at home from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. for 30 days.
Thai law states that people caught driving while drunk risk up to a year in prison, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, and a driving ban of at least six months.
However, in reality, most Thais caught driving drunk are rarely given harsh sentences.
Most get off with a fine and a suspended sentence.
Many roadside breath tests in Thailand
The legal blood alcohol limit in Thailand is 0.5 grams of alcohol per liter of blood.
However, for drivers who have held their driver's license for less than five years, the limit is 0.2 grams per liter of blood.
The government is trying to reduce drunk driving, and drunk driving stops are becoming more and more frequent.
On average, 118.8 people are killed per 100,000 vehicles on Thai roads.
More than a quarter of all road accidents in Thailand are due to drunk driving.
The Ministry of Transport stated that more than 4.69 million people used public transport from December 29 to 31, a decrease of 31.1% compared to the same period in 2019.
A total of 6.24 million vehicles entered and exited Bangkok from December 29 to 31, a decrease of 13% compared to the same period in 2019.
Most of the vehicles were private vehicles.
Speeding was the main cause of 777 road accidents from December 29 to 31, an increase of 23.2% compared to the same period in 2019.
Most of the accidents involved motorcycles, according to the Ministry of Transport.
See also:
Thailand will reduce the number of uninsured vehicles on the road
New point-based driver's license for traffic offenses in Thailand
Road safety: Thai roads are still the deadliest in Asia
Source: chiangraitimes.com
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3 comments
The few hundred drunk drivers who have been caught red-handed driving are a drop in the ocean compared to the thousands who slip through the police net. Practically only those who have caused an accident are tested, and apart from holidays and public holidays, alcohol tests are rare. In 8 years of driving across the country (mainly in the northern provinces) I was stopped by police 4 times to check my road tax and I was asked for my driver's license only once…. never the car's documents (I could have been driving a stolen car) and no breathalyzer test. Drunk drivers should be fined much more severely, and fines, driving license suspensions, and prison sentences should be applied systematically. And in case of repeat offense, a lifetime driving ban should be the rule, as in many European countries…. far too many lives are brutally interrupted due to the irresponsibility of such drivers. They are nothing more or less than criminals, knowing that their behavior under the influence of alcohol can kill innocent people. There is much to be done for Thailand to leave the sad podium of the most dangerous countries in the world in terms of road accidents, starting with effectively fighting alcoholism, not just behind the wheel, while the national measure prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages before 11 am and from 2 pm to 5 pm serves no purpose at all. At 1:59 pm, I can pass through a supermarket checkout with 20 packs of beer, and one minute later, it's prohibited !!! It's completely irrational stupidity …
And the leading cause of death in the country..
And yes, drunk driving is much more dangerous than a bad virus!