Thailand has become the world’s Number One with the highest rate of road accidents with ten million drivers out of a total of 31 million without are driving licenses, said Pol Maj-Gen Ekkarak Limsangkart, commander of Special Branch Police’s 3rd division and a member of the committee to resolve traffic problem.
Of the 10 million drivers who do not have driving licenses, eight million of them are motorcyclists, he said as he maintained that 30 percent of the road accidents were committed by drivers who do not have driving licenses.
The Royal Thai Police has recently proposed amendments to traffic regulations to the National Legislative Assembly seeking higher penalties against drivers without driving licenses, including a maximum fine of up to 50,000 baht.
The proposal has been opposed by critics who viewed it as a means to allow police to squeeze more money from traffic violators.
Pol Maj-Gen Ekkarak admitted there are many people opposing the proposal, but he said he wanted them to understand why the police came up with the proposal in order to make roads safer for travelling.
Dr Chaimaiphan Santikan – former WHO advisor in Asia on injuries and the handicapped and now working on motorcycle safety – was speaking at the Amari Airport Hotel as reported by New TV.
She said that one million more motorcycles were appearing on Thailand’s roads per year and the figure was now 21 million vehicles (more than double that of cars).
Eighteen years ago 1 motorcyclist died per hour.
Now nearly two are dying every hour – one per 35 minutes.
She said that between 2011 and 2019 26,126 children and young people died.
In the next eleven years the death toll among youth could be expected to be 40,000 if nothing is done.
