Confirmation of the final tally came at a meeting at the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM Phuket) yesterday (Feb 19) held to evaluate the effectiveness of road and marine accident prevention measures enacted during the campaign.
The session was chaired by DDPM Phuket Chief Sopon Thongsai with full attendance from relevant agencies.
The meeting aimed to assess the performance of the Phuket Provincial Road and Marine Accident Prevention and Reduction Operation Center under the ‘Drive Safely, Thailand Without Accidents’ campaign, held over the New Year period, said an official report of the meeting.
The campaign, traditionally called the ‘Seven Days of Danger’, this year was carried out over 10 days.
According to the accident statistics report presented at the meeting yesterday, during the 10 days of the “strict control period” (Dec 27, 2024 - Jan 5, 2025), the number of accidents increased to 74, with 70 injuries and five deaths.
The officials also recognised that Phuket recorded 39 accidents, resulting in 37 injuries and five fatalities from Dec 20-26, during the week before the enforcement of strict safety measures.
During the week after the campaign ended (Jan 6-9), the figures dropped significantly to 17 accidents, 20 injuries, and no fatalities.
Of note, DDPM Phuket at the end of the campaign last month announced that during the 10 days of the “strict control period” Phuket suffered four deaths and 71 people admitted to hospital for injuries sustained in 74 accidents across the island.
The “new” death now added to the official tally, bringing the total to five fatalities during the campaign period, remains unexplained.
Apparently officials analysed accident statistics from the holiday period “to develop improved strategies for accident prevention and reduction’, said the official report of the meeting.
Discussions during the meeting highlighted key factors contributing to accidents, including driver behaviour, environmental conditions, vehicle conditions, law enforcement and overall traffic management.
Officials apparently also proposed various solutions to enhance future preventive measures, not only during major festivals but also in everyday situations.
However, no new strategies or assessments were mentioned in the report.
Of note, DDPM Phuket and Phuket police have not reported how many fines were issued or arrests were made for traffic violations during the 10-day campaign.
According to national road safety agency ThaiRSC, 13 people have died in road accidents in Phuket since Jan 1, with a further 5,032 people injured in road accidents on the island.
ThaiRSC reported 92 people injured in accidents on Phuket’s road during the 24 hours of yesterday (Feb 18), with 27 more already injured in accidents today.
No deaths from road accidents in Phuket were recorded for yesterday.