No deaths reported on Day 5 of Phuket’s Seven Days of Danger

PHUKET: The death toll in Phuket during the New Year’s Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign remains at two as no further deaths were reported by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) during Day five of the campaign.

Police stop and check tourists during the Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

The DDPM-Phuket reported that there were no deaths from road accidents during day five of the campaign, yesterday (Jan 2) (midnight to midnight).

However the DDPM-Phuket did report that 18 people were injured in 16 accidents during the 24-hour period.

Six of the accidents were in Muang District, which encompasses Phuket Town, Kata-Karon, Wichit, Chalong, Rawai and Nai Harn.

Seven of the accidents were in Kathu District, which includes Patong, and the remaining three accidents were in Thalang District, which covers the northern half of the island.

Eight motorists were injured in Muang District, with sevenmore injured in Kathu and the remaining threeinjured in Thalang.

All people injured were in motorbike collisions with a variety of vehicles, including a pickup truck, a van and a car.

The DDPM-Phuket noted the main causes of the accidents and injuries as drunk driving, not wearing a helmet while riding a motorbike and cutting off other drivers in traffic.
The first casualty was at 4am during the 24-hour period, and the rest were injured in accidents between midday and 7:52pm, the report said.

The day five casualty report brings the total number of people injured in road accidents since the campaign began on Thursday, Dec 29 (midnight to midnight), to 67, but with two deaths.

Police reported issuing 2,514 fines for moving violations during the day five, 24-hour period, as follows:

1,144 people fined for not wearing helmets
78 fined for reckless / dangerous driving
160 fined for not wearing seatbelts
630 fined for driving without a licence
46 fined for speeding
116 fined for running a red light
90 fined for ghost driving (driving opposite traffic flow)
132 fined for dangerously cutting off other motorists in traffic
58 fined for using mobile phones while driving

Of note, 60 people were arrested for drunk driving during Day 5 of the campaign.

This year police in Phuket will seize the vehicles and drivers’ licenses of all people caught drunk driving. The vehicles and licences will be returned only after the Seven Days of Danger campaign has ended at midnight Jan 4. (See story here.)