Horrific death toll on Thai roads during Songkhran

Every year the death toll is horrific during the Songkhran Water festival. And these figures are only up till Friday. There's still several more days to go. Motorcycles are involved in over 86% of the accidents. It seems like insanity to ride a motorcycle during these days. Most of the deaths are probably young people... out for a good time but become a tragic statistic instead.

Songkran road accidents result in 393 deaths in eight days MCOT - TNA English News :

BANGKOK, April 15 (TNA) - The death toll in road accidents nationwide during the Songkran festival holiday from April 7-14 reached 393 on Friday, while the number of those injured was recorded at 4,979.

Anucha Mokkhavasa, Director General of the Interior Ministry's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said that on April 14 alone, the eighth day of the Songkran festival, there were 699 road accidents with 50 deaths and 780 persons injured, lower than earlier predicted.

Mr. Anucha, in his capacity as the National Road Safety Command Centre Secretary, said drunken driving remained the main cause of the accidents, with 43.49 per cent of the overall tally, followed by excessive speed or 19.60 per cent overall.

Motorcycles are involved in 86.43 per cent of the total road accidents.

The total number of roadway accidents from April 7-14 stood at 4,435, resulting in 393 persons dead and 4,979 injured.

Statistically, the northern province of Chiang Rai reported the most accidents and the northern province of Phitsanulok recorded the highest number of fatalities at 16, followed by the northeastern of Nakhon Ratchasima, the central province of Lopburi and the eastern province of Rayong.

Only five provinces have been casualty-free so far, including Trat, Pattani, Phrae, Ranong and Samut Songkhram. [...]