Chiang Mai, Chanthaburi worst hit for road deaths

Chiang Mai and Chanthaburi recorded the most New Year holiday road deaths while Yasothon is the only province with zero accidents and no deaths.

Overall, the number of deaths and injuries in road accidents during the first six of the seven-day New Year holidays this year was down on the same period last year.

The total deaths reported from Dec29, 2009, to Sunday, Jan 3, was 309, compared with 335 last New Year break, and the number of people injured this year fell by 247.

Chiang Mai reported the highest accumulative number of road accidents at 110. The province also shared the highest number of road accident deaths with Chanthaburi.

The two provinces have reported 11 deaths so far.

Yasothon was the only province not to report any incidents of road accidents during the past six days.

Chiang Mai deputy governor Phairot Saengphuwong yesterday said most of the deaths were local people not tourists visiting the province.

The province would want to learn from Yasothon’s success story in preventing New Year road accidents, he said.

Bangkok Post