Anti-drink driving campaign for Loy Krathong festival

BANGKOK, Oct 30 (TNA) -- The Don’t Drive Drunk Foundation and its partners are campaigning against drink driving ahead of the Loy Krathong festival as road accidents killed 189 people and injured 19,869 others and water traffic accidents killed 48 people in the festival last year. Dr Taejing Siripanit, secretary-general of the foundation, said that for the upcoming festival his organization was conducting the campaign together the police, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and other anti-drink driving organizations. He said that the campaign was necessary because traffic accidents killed more than 24,000 people and injured about 1 million others every year and the most common cause was drink driving. He said that about 10% of the injured were permanently disabled and casualties of drink driving soared during major festivals including the Loy Krathong festival. In the campaign, people will be encouraged to play their roles in reducing traffic accidents. On Nov 3 there will be a procession to campaign for road safety. It will include representatives of the Poh Teck Tung Foundation, actors, actresses, volunteers, the Don’t Drive Drunk Foundation, the Probation Department and partners. The procession will leave a Honda safe driving centre on Soi Ramkhamhaeng 127, pass Ban Ma and Lam Salee intersections, the Sports Authority of Thailand, Ramkhamhaeng University, Rama IX intersection, Wat Thep Leela and The Mall Department Store and return to the safe driving centre. (TNA)