Intensified anti-drunk driving campaigns urged

BANGKOK, December 22 (TNA) - The Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and partners have urged authorities to report the number of drunk drivers, instead of death toll of traffic accidents, during New Year holidays to effectively cap the number of victims. Dr. Bundit Sornpaisarn, head of ThaiHealth’s health risk control office and representatives of ThaiHealth’s partners, told a press conference on Tuesday that campaigns to seriously put the blame on irresponsible drivers and even label drunk drivers as murderers should be able to change drivers’ behaviors and reduce traffic accidents. Dr. Bundit said that control on blood alcohol levels remains effective, but ThaiHealth and partners want to urge authorities to report the number of busted drunk drivers, instead of traffic death toll in the New Year Festival to prompt drivers to be responsible and to cap the death toll. Based on the Thai law, drivers with blood alcohol levels higher than 50 milligrams per deciliter are liable to a jail term of up to one year and/or a fine of 5,000-20,000 baht, have their driving licence suspended or must do social services. The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WTO) reported that the mortality ratio in Thailand stands at 36.2 deaths per 100,000 people, the world’s second highest after Libya’s ratio of 73.4 per 100,000. On the past New Year holidays from December 30, 2014, to Jan 5, 2015, there were 2,997 traffic accidents which killed 341 people and injured 3,117 others in Thailand, with drunk driving causing 37.3 per cent of the accidents. (TNA)