Serious efforts to curb road death tolls during Songkran

BANGKOK, March 16 (TNA) -- The Department of Probation plans strict law enforcement to curb traffic death tolls during the Songran Thai New Year holiday mid next month but a road safety foundation calls for enforcement consistency. Prasarn Mahaleetrakul, director-general of the department, said drunk drivers who were put on probation would have to be traffic volunteers and work with traffic policemen at intersections. Besides, the department decided to sack any of its officials who were drunk drivers during the Songkran holiday to set a good example, he said. Dr Taejing Siripanich, Secretary-General of the Don’t Drive Drunk Foundation, said traffic accidents killed 390 people during last year’s Songkran period and with conventional road safety campaigns, the road toll could reach 400 this Songkran. He urged relevant authorities to seriously take decisive action against traffic rule violators to effectively promote road safety. Campaigns during heavy travel holidays alone were not enough and they should be permanent, Dr Taejing said. He suggested authorities started permanent campaigns with crash helmets. (TNA)