Thailand's New Year holidays this year were the deadliest ever with 716 people killed in road accidents, as the prime minister vowed yesterday to tackle reckless driving after his own daughter was involved in a minor traffic scrap.
"The number is really worrying," Thaksin Shinawatra said in a weekly radio speech to the nation.
According to the Land Transport Department some 60 people are killed in road accidents daily on normal days.
"But this period, the figure goes up to 70 or even 140 sometimes. This is a big loss and I must meet with authorities concerned to discuss this problem soon," Thaksin said.
A car slammed into the back of a van carrying Thaksin's 22-year-old daughter Pinthongta when it made a sudden U-turn near the beach resort of Hua Hin on Friday. The van was being driven by the family's driver and no one was injured.
Thaksin said the driver was at fault and his wife has already compensated the other car owner.
"Our driver was making a sudden U-turn, forcing the car behind to brake ... it was our fault. We also reprimanded him [the driver] for reckless driving," he said.
The Public Health Ministry said the death toll since last Saturday has climbed to 716 with another 34,452 injured. The holiday ends today.
Over 90 percent were motorcycle accidents and most were caused by drunk driving, recklessness and lack of protective gear.
Thailand has one of the world's highest mortality rates from road accidents, which increase dramatically during holiday seasons, notably the New Year and the Thai lunar calendar New Year of Songkran, which falls in April.
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