Bangkok: Road accidents on the first day of the New Year festival have seen a significant decline of 38%, as reported by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM).
According to Thai News Agency, the DDPM announced the summary of road accidents on December 30th, marking the first day of the New Year holiday period. The provinces with the highest number of accidents were Chiang Rai and Phuket, with motorcycles being the most involved vehicles in these incidents. Drivers were reminded of the importance of helmet use.
The Center for Road Accident Prevention and Reduction during the New Year Festival 2026, in a press conference chaired by Mr. Theerapat Khachamat, Director-General of the DDPM, and Police General Samran Nualma, Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, shared the outcomes of road accident prevention efforts. The campaign, under the slogan "Safe Driving, Reduce Speed, Reduce Accidents," focuses on intensified controls from December 30, 2025, to January 5, 2026.
In comparison to the previous year, December 30th recorded 198 accidents, a 38.13% decrease. The number of injuries stood at 190, decreasing by 38.71%, and fatalities totaled 29, marking a reduction of 51.67%. Speeding, drunk driving, and sudden lane changes were identified as the primary causes of these accidents.
Motorcycles were the vehicle type most frequently involved, accounting for 65.2% of accidents. Authorities urged the public to prioritize safety by wearing helmets. The Department of Local Administration has implemented several measures to prevent and reduce road accidents over the holiday period, including establishing community checkpoints, rectifying hazardous areas, encouraging vehicle checks, and strictly enforcing traffic laws.
A network of 7,443 community checkpoints has been set up, with Surin province hosting the most at 421. Over 1,108 individuals have been apprehended for drunk driving offenses. Concurrently, the Excise Department is conducting inspections of alcohol retailers to ensure compliance with legal regulations on alcohol sales, especially during prohibited hours.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has established a 24-hour incident command center at Bangkok City Hall. They encourage the use of public transportation over private cars during the holiday, with extended operating hours for BTS Skytrain lines and BMTA-Thai Smile Bus services, and regular ferry operations in Bangkok.