During the government's week-long campaign for road safety during the New Year holiday, 317 people were killed and 2,437 others injured in 2,440 traffic accidents across the country.
The figures were compiled from Dec 29, 2022, to Jan 4, 2023, during the government's New Year road safety campaign. Chotenarin Kerdsom, deputy permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, released the data on Thursday.
During the seven-day period, the southern province of Surat Thani reported the most accidents at 79. The northernmost province of Chiang Rai had the highest road death toll at 15, while Kanchanaburi province in the western region saw the highest number of injured people at 91.
Five provinces -- Bung Kan, Narathiwat, Phangnga, Satun and Sukhothai -- reported no road fatalities.
Drink-driving remained the most common cause of traffic accidents, while speeding and failure to use safety gear were main causes of most traffic casualties, Mr Chotenarin said.
Motorcycles were involved in most accidents during the period, and 70% of the injured and dead victims did not wear a helmet, he said.
However, the number of traffic accidents and injured and dead victims declined from previous years, he added.
There were 2,707 traffic accidents, 333 fatalities and 2,672 injured people during the same period a year earlier and 3,333 accidents, 392 fatalities and 3,326 injured people two years earlier.
Weerakit Harnpariphan, director-general of the Probation Department, said from Dec 29 to Jan 4, courts ordered probation on drivers in 8,567 drink-driving cases, 21 reckless driving cases and 335 cases of driving under narcotic influences.
The highest number of drink-driving cases, 469, was reported in Roi Et province, followed by 388 cases in Samut Prakan and 358 cases in Nonthaburi, Mr Weerakit said.
The number of drink-driving cases during the New Year holiday this year rose by 8.88% from the figure of last year, he said.
