Bangkok (VNA) - Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit on November 7 announced a plan to promote road safety, particularly targeting motorcyclists and their passengers who fail to wear helmets.
Under the plan, those caught not wearing helmets will be required to undergo several hours of road safety training next year, during which they will review videos highlighting the dangers of not complying with helmet regulations.
Suriya said that the main causes of road fatalities in the country are motorbike accidents and not wearing a helmet.
He said the plan will also require motorcycle dealers to sell two helmets with every motorcycle sold, an increase from the current rule of one helmet.
Suriya quoted the World Health Organisation (WHO) as reporting that 25 per 100,000 Thai people died in road accidents last year. The government aims to reduce the number to 12 by 2027.
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said that traffic accidents contribute to 18,000 deaths, more than 1 million injuries, about 10,000 disabilities and economic losses estimated at 600 billion THB (17.6 billion USD) annually in Thailand./.
