Child death toll on Thai roads runs at THREE A DAY
A leading campaigner for road safety has slammed the government and the police for abandoning Thai children who are dying at the rate of three a day on the nation’s roads – known as some of the most deadly in the world.
Dr Thaejing Siriphanich blamed inaction on the part of the government and police. He told Daily News there was a lack of action, lack of budget and lack of enforcement.
They were letting down the nation’s children, said the head of one of Thailand’s anti-drink driving groups.
He was particularly referring to the death toll of children on motorcycles. Few wear helmets.
Dr Thaejing said that Thailand was a signatory to international conventions on the rights of children – in particular, these meant that Thailand was honour bound to protect the health and safety of children.
On the roads, they were not doing their part to help with this.
He said that there was an average of 24,000 people dying on the Thai roads every year. Of these 80% involved motorcycles.
A “Thai Roads Foundation” survey found that only 43% of adults wore helmets but for children, this was a meagre 7%.
There were 1,155 deaths of under 15s a year – or about three per day.
He called for the government and police to work with his foundation and others to address this situation regarding children and motorcycles and helmet use.
He said the state had let the matter evaporate away through inaction and called for government action, allocation of budgets and better police enforcement
