PM urged to jail drunk drivers during festive season

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha was urged Tuesday to invoke Section 44 of the interim constitution to jail drunk drivers 3-7 days in order to reduce road accidents during New Year’s celebrations.

Mr Surasith Silapa-ngam, manager of No Drunk Driving Foundation, said that the seven-day period during the New Year’s festival was regarded as the dangerous period for high incidence of road accidents in which over 300 people were killed annually.

Referring to the prime minister’s remark in October that he didn’t want road accidents to occur, Mr Surasith suggested that the prime minister uses his special powers vested by Section 44 to put into jail drunk driver 3-7 days during the festive season.

According to statistics, a total of 24,237 people died in road accidents last year – a reduction of 2,000 compared to a year earlier – putting Thailand in the second place for countries with highest road casualties.

Dr Thanapong Chinwong, manager of Road Safety Centre, attributed high incidence of road accidents in Thailand to lax law enforcement and social norm.

Thai PBS

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