Parliament, WHO Talk Road Accidents as Deaths Pile Up - Bangkok Herald

Parliament, WHO Talk Road Accidents as Deaths Pile Up

15 November 2020

Parliament joined hands with the World Health Organization for a seminar focusing on reducing in the number of road accidents, injuries and deaths, along with an exhibition to raise road-safety awareness.

The Senate's Joint Committee on Emergency Medicine and Road Safety and the World Health Organization Thailand have convened a seminar on the reduction of injuries and deaths resulting from road accidents. The seminar was overseen by House Speaker Chuan Leekpai, and participated in by members of parliament, delegates from embassies in Thailand, academics, and delegates from road safety organizations.

Joint committee president Surachai Liengboonlertchai, said Saturday that the seminar has served as a platform for participants to exchange their views and share their experiences on road safety, including advancements and challenges related to the parliament's work on this matter in the past year, as well as deciding on a joint commitment for the House of Representatives and the Senate on road accidents.

The seminar featured presentations on the latest global road safety agendas, and successful road safety measures backed by empirical data.

A panel of speakers delivered lectures and exchanged ideas on road safety topics, including the WHO's Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 by WHO representative to Thailand Daniel Kertesz, and a report on road injuries and deaths by the Road Safety Policy Foundation's Secretary-General Thanapong Jinvong.

In addition to the seminar, an exhibition was presented to raise road safety awareness, including the drink-don't-drive campaign. A minute of silence was observed to mourn victims of road accidents.

Talking points and outcomes of the seminar will be considered in the move by the government to pursue road safety policies, in line with a national reform plan on road safety.