New legislation in Thailand means that people caught drink driving more than once will go to jail. First time offenders could go to jail or get a fine. The harsher punishments are intended to act as a DUI deterrent to reduce the overall number of deaths on Thailand's dangerous roads.
Thailand's roads are the deadliest in Southeast Asia and among the worst in the world. In the first six months of 2022, Thailand recorded 8,624 deaths as a result of road accidents, according to the Ministry of Public Health's Division of Injury Prevention. On average, 48 people every day died in road accidents between January – June.
The figures are a slight decrease from the same period last year, in which 8,967 people were killed on the roads in Thailand.
Motorcyclists account for 82.72% of road deaths, people in cars account for 9.81%, people in trucks and vans account for 4.49% and pedestrians account for 2.98%. The age group most likely to die on the roads are 15 to 24 year olds.
Drink driving continues to be one of the top causes of fatal road accidents in Thailand.
Drink driving has always been a punishable offence in Thailand, but offenders usually get off with just a fine. Due to recent amendments made to Thailand's Road Traffic Act (1979), first time offenders could go to jail and repeat offenders will go to jail…
"The first instance of drink driving is punishable by up to no more than one year imprisonment or a fine between 5,000 – 20,000 baht."
"Repeat drink driving (more than once in two years) is punishable by no more than two years imprisonment and a fine between 50,000 and 100,000 baht. Additionally, the offender's driving license will either be confiscated for one year or completely revoked."
The penalties will be increased if someone is injured as a result of drink driving and be increased further if someone is killed as a result of drink driving.
Thailand's new legislation is sending out the message to the public, "rethink before you drink and drive."
SOURCE: Daily News
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