Thailand has Highest Road Death Toll in the World by Phakamat Rattanakorn 18-2-2003 2.9 people die every hour Thailand has the highest rate of road fatalities in the world at 40 deaths for every 100,000 people, or 2.9 people dying an hour, a researcher said on February 13, 2003, suggesting one was more likely to die in a traffic accident in Thailand than anything else. Paibul Suriyawongpaisal, a researcher on traffic accidents, was quoting figures from the British Medical Journal 2002 at a seminar on motorcycle safety. Another six million people were injured in traffic accidents and 100,000 crippled for life in 2002, according to the National Health Institute. The Thailand Development Research Institute found that traffic accidents led to economic losses of more than 69 billion baht or 2.23% of GDP a year. Dr Paibul urged the government and the public to take the problem seriously. "Campaigns to build awareness are not enough to cut traffic accidents. Tougher law enforcement is also needed and corrupt police removed as they compounded the problem." Dr Paibul said the government could start with tougher action for drink-driving, motorcyclists who fail to wear crash helmets, and motorists who drive without seatbelts, instead of allowing the police to take bribes. Research had shown that if 95% of motorcyclists wore crash helmets, fatalities from motorbikes would fall 38%, while car deaths would fall 45% if motorists wore their seatbelts. Somsak Choonharat, secretary-general of National Health Foundation, said the public should rethink its attitude to road accidents. Motorists could help prevent them. "Thai people generally feel that traffic accidents happen due to bad luck. In fact, they are preventable," he said. The government's failure to maintain roads and highways and their terrible condition was to blame for many accidents. Dr Somsak hoped that one day Thai people would be able to sue the government.