Motorcycle accidents kill an average of 15 Thai youths every 10 days

Fifteen Thai youths aged between 10-14 die every ten days from motorcycle accidents or about 700 deaths each year, said Dr Adisak Plitpolkarnpim, director of Ramathibodi Hospital's Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Centre (CSIP), on Monday.

CSIP has produced a video clip showing motorcycle accidents involving Thai youngsters with an aim to promote safety among young Thais travelling in motorbikes. The clip which was posted in the social media has, so far, attracted many viewers

Dr Adisak said that parents were responsible for death and injury of the young victims but he didn’t want to put all the blame on them. All those people who saw the underaged riding on the pillions of motorcycles or who ride the bikes and did nothing about it are to blame, he added

According to statistics, he said over 15,800 Thai youngsters were injured and about 700 killed each year from motorcycle accidents. The death toll will increase to 31 in ten days during long vacation or festivals such as New Year and Songkran.

Dr Adisak noted that casualties from motorcycle accidents involving youngsters aged under 15 tend to increase every year, making Thailand the world’s Number One with the highest death toll from accidents involving motorcycles.

To see the video Child Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Centre (CSIP) video.