PHUKET: An alarming number of expats are dying on motorcycles on Phuket as latest figures show signs of improvement in the island's annual road toll.
Figures to the end of November, released today by Phuket's Public Health office, show that Phuket can expect to have its toll for 2011 lowered on figures from 2010 and 2009.
Eleven deaths were recorded on Phuket in November, taking the total for the year to 108 with December to follow. The Phuket deaths total for 2010 was 137, which in turn was well down on the 153 recorded in 2009.
Statistics compiled by Public Health are considered to be more complete than those of Phuket police, which only record incidents that officers attend. The Public Health totals are compiled based on statistics from Phuket's three public hospitals.
A worrying trend is evident this high season in the ratio of deaths among expats.
Young Norwegian Maren Kindsta, 21, was killed in a motorcycle crash on December 27. Two expats were among the six deaths recorded on Phuket in the 'Seven Days of Danger' campaign between December 29 and January 4.
The following day, a 48-year-old Swedish man died on a motorcycle in a single-vehicle crash in Kamala. On Sunday Erna Dahlan, 29, and her soon-to-be-born son were crushed by a truck in Patong.
That makes five expat deaths in 13 days, an extremely high ratio when the number of expats on the roads is compared to the number of Phuket locals.
Most of the deaths are among Phuket's young, with 16-year-old Phuket Technical College student Sathaporn Kidtuk the latest victim. He died instantly under a truck after coming off his motorcycle at high speed in Phuket City this morning.
While the ''100 percent helmet campaign'' and greater safety awareness appears to have reduced death tolls, the number of injuries requiring treatment in Phuket hospitals continues to grow with the tally for November alone topping 1400.
Improvements to training and an increasing number of lifeguards on Phuket beaches have saved many lives but drownings on Phuket remain high by comparison with the road toll.
While there were 11 deaths on Phuket's roads in November, there were also five drownings - an exceptionally large number given the ratio between those who regularly use the roads and those who swim at beaches or in canals and pools.
Phuket's drowning tally to the end of November stands at 35 with one month's figures yet to be compiled, compared with 37 drownings on Phuket in 2010 and 57 recorded in 2009.
Phuketwan supports Mothers or Motorcycles (MoM) an action group that advocates compulsory helmets and increased safety awareness.
Figures to the end of November, released today by Phuket's Public Health office, show that Phuket can expect to have its toll for 2011 lowered on figures from 2010 and 2009.
Eleven deaths were recorded on Phuket in November, taking the total for the year to 108 with December to follow. The Phuket deaths total for 2010 was 137, which in turn was well down on the 153 recorded in 2009.
Statistics compiled by Public Health are considered to be more complete than those of Phuket police, which only record incidents that officers attend. The Public Health totals are compiled based on statistics from Phuket's three public hospitals.
A worrying trend is evident this high season in the ratio of deaths among expats.
Young Norwegian Maren Kindsta, 21, was killed in a motorcycle crash on December 27. Two expats were among the six deaths recorded on Phuket in the 'Seven Days of Danger' campaign between December 29 and January 4.
The following day, a 48-year-old Swedish man died on a motorcycle in a single-vehicle crash in Kamala. On Sunday Erna Dahlan, 29, and her soon-to-be-born son were crushed by a truck in Patong.
That makes five expat deaths in 13 days, an extremely high ratio when the number of expats on the roads is compared to the number of Phuket locals.
Most of the deaths are among Phuket's young, with 16-year-old Phuket Technical College student Sathaporn Kidtuk the latest victim. He died instantly under a truck after coming off his motorcycle at high speed in Phuket City this morning.
While the ''100 percent helmet campaign'' and greater safety awareness appears to have reduced death tolls, the number of injuries requiring treatment in Phuket hospitals continues to grow with the tally for November alone topping 1400.
Improvements to training and an increasing number of lifeguards on Phuket beaches have saved many lives but drownings on Phuket remain high by comparison with the road toll.
While there were 11 deaths on Phuket's roads in November, there were also five drownings - an exceptionally large number given the ratio between those who regularly use the roads and those who swim at beaches or in canals and pools.
Phuket's drowning tally to the end of November stands at 35 with one month's figures yet to be compiled, compared with 37 drownings on Phuket in 2010 and 57 recorded in 2009.
Phuketwan supports Mothers or Motorcycles (MoM) an action group that advocates compulsory helmets and increased safety awareness.
Thanks for making this article a priority. Too many people make the huge mistake of riding unsafely. Helmets are also a must if you want to survive a crash. So sad to see the numbers but we can learn from it and protect ourselves. Thanks for the article with thorough statistics.
Posted by Carlo on January 10, 2012 19:58