HOLIDAY traffic and at least one accident caused a long snarl of slow-moving vehicles to develop between the bypass road intersection and the Heroines Monument before noon today. People heading for the airport would be well advised to find an alternative route.


PHUKET road safety action group Mothers or Motorcycles (MoM) has posted a Phuket police helmet awareness movie on YouTube to mark Mothers' Day and HRH The Queen's Birthday with a safety message.

The short film, posted with the permission of police, can be found at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnkhoU7_woU

While the film, made on Phuket, is in Thai, the message is plain.

The movie is a key part of a new strategy to get more people on Phuket wearing motorcycle helmets. Those who are caught not wearing helmets have their IDs confiscated and retained by Phuket City police until after they have watched a movie session emphasising safety on Phuket's roads.

The strategy, devised by Colonel Wanchai Eakporntip, superintendent of Phuket City police station, appears to be working in Phuket City, where it is being trialled before the island's other two regions adopt it. Kathu, which includes Patong and many motorcycle-riding tourists from around the world, will be next.

Latest figures indicate improvements. In June, there were five deaths on Phuket City roads, out of a total of 12 for the whole island. In July, there were six fatalities in Phuket City, with the tally for the entire island yet to be compiled.

Colonel Wanchai has already conducted a campaign to obliterate incident blackspots on the roads. The efforts by the colonel and other police appear to be showing results. To the end of June, 64 deaths have been recorded on the island for the first half of 2010 compared to 82 for the same period last year. August was the worst month in 2009, with 19 deaths recorded.

Of interest is that Vachira Hospital now records the estimated economic cost in money terms of the treatment of road incident patients and the repair of vehicles.

The estimate for June was 1,029,000 baht, which fell to 929,000 baht in July. The number of injured also dipped, from 117 to 109. Tallies for injuries for the entire island are also coming down, with the May total at 999 and the June tally at 960. In the past 18 months, monthly totals of injured have ranged as high as 1447 in January last year and 1459 in December.

The Phuket City region is the zone where most fatal incidents on the island occur. Now the successful strategy for promoting safety awareness is likely to be imitated in other provinces, using ''the Phuket model.''

Hefty fines of up to 1000 baht are expected to be reintroduced for non-helmet wearers in 2011.

Phuketwan supports the Mothers or Motorcycles action group.