Mukdahan: Deputy Minister of Interior 3 has instructed the Road Safety Center to ensure road safety following a car accident involving a group of monks. Prime Minister Jaset has also directed the Road Safety Center to oversee road safety measures in response to the incident, which occurred during a pilgrimage in Mukdahan province.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Jetseth Thaiseth, Deputy Minister of Interior, acted upon concerns raised by Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, who serves as the Director of the Road Safety Center (RSC). Mr. Thaiseth instructed the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) to implement measures aimed at preventing and reducing road accidents after the accident involving the monks. He emphasized the need for provincial road safety centers, district road safety operational centers, and local administrative organization road safety operational centers to focus on four main approaches.
The first approach involves preventing children and youth from driving vehicles. Local authorities, village headmen, and community leaders are urged to monitor and instruct parents to prevent underage children or youth without a driver's license from using vehicles and to keep car keys out of children's reach.
The second approach calls for strict law enforcement, coordinating with local police to address drivers without licenses, the practice of allowing children or youths to drive, driving on the shoulder unnecessarily, and exceeding the speed limit.
The third approach focuses on publicizing and raising awareness among road users. This will be achieved through provincial media such as community radio, public address systems, and social media. The aim is to urge people to reduce speed and exercise increased caution when encountering pedestrians or groups of monks along the roadside, particularly during early morning and evening hours when visibility is limited.
The fourth approach involves improving the roadside environment. This includes integrating highway agencies and local administrative organizations to inspect and maintain street lighting, warning signs, and traffic signs along main and secondary routes to ensure their functionality and visibility.
Mr. Teerapat Kachamat, Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, stated that the DDPM, serving as the secretariat of the Road Safety Command Center, has instructed the Mukdahan Provincial Administration to expedite the implementation of these measures through the Road Safety Command Center at all levels. They are also tasked with continuously monitoring the results of their implementation, particularly in monitoring children and youth without driver's licenses, educating parents, and addressing high-risk areas along roadsides to ensure the measures' effectiveness in reducing accident risks.
The DDPM urges parents to closely supervise their children and prohibit underage individuals or those without driver's licenses from driving. They also request the cooperation of all road users to strictly adhere to traffic laws, reduce speed, drive cautiously, and exercise extra caution when encountering pedestrians or monks walking along the roadside. These efforts aim to prevent accidents, reduce losses, and create safer travel conditions.