During the first four days of the '7 Dangerous Days' campaign, 991 accidents occurred resulting in 171 deaths. The Road Safety Center has ordered stricter measures to support people returning home, emphasizing that "drunk driving" carries heavy penalties and insurance will not cover such incidents.
On 3 Jan 2026 at 10:15 a.m., at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), Pol. Lt. Gen. Rutthaphol Naowarat, Minister of Justice, chaired a press conference summarizing the results of the Road Accident Prevention and Reduction Center's operations during the 2026 New Year festival. He revealed that the center, under the DDPM and partners, compiled road accident statistics for 3 Jan 2026, the fourth day of the “Drive Safely, Slow Down, Reduce Accidents” campaign. There were 187 accidents, 185 injuries, and 21 deaths reported on that day.
The leading causes of accidents were speeding at 35.29% and drunk driving at 21.39%. Motorcycles were involved in 72.94% of accidents, mostly occurring on straight roads (86.10%). Nearly half (47.06%) happened on highways, 10.16% on local and village roads. The peak accident time was between 3:01 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. (26.20%). The highest injury and death rates were among people aged 20-29 years (15.53%). Provinces with the highest accident counts were Prachinburi and Phatthalung (10 each), Phatthalung had the most injuries (12), and Bueng Kan had the highest deaths (3).
In summary, during the four-day period from 30 Dec 2025 to 2 Jan 2026, there were a total of 991 accidents, 956 injuries, and 171 deaths. Phuket province recorded the highest number of accidents (39), also the highest number of injuries (43), while Bangkok had the highest death toll (14).
Pol. Lt. Gen. Rutthaphol added, “From the road accident statistics during the 2026 New Year festival, drunk driving remains a leading cause of fatalities. As of 2 Jan 2026, the fourth day of strict enforcement measures, there were 1,401 cases entering the probation system, of which 1,349 were drunk driving cases. Nonthaburi province recorded the highest number of drunk driving cases at 290. From 30 Dec 2025 to 2 Jan 2026, 2,793 cases entered probation, with drunk driving accounting for 94.39% of offenses, making it the most common violation, primarily due to driver behavior.”
The Road Safety Center and the Department of Probation have enhanced measures to handle traffic offenders entering the probation process. Beyond merely following court orders, they implement systematic behavioral rehabilitation to raise offenders' awareness, encourage behavioral change for society’s benefit, reduce repeat offenses, and promote volunteerism for safer driving, thereby increasing community safety.
For drunk driving offenders in probation, community service is assigned at key checkpoints and local roadblocks to build safety awareness and reduce road casualties. Public information campaigns highlight penalties for repeat drunk driving offenders, such as imprisonment up to 2 years, fines up to 100,000 baht, license suspension of at least one year, or immediate license revocation. Additionally, if drunk driving causes injury or death, courts impose an additional half penalty on top of the prescribed sentence.
Today (3 Jan 2026), a high volume of people is expected to return to Bangkok and other areas, increasing traffic on main and connecting routes. The Road Safety Center has urged provinces, districts, local governments, and relevant agencies to adjust plans focusing on main routes, set up rest points to monitor driver fatigue on long trips, and strictly enforce checks on public transport vehicles and drivers for alcohol and drug use before duty. Authorities are enforcing laws rigorously and urging the public to “don’t drink and drive.” Those who have consumed alcohol are advised to use public transport or have a sober driver to ensure their safety and that of others.
The Office of Insurance Commission (OIC), responsible for compensating road accident victims during the 2026 New Year festival, has expedited payouts and supported road safety measures related to insurance. From 30 Dec 2025 to 2 Jan 2026, there were 186 road accident deaths; 112 had compulsory motor insurance (PM 25) and 74 did not. The Road Accident Victims Protection Company and other insurers have paid compensation for 27 cases with PM 25. Regarding motorcycles, the leading vehicle type in accidents, 2,330 had PM 25 coverage while 2,473 did not—over 50% lacked insurance.
The OIC and the Road Accident Victims Protection Company conducted field visits to pay preliminary compensation to heirs of the deceased. They continue to campaign for road safety during the holiday travel period, raising awareness about safety and insurance systems to inform the public of their rights.
Mr. Theeraphat Kachamat, Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and Secretary of the Road Safety Center for the 2026 New Year festival, stated that today many people are returning to Bangkok and other areas following yesterday’s travel. The center has instructed all provinces and local governments to intensify checkpoints and community roadblocks to deter risky behaviors like speeding and drunk driving. They have also urged setting up rest areas in suitable locations to monitor driver fatigue and prevent accidents caused by drowsiness or rear-end collisions. The public is requested to prepare physically by resting adequately, check their vehicle insurance status, and strictly adhere to the “don’t drink and drive” principle.
Furthermore, the Road Safety Center emphasized insurance measures the public should verify before traveling. Importantly, if a driver is found with an alcohol level above the legal limit, besides facing heavy legal penalties—including imprisonment up to 2 years and fines up to 100,000 baht for repeat offenses—the driver will not be covered by insurance. Insurers will also seek reimbursement of compensation paid to third parties from the offending driver. These measures aim to ensure that travel after the 2026 New Year festival is safe and that legal protections are fully upheld.
Finally, the public who experience or witness accidents can report incidents 24/7 via hotline 1784 or the Line app “DDPM Incident Reporting 1784” by adding the Line ID @1784DDPM for prompt assistance coordination.