Highway Traffic Accidents in Petchaburi

Abstract

Highway traffic accidents is one of the major health problems in Petchaburi. The underlying causes are (2) the province is the main gateway to the South of the country, (2) there are so many tourist attractions, and (3) the rapid economic growth of the province.

In 1991, the average number of cases with injury from highway accidents in a day was 24. The majority of accidents occurred at 18.00 – 24.00 p.m. (36.52%) 12.00 – 18.00 p.m. (33%). The most found vehicles causing the accidents were pick – up trucks, and the next were 10 – wheel trucks.

Prevention of highway traffic accidents comprises 3 levels of preventive measures. The primary level includes health education, legal measures, and improvement of traffic control signals. The secondary level includes campaigns to promote the use of helmets during driving motorcycles, wearing a seat belt when sitting in a car, establishing a good accidents reporting system, and primary care at the site of accidents. The tertiary level includes standard treatment of cases with traffic accidents in hospitals.