BANGKOK, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Thailand saw a significant decline in road accidents, injuries, and fatalities during the Songkran festival, official data showed on Friday.

According to the Ministry of Interior, 1,538 road crashes were reported, leading to 1,495 injuries and 253 deaths during the past week, with the traditional Thai New Year Songkran festival falling on April 13-15.

During the April 11-17 period, road accidents fell 24.76 percent over the same period in 2024, while the number of injuries and deaths also dropped 27.43 percent and 11.85 percent, respectively.

The ministry attributed speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, and cutting in front of other vehicles as the leading causes of accidents, with motorcycles remaining the most accident-prone vehicles.

Key indicators have shown notable improvement during the seven-day road safety campaign thanks to the integrated and proactive measures before and during the festival, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told a press conference.

Anutin called for ongoing efforts through proactive initiatives, strict law enforcement, and public awareness campaigns to establish sustainable road safety and mitigate risk factors such as unsafe driving behaviors, speeding, and the failure to wear protective gear.

Thailand aims to reduce annual road fatalities to 12 deaths per 100,000 people by 2027. ■