An In-Depth Investigation of Roadside Crashes on Thai National Highways

The numbers of road crashes in Thailand, which result in about 12,000 deaths each year, about 12% of these crashes occur on national highways under the jurisdiction of the Department of Highways (DOH). For the past four years, 2007-2010, roadside crashes have constituted between 42.2 - 47.9 % of the total crashes on the DOH's highways. This paper aims to improve the roadside safety situation in Thailand. The cases involve vehicle hitting roadside trees, which is one of the most serious and common roadside crashes in Thailand. This paper provides overview details of the investigation into the cause of roadside crashes and to the strategies about how to deal with this serious problem. The strategies are described in the DOH Roadside Safety Strategic Plan 2009 - 2013 that the authors have contributed to its development