PHUKET: Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawarangkul formally launched a road-safety awareness campaign yesterday (Jan 24) under the banner of ‘To Be Number One’ in the hopes of reducing the number, and severity, of road accidents in the area.
The campaign was actually announced to Kathu municipal councillors by Mayor Chai-anan Suthikul on Friday (Jan 20), with the announcement followed by a mass ride through Kathu joined by hundreds of people on motorbikes all wearing helmets.
The key objective of the campaign is to achieve ‘100%’ of people on motorbikes, including passengers, wearing helmets at all times.
The campaign involves support from public health workers in Kathu District, including Patong Hospital as well as Kathu District Health Center, Kamala Health Center and the Kathu Health Center operated by the (Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO).
Also supporting the campaign is the Kathu District Public Health Volunteer Club and the Kathu District ‘To Be Number One’ club, along with the division of Non-Formal Education officers operating under the Kathu District Office.
Under the campaign, people are asked “to be a leader and host, to make a commitment that we, Thai people, will have discipline and conscience to continuously prevent and reduce road accidents,” Mr Siwat said.
“When driving motorcycles, we will wear helmets 100%, both the driver and the passenger. Do not drive opposite traffic flow [ghostride], drunk drive or drive faster than the law.. Do not cross traffic lines, do not drive through red lights. We will have discipline, conscience and respect the traffic rules. We must be considerate to our fellow travellers when driving. Always wear a seat belt when using a car on the road, whether going near or far,” he said.
“We will seek cooperation, and expand the results of our campaign, by telling friends, family members, people we work with, Thai people across the country and tourists,”Mr Siwat continued.
“And we will absolutely not get involved with drugs of any kind,” he added.
“Prevention is better than cure when it comes to people being injured, disabled, bedridden. There is no need to be a burden on family and society,” Mr Siwat said.
“All groups of people who drive motorcycles are holding campaigns in their various communities in the area to stimulate awareness of their behaviour, and create a change in caring, to prevent and reduce accidents to minimise loss of life and property, which has received great cooperation from the general public,” Mr Siwat concluded.
Source: The Phuket News
