The first four days of the so-called "seven dangerous days" of the New Year break saw 262 fatalities and 3,081 injuries on roads nationwide, a senior official said yesterday.

Deputy director-general of the Disease Control Department, Dr. Seri Hongyok, announced that 2,823 road accidents occured from Friday to Monday following a stepped-up campaign to promote safe driving.

The number of accidents during the four days was 38 (1.36 percent) higher than in the same period 2006. But the number of road deaths was 13 (4.73 percent) fewer than in the previous year. The number of road injuries was 14 (0.46 percent) lower than in 2006.

Chiang Rai had the highest number of road accidnts and injuries. It recorded 102 accidents and 108 injuries, followed by Surin, which saw 91 accidents and 107 injuries. Khon Kaen posted the highest death toll at 16, followed by Nakhon Pathom with 13 and Rayont with 11. Mae Hong Son, Pattani, Narathiwat, Mukdahan, Satun, Ranong and Roi Et were yet to report road accident during this period.

On Monday alone, 858 accidents were recorded nationwide, with 74 fatalities and 950 injuries, Seri said.

Drunk driving was the main cause of accidents, blamed for 46.97 percent of cases. That was followed by speeding, which caused 24.13 percent of accidents. A vast majority of Monday's crashes involved motorcycles (85.42 percent) and most accidents took place on secondary roads (about 70 percent), he said. The deadliest time when most crashes happened was from 4 pm to 8 pm (31.7 percent), he added.

Some 1,702,437 vehicles were stopped at checkpoints nationwide and 50,185 motorists were found to have violated traffic laws -mostly for failing to show driving licences (34.31 percent) and for not wearing helmets (32.62 percent).

With many people returning to work in Bangkok during this period, the Road Safety Centre had contacted provincial authorities to set up checkpoints and service points along highways and secondary roads to curb violators, Seri said. He also urged people to avoid driving at high speeds as well as regrain from taking the wheel if they felt tired or drowsy.

Both of Nakhon Ratchasima city's old and new bus terminals were packed with people headed for Bangkok since early yesterday morning. Provincial transport Official Chatchai Makkhawiman said there were 300 buses to provide 560 trips per day. In all, they could ferry about 24,000 passenters each days. He advised commuters in the city to set out in the morning because people from outer districts and provinces tend to travel in the afternoons and evenings.