Over 14,000 people killed in motorcycle accidents in 2024: DDC

The Department of Disease Control (DDC) on Wednesday urged all motorcyclists to wear crash helmets, as more than 14,000 people were killed in motorcycle-related accidents in 2024 alone.

DDC Highlights Motorcycle Death Toll and Urges Helmet Use

DDC Director-General Dr Panumas Yanawetsakul cited official statistics from three government agencies, revealing that between 2020 and 2024, an average of 17,428 people died in road accidents each year—with 80% of the fatalities involving motorcycles.

In 2024 alone, 17,447 people were killed in road traffic accidents, of which 14,144 deaths were linked to motorcycle incidents, Dr Panumas said.

"On average, three people died in motorcycle accidents every two hours in 2024," he added.

2022 Data Reveals Cost and Scale of Road Accident Injuries

Dr Panumas also cited statistics from the Health Data Centre (HDC) of the Ministry of Public Health, which revealed that in 2022, over 1.06 million people were treated for road accident-related injuries—212,271 inpatients and 848,295 outpatients.

The total cost of treatment in 2022 reached 7.827 billion baht, with 80% of the expenses attributed to motorcycle-related injuries.

Most Motorcyclists Hospitalised Were Not Wearing Helmets

Deputy DDC Director-General Dr Anek Mungomklang said that 84% of motorcyclists hospitalised between 2020 and 2024 were not wearing crash helmets at the time of the accident.

He added that the number of riders not wearing helmets was eight times higher than those who wore them.

Advice for Motorcyclists with Young Passengers

Dr Sirirat Suwanrit, head of the DDC’s Injury Prevention Division, advised that children too young to wear helmets should avoid riding motorcycles altogether.

She also recommended that motorcyclists carrying young children as pillion passengers should drive at speeds below 50 kilometres per hour for safety.