A recent study by the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute confirmed what many already know about Thailand: that being on the road there can be a treacherous business. Thailand ranked number two in the university’s study of road fatalities in the world, with 44 road deaths per 100,000 people. It was second only to Namibia, which had 45 road deaths per 100,000. Fatalities from road accidents made up 5.1 percent of Thailand’s overall deaths.
The report compared road mortality rates with three other causes of death: malignant neoplasm, ischaemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Rates of road death were lower than the other causes in Thailand, but the mortality rates from road accidents were still alarmingly high.
The road fatality rate in Thailand is more than double the global average of 18. African countries dominated the 10 worst countries for road deaths, along with Iran, Iraq and Dominican Republic. In Asia, Mongolia was the next most dangerous country, followed by Malaysia, China and India. According to the study, the Maldives, Tajikistan and Malta are the safest places to drive in the world.