Thailand Steps Up Fight Against Drowsy Driving Ahead of New Year Travel Rush
As millions of people prepare to travel during the upcoming New Year holidays, Thailand has stepped up efforts to tackle one of the most overlooked dangers on the road drowsy driving.
As millions of people prepare to travel during the upcoming New Year holidays, Thailand has stepped up efforts to tackle one of the most overlooked dangers on the road drowsy driving.
On 8 December 2025, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) under the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office for Thailand, officially launched the national road safety campaign “Don’t Drive Drowsy – Stay Awake, Stay Alive” in Bangkok. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of fatigue-related driving risks at a critical time when road traffic volumes are expected to surge nationwide.
Opening the event, H.E. Mr. Pattana Promphat, Minister of Public Health, warned that drowsy driving is now the third leading cause of road crashes in Thailand, according to police data. While Thailand has made significant progress in strengthening emergency medical and trauma care systems, he stressed that the most effective way to save lives is to prevent crashes before they happen.
“Fatigue behind the wheel is often underestimated,” the Minister said, noting that while risks such as drink-driving are well documented and regulated, research and policy frameworks addressing drowsy driving remain limited. He called for greater public awareness of how sleep deprivation, underlying health conditions, and fatigue impair driving ability, and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to implementing sustainable measures to ensure medical fitness to drive, in line with Thailand’s National Road Safety Master Plan.
Dr Ailan Li, WHO Representative to Thailand, reaffirmed WHO’s strong support for Thailand’s leadership in advancing evidence-based road safety strategies, aligning with the global target to halve road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030 under the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. She described fatigue as a “silent danger” that reduces judgment and slows reaction time, significantly increasing the risk of serious crashes.
Dr Li praised Thailand’s progress in promoting medical fitness to drive and improving public health literacy, while emphasizing WHO’s advocacy for the Safe System Approach—a comprehensive framework that recognizes road safety as a shared responsibility. “Safe roads and safe vehicles are just as important as safe road users,” she said, highlighting the need for integrated policies across health, transport, and enforcement sectors.
The event brought together representatives from government agencies, law enforcement, medical schools, transport authorities, civil society organizations, and the private sector, who shared crash data and technical evidence pointing to the significant yet often underestimated role of fatigue-related impairment in road injuries and fatalities.
WHO reiterated its commitment to supporting Thailand in shifting the national focus from responding to road traffic injuries to preventing crashes before they occur, through coordinated action among health, transport, enforcement, academia, and other partners.
As the holiday travel season approaches, authorities urged drivers to prioritize rest and health before getting behind the wheel.
“Fatigue is preventable, and medical fitness is manageable. Don’t drive drowsy your life, and the lives of others, depend on it,” the campaign message concludes.
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