Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) executives met on Tuesday to discuss mandatory blood-alcohol tests for motorists involved in accidents.

Led by deputy governor Tavida Kamolvej, the meeting acknowledged statistics from the Department of Disease Control (DDC) showing that over 50% of road accidents in the past year were caused by drunk driving.

“The problem we face is that there is no law mandating that all motorists must be tested for alcohol in their blood immediately after being involved in an accident,” Tavida said. “Currently only police officers can order such tests in writing from the hospital where the motorists are sent to.”

Tavida pointed out that motorists involved in accidents face heavy penalties if tests show their blood-alcohol level exceeds the legal limit. The stiff penalties aim to ensure that drivers obey traffic laws, helping to reduce deaths, injuries, and damage from road accidents.

Suksan Kittisupakorn, BMA deputy permanent secretary, proposed three measures to tackle the problem.

First, amend traffic laws to mandate immediate blood-alcohol tests on all people involved in road accidents, not just drivers. Second, specify which agencies will be responsible for the cost of testing. Third, use technology to build a paperless system for test ordering and reporting, creating cost-saving and seamless coordination among related agencies.

Tavida said the BMA is ready to support all related agencies in efforts to reduce road accidents, including installing and maintaining CCTV systems throughout the city and ensuring that all BMA public health units operate under the same standard.
“We need to make alcohol testing mandatory by law. If that cannot be done, we at least must find ways to improve the existing system, either by increasing cooperation or implementing modern technology,” she said.

BMA executives agreed to hold another meeting to discuss the issue with representatives from the Royal Thai Police and BMA tech experts.