Road Safety Management of National Highway No.12 A Case Study: Tourism Route Phitsanulok Province – Phetchabun Province

Abstract

The problem of road accidents has affected the image of Thailand's tourism for a long time. Although the government and the private sector work together to come up with policies and campaigns to reduce the number of road accidents every year, it is not enough when compared to the losses that occur. This research study collected data on travel routes, National Highway No. 12 from Phitsanulok Province - Phetchabun Province, aims to study the accidents statistics, the driver’s behavior, Road Safety Audit (RSA), Hiyari – Hatto risk map and propose recommendation for improve risk factors. According to the research results, it was found that such tourist routes are more likely to cause road accidents. This is partly due to the problem of high – speed behavior on tourist routes. Although the average speed of most vehicles does not exceed the legal limit of 90 km/h, measures should be taken to reduce speed to urgently promote safety in tourism. Conducting RSA identified similar risk factors, including physical problems on the road: U-turn problems, deteriorating traffic signs, rough road surfaces and insufficient lighting at intersections. Developing Hiyari - Hatto risk map with the participation of residents showed the location of road hazards, as well as being used as a map to monitor the location of accidents on the tourist route, leading to effective safety management.