I want to share a story with you about my experience as a high school student in Japan in 1970. At that time, traffic accidents were a major issue, with over 16,000 victims per year. It was a serious problem that required action from both the government and the private sector.
Fortunately, Japan as a whole took action, and the number of traffic accident victims gradually decreased over time. It took 33 years to go from 16,000 to 8,000, and another 13 years to go from 8,000 to 4,000. Now, 53 years later, the number has been reduced to 2,610, just one sixth of what it was 50 years ago.
I believe that Thailand can also achieve a similar reduction in traffic accidents. While the government's control system, laws, campaigns, and improvements to automobiles have all helped, I believe that the most important factor for success has been people's consciousness for their safety.
That's why I believe that our activity starting today will help improve the consciousness of every driver, pedestrian, and administrator. By working together and promoting our campaign, we can reduce the number of traffic accident victims in Thailand by one sixth, just like Japan did.
Thank you to all participants for taking the time to join us in this valuable activity. And a special thanks to the government sector for providing us with opportunities and encouragement.
Let's work together to make our roads safer for everyone. Thank you.