On 8 December 2025, the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office for Thailand, launched the national road safety campaign “Don’t Drive Drowsy – Stay Awake, Stay Alive” in Bangkok. The initiative comes at a highly timely moment, as the New Year mass travel season approaches.
At the opening ceremony, H.E. Mr. Pattana Promphat, Minister of Public Health, underscored the urgent need to prevent road traffic injuries and fatalities, noting that drowsy driving is the third leading cause of crashes in Thailand, according to police reports. While emergency medical and trauma systems have improved nationwide, he emphasized that real progress in road safety depends on preventing crashes before they occur.
Although considerable evidence exists regarding risk factors such as drink-driving, research on drowsy driving remains insufficient, resulting in an absence of specific policies and legislative frameworks. The Minister urged greater public awareness of the impact of sleep, health conditions, and fatigue on driving ability, and reaffirmed the MOPH’s commitment to implementing sustainable measures that ensure medical fitness to drive and support interventions in alignment 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 implementing evidence-based strategies to reduce road traffic fatalities. This commitment aligns with the global goal of halving road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030 under the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.
She highlighted fatigue as a “silent danger” that impairs judgment and slows reaction time. Dr Li commended Thailand for its progress in managing medical fitness to drive and for efforts to raise public awareness and health literacy. She concluded by emphasizing WHO’s advocacy for the Safe System Approach—recognizing that road safety requires not only safe road users (including medical fitness to drive) but also comprehensive interventions and policies to ensure safe roads and safe vehicles.
During the event, representatives from government agencies, law enforcement, medical schools, transport authorities, civil society organizations, and the private sector shared crash data and technical evidence underscoring the significant role of fatigue-related impairment in road injuries and fatalities—an issue often underestimated.
WHO reiterated its commitment to supporting Thailand in advancing prevention-focused road safety measures, working with health, transport, enforcement, academia, and other partners to shift the focus from responding to injuries to preventing crashes before they happen, ensuring every journey is safe and free from preventable harm.
“Fatigue is preventable, and medical fitness is manageable. Don’t drive drowsy. Your life—and the lives of others—depend on it.”
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H.E. Mr. Pattana Promphat, Minister of Public Health, and Dr Ailan Li, WHO Representative to Thailand
Photo credit: MoPH Thailand