The number of traffic accidents in China rose 36 percent, to 3.9 million in 2010, resulting in one death every nine minutes, according to the Public Security Ministry.

MSN: Party on, China! But get a driver

Everyone agrees that the number of deaths from traffic accidents around 500 this year, or five for every hour of the four-day festival is out of hand.

ECONOMIST: Is the Songkran festival getting out of hand?

Makowsky from Townson University and Thomas Stratmann from George Mason University argue that the increase in the number of traffic tickets leads to a decrease in the number of accidents.

FORBES: It's Not Your Imagination. Recessions Do Lead to More Traffic Tickets

Google thought big when it aimed to reduce accidents, the time and energy wasted in traffic, and the number of cars on the road by 90 percent.

FORBES: Part Four of a Six-Part Series