kwilco

the real CAUSES of road safety pronblems Idiot drivers exist all over the world in roughly the same proportions – There is no preponderance of stupid drivers in Thailand (apart possibly from Expats) to suggest so is a racist POV and shows a lack of understanding of road safety. Road safety is a public health issue and it is tackles by protecting ALL road users from themselves. Most accidents are caused by “human error” – but people don’t understand what that is – it includes YOU! People love to blame other road users and cite things they see “reckless” driving “too fast” , “don’t care” – these are all subjective expressions and don’t reflect the causes of a crash. Often they are down to many minor errors – tuning a radio, distracted or failure to react appropriately in the slit second after a collision. Shouting at children in the back? Of course phones and eating are common…but there are many different causes. Human error is a major factor in road safety, around 90% of all road accidents. This doesn't necessarily mean that drivers are always intentionally reckless or irresponsible. But recognising this is the basis of any successful road safety policy Here's a breakdown of how human error can manifest in road safety: Cognitive factors - all drivers make small mistakes every time they get behind the wheel or cock their leg over…… Lack of concentration - distractions like phones, eating, or adjusting the radio can divert a driver's focus from the road, this often leads to missed hazards and delayed reactions. Poor decision-making: Speeding, ignoring traffic signals, or misjudging gaps in traffic can all be as a result of miscalculation – Just simple things like parallel parking in any country show how motorists are totally unaware of how to control their vehicle. Fatigue: Drowsiness and lack of sleep impair reaction times and increase the risk of errors. I know of many who boast about how long they can drive in a day etc etc… Intoxication - People like to say “drunk” as if that is the excuse – the truth is even small amounts of alcohol dissolve inhibitions and affect your judgement so the results are usually an increase in MINOR human error: Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs significantly elevates the risk of accidents by affecting coordination, perception, and decision-making. Physical factors: I know of several expats driving in Thailand who wouldn’t get a licence back home so medical conditions: obvious conditions like epilepsy, but alos diabetes, or vision problems can impair driving ability. Many are totally unaware of their own vision impairment – this is nothing to do with being “Thai”. Many expats are old: They seem unaware that as we age, reaction times and cognitive abilities slow down, increasing the risk of errors on the road. As people get older they are less good at driving in adverse conditions – and this is not helped by the quality of Thai roads or their signs and markings which are often invisible in poor weather. Or bright sunlight even Poor road design: Confusing or unclear road markings, inadequate lighting, or potholes can contribute to accidents especially as about 50% of traffic on Thai roads has 2 wheels. Adverse weather conditions: Rain, low visibility driving as dusk etc can make driving more challenging and increase the risk of errors for all of us. Attributing an accident solely to "human error" is oversimplifying the issue. Often, a combination of factors, including the road environment, vehicle condition, and the driver's state, can contribute to an accident., but as most people are unaware of what human error really is and how it is responsible for up to 90% of crashes it is important to understand this better. None of this related to race or nationality – but it can be addressed by governments as a public health problem not as simply saying Thai people are bad drivers. there are of course some other causes but it is how governments address these problems that is important not some racist perception of Thai people ... please don't start using the word culture as an althernative justification of a racist point of view.

There is stupid, stupider and racist – anyone who thinks the reason for Thailand’s high road death rate is down to “Thais being stupid” – is just plain wrong – if they don’t see that, they probably fall into one of the 3 previous categories. Foreigners in Thailand typically use racist viewpoint when criticising road safety which clouds their perception and of course hinders a rational view of the topic. This harmful practice of attributing negative driving qualities to entire nationalities or races stems from various logical fallacies or just a simplistic untutored attitude to reason and analysis The most obvious is stereotyping. Humans instinctively love to categorize and simplify information, which leads to stereotypes, overgeneralized and unhelpful beliefs about a group of people. Stereotypes can be inaccurate and harmful, and in the case of driving, can unfairly paint an entire nation or race as bad drivers This is usually based on limited or anecdotal experiences. People also mistake driving for experience in road safety Confirmation bias: You ca see this all over this thread and others when people chip in with anecdotes they wrongly perceive as relevant. There is a tendency to pay more attention to information that confirms our existing beliefs, while ignoring or downplaying evidence that contradicts them. This can lead to situations where isolated incidents of bad driving by individuals from a particular group are readily recalled and amplified, while positive examples are overlooked, reinforcing the negative stereotype. In-group bias: People wrong assume that “at home” all drivers are much better than in Thailand. They ignore the fact that they have advanced road safety systems that protect drivers from their own failures and mistakes. So they assume we are all “superb” drivers in our home countries….In this way, we often favour our own group and view them more positively, while simultaneously harbouring negative biases towards out-groups (e.g. the population of Thailand). This leads to attributing negative traits, like poor driving, to members of other nationalities or races more readily than to our own. This is clearly demonstrated on this thread As I mentioned earlier people love to put forward a single issue as the answer )(as if no-one had ever thought of it before!) This results in scapegoating (or the “blame game”): For some, when facing frustration or anger in complex situations like traffic crashes, people find it easier to seek a simple explanation to blame. This leads to unfairly and inaccurately targeting specific groups as scapegoats, even if the evidence is lacking… and in the case of accidents in Thailand when was the last time you looked at an RTI report? Media the media has a huge part in this. Time after time they mispresent the situation – reporters with no understanding of road safety of statistics, contribute to the problem by focusing only on sensational stories (that sell) involving drivers from certain groups, neglecting to provide broader context or highlighting positive examples. This skewed representation can further solidify negative stereotypes in the public consciousness. So remember … One person within any group cannot be accurately represented by a single stereotype. On this thread there is a general acceptance of negative qualities to entire groups which is unfair, inaccurate, and harmful. Focusing on cause rather than association and avoiding generalizations is crucial for to understanding and combating prejudice and understanding road safety. Instead of resorting to harmful stereotypes, one needs to learn how to challenge one’s own biases and be aware of how they influence our perceptions. Learn how to RESEARCH not SEARCH to seek out real perspectives and information in order to broaden our understanding. Don’t tar all motorists with one brush and truly understand why human error is and how it is a constant on ALL roads everywhere.

QED

More racist nonsense! - You are just insulting Thai people.

Everybody has their own "theory" - just because they drive, they think they are an "expert" (i hate that word) on road safety - unfortunately they don't add up - they are at best hypotheses but they don't know how to use evidence to back up the idea that presumably came to them either in the toilet or during a drinking session in a bar. Too fast No police Drunk THere is NO SINGLE cause for Thailand's deplorable road safety record and these lay-people who think they have the right answer are totally barking up the wrong tree.

Rubbish post - you are not even beginning to understand how road safety works - you are not offering any verifyable evidence to support you purely subjective claims - I suspect you don't even begin to realise how facile they are.

THat's like looking a Cadillac and saying it's the Rolls-Royce of cars.

I should re-iterate why you CAN"t get pizza that's any good as a pizza outside italy - I find that most people here are quite happy to eat "ultra-processed foods" oblivious to what that does to your diet and it isn't just pizza, it’s all Italian food - Italian food encompasses a vast range of culinary traditions from different regions, each with its own unique flavours and ingredients. In typical Italian tradition, Pizza is a regional dish. (it also goes for many foods served outside their native country or region. It isn't because you "like the taste" - if you had a real pizza and you're used to ultra-processed foods you might not like it - it is all about how to make a proepr one not some bastrardised version for mass production or by a chef with no real ingredients These are some reasons why you will find differences in Italian food outside of Italy: The ingredients. Freshness and quality: Italy has a strong emphasis on using the freshest, seasonal ingredients. Outside of Italy, it is usually impossible to access the same quality and variety of produce, especially the regional varieties and specialties. (Similarly, I usually buy chillies in Thailand to take back to UK family restaurant as they have quite a different taste from the chillies usually available in UK which come from India.) Certain ingredients are just not readily available and are substituted with inferior versions, leading to a different taste profile. Even the most diligent “competent” chef can’t avoid this. Italy has farming that often differ from those in other countries, resulting in variations in flavours and texture of ingredients that may look identical – even though they are genetically different. Italian cooking techniques and traditions don’t travel – chefs take short cut or “innovate” or “improve” – to the cost of authenticity. This is often dictated by availability and economics Most restaurants outside of Italy don’t traditional techniques and recipes. They adapt dishes to suit local tastes or use shortcuts, which can alter the flavour. They lack skill and knowledge. Even if they are of Italian decent, it is still necessary to master traditional Italian cooking and this takes time and the experience of mentors. Cooks outside Italy simply don’t have the same level of expertise, leading to variations in execution. The way food is prepared and presented in Italy is often connected to specific cultural rituals and traditions. Recreating those aspects outside of Italy can prove impossible, impacting the overall experience. What we expect is often erroneous. What we consider to be "Italian food" outside of Italy is often influenced by stereotypes - popular restaurants and media misrepresentations, which are inaccurate reproductions of the diverse culinary landscape of Italy. Taste is of course subjective, and what one person finds delicious, another might find uninspiring – or they may not have ever tasted Italian food in Italy. I personally don’t mind eating things called “pizza” from other parts of the world – (but then my nick name is “dustbin”) – but they are not real Italian pizzas as anyone from Italy will know. I’m sure conversely you will be able to find bad pizzas in Italy – especially in the most touristic areas. Italian food has constantly evolved throughout history, influenced by regional variations and external factors. So, even "authentic" Italian food can look and taste different depending on the specific region and time period. But it still won’t travel outside the country. Ultimately, the best way to appreciate Italian food is to keep an open mind and try dishes from different regions and restaurants, both inside and outside of Italy. Then you’ll realise that Italian food just doesn’t travel outside Italy

I think a comment like that shows you really don't understand how to make a point. I very much doubt if you can separate, opinion from evidence from fact and work out how they should be applied to an argument.

several posts pointing out that italian food is prepared in a "traditional" way in other countries - unfortunately that is not an argument - it is actually a reason why it doesn't travel - it takes more than just a facimile over or similar ingredients the fact it they are NOT the same - the ingrdients won't be Italian locally grown, the doungh won't be right (BTW - don't start me on Olice ol!!!) and the Guanciale traditionally used in Carbonara was actually BANNED in the USA for several years. It isn't just Italian food, it is the way that best simple food is made that doesn't travel - it requires local produce, local methodology and local knowledge. As I said I would eat anything and a lot I would enjoy, but I'm aware of what I'm eating and how it falls short of the original BTW - Focaccia is an even bigger travesty than pizza - it comes from Genova as does pesto.

Whatever you see - says more about you than me.

I have argued at length why you can't.

Probably because they blast appetite stimulants out onto the street - unfortunately it's all part of ultra processed food production.

you don't seem to be aware of the change in average height of Japanese people over the last 50 years?

THe flour needs to be more than jut type - it needs a country of origin. As I mentioned earier local growing conditionsa=s are very important - that's why I often ship chillies back from Thailand as the same type for Indian has quite a different taste. Coffee is nother example of this.

hardly presumption - it's an example to back up my point of view. But you don't give your point of view, you just resort to ad hom.

I'm not dreaming, I base my knowledge of road safety on good scientific evidence - I don't make assumptions based on race and steretyping or one what I THINK might be happening - people are very bad at interpreting what they see and even worse at changing their minds.

If you understand cooking history this wouldn't be a surprise Most societies in the past had vast numbers of people who only just manages to stac=ve off starvation, so they developed methods of making their STAPLE into interesting, good to eat dishes.. This means that most foods originated out of necessity and did not contain masses of high protein ingredients, they concentrated on flavourings. As Societies became richer or people emigrated to wealthier countries they "adapted" their usual dishes to take more expensive ingredients. They often weren't actually chefs, they just wanted to eat more as it was a symbol of wealth. This is particularly obvious with Italian food as Italians emigrated all over the world to escape poverty. One example is the pizza where the topping has taken over and smothered what in essence was a piece of bread. Another example is Carbonara - "the charcoal burner's wife" which is essentially bacon and egg - nowadays people assume it has cream in it - which was never part of the original dish - try it made properly without - it is still creamy.

Which crust?

THat concept was trown out of the window 40 years ago - you need to catch up and stop insulting Thai people.

basically you have it right about the police - it probably requires constitutional changes - as you need a courts and legal system to follow it up. However that is only one part out of 5 facets that MUST be addressed to bring about any significant permanent changes.

THey tried to sell in Japan, so I expect they sold here - they may even have thought about an assembly plant. But GM bought Daewoo so they wouldn't need they own piece of crap.

I'd say "confused" is the reaction that most people have with road safety in Thailand - they simply don't understand the basics.

You need to expain that in more detail - for instance how it could be improved, how it compares to other countries and what would your conclusion be in terms of improving road safety?

Personal anecdotes contribute nothing to the debate on road safety - they are at best just confirmation bias of incorrect information and perception. THey say more about the ignorance of people on the subject of road safety than anything else.