Reducing road accidents top priority for New Year’s Festival

[bluesofa]

"a meeting of government authorities tasked with preparing for the New Year’s Festival over the holiday. Prawit Wongsuwon, deputy premier and defence minister, chaired the meeting."

 

And will the deputy premier say publicly now that (without massaging the figures), if they don't drop by at least 50% on last year's, he will resign, with no pension?

Of course he won't, the words 'responsibility' and 'government' just don't go together here.

[Cranky]

I just learned this recently following the terrible accident in Bang Saray involving the Songtaew that hit a tree killing several people a few weeks ago.

 

Driving past the spot, a couple of weeks after the smash with my Thai Missis and she pointed out white powder plastered all aver the tree.  Gobsmacked to hear the explanation being that people chuck the powder at the tree in a bid to 'see' numbers made in the air by the powder to then buy lottery tickets. 

 

There is no hope.

[maxcorrigan]

4 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Unless they are wealthy, famous or well connected. 

Exactly, and it seems they can just refuse to be tested, and that is deemed OK!

[lvr181]

Yet another pathetic response to the Kingdom's road trauma!  

 

Like all pronouncements before it, there will be very little action or ongoing action. Why? Because the reality is that the authorities do not know what or how to take effective long lasting action to mitigate the disasterous road trauma.  We're beating our gums to death over something that the authorities have neither the will nor the 'proper' thinking to deal with this problem. Remember also, the majority who are killed or injured are 'serfs' and tourists. Nowhere near the top of the feudal tree!

 

Travel safely and carefully folks.

[fakename]

At least they are trying! Everyone knows how many traffic accidents are at airports! 5555. Lets have a safe New Year, and to hell with all the other days of the year. 

[Retfed50]

Same thing, different year. Reminds me of Albert Einstein's definition of insanity: "Doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result".

[Daveyh]

The only way to stop the carnage is to have this serious issue addressed 365 days a year 24/7. Firstly, a really strong police force & judicial system needs to be created with heavy fines & penalties for "back handers" or corruption. Then, a really powerful legal system with Judges that will enforce the law & support the Police & Lawyers that prosecute offenders. Fines of circa 500 baht etc are ridiculous & jail sentences even more of a joke ..... the penalty for doing wrong must fit the crime & lives do matter! All this must start somewhere & in Thailand it's got to be at the very top level of Thai society. Sadly, knowing how life is here it is not likely to happen anytime soon ..... Thai's love their freedom, will ignore almost any law if they find it inconvenient, enforcement of the law is non-existent, corruption is not going to go away as it's too embedded in society here. So there you have it ....... nothing will change ..... a purge for a few days or during a holiday period & things will return to normal .... fact. 

[HHTel]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

A fund will be created to reward people who record videos or take photos of others violating laws that help lead to the arrest of offenders, he said.

They are too lazy to get of their backsides themselves and patrol the roads, so they want the public to do their job for them.  We mustn't drag them away from drinking coffee in their comfortable offices.

 

This claptrap comes out every year but as usual it's smoke and mirrors with no action.

[lvr181]

23 minutes ago, fakename said:

At least they are trying! Everyone knows how many traffic accidents are at airports! 5555. Lets have a safe New Year, and to hell with all the other days of the year. 

555  Very 'trying'. 

[lensta]

3 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

why only new year? and other festivals?

 

this is a bizarre place sometimes.

You only think is a bizarre place sometimes??

[bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, lensta said:

You only think is a bizarre place sometimes??

It's very bizarre the other times...

[Destiny1990]

Gosh they doing so much yet always come on top as most deadliest country for traffic accidents.

Why keep bothering with it just ban all traffic rules. and traffic lights.

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

Never going to happen, at least not until some things really change. First of all, people need to learn to drive before they they get their driver's license. Which will be extremely difficult, what with everyone thinking 'me first, and screw everyone else'. On top of that, the Thai traffic police need to start doing their job, instead of collecting tea money. I've been coming to Thailand for over 30 years now and have lived there off and on, but I can't say I'm very optimistic.

Indeed. 'Difficult' is the key word here, Thais do not do difficult so it ain't going to change.

[ebean001]

focus probably should be young people on motorcycles...especially those that have been drinking.

 

how about breathe tests prior to departure for all bus and van drivers.

 

again, I doubt thai is #1 in deaths in cars operated by individuals.

[natway09]

Unless it is possible to change the Thai mindset this is just more hot air.

How do you make a Thai understand that every time you are in charge of a vehicle 

you are handling a potentially deadly weapon ?

They just do not take this seriously & I can see no change in the near future

[farcanell]

5 hours ago, hansnl said:

But to blame the lack of law enforcement is quite wrong.

The real reason is the lack of self-control and selfdiscipline.

For clarity..... is that lack of self control and self disciple as shown by the law unenforcement department?

if so, I agree wholeheartedly.... if they had these qualities, they might make it through an honest day’s work, assisting the public, serving and protecting... and such

[Sydebolle]

As long as the corrupt police is not doing their jobs there will be no end in sight. Absolutely everything is related to the non-inforcement of the law according to the law but rather to the little slipped bank notes under the police‘ hand held wad of tickets. Go figure what will happen coming New Year weekend again.....

[Lingba]

Nice to have a top priority...its enforcing that is always the issue..and that never happens here..therefore..priorities are never dealt with

[tinca tinca]

thought they had done all this with 777, reported on here some days ago !!!

[metisdead]

An offensive post has been removed. 

[chivo]

If they really want safety, they shouldn’t focus on just the New Year. They have to institute measures on the day to day. That’s how you make safety a way of life. Not safety as a special occasion. 

[finnomick]

Too late. Do they really think they can educate a population into safe driving in the next 2 weeks ?

[anon467848]

Wakey, wakey, Government morons, there are 365 days in a year. Why is the dog and pony show only rolled out during holiday periods at New Year, Songkran etc... Thai logic????  Not much wonder it's the most dangerous country in the world to drive, the traffic police only enforce the law for 340 days in the year...

[graemeaylward]

Here we are only 2 weeks away from New Year and I have yet to see a "Drink Drive" poster or tv advert anywhere! Come to think of it, in the 5 years I have lived here I have never seen any road safety advertisements or public service broadcasts!! To see how it should be done throughout the year see http://think.direct.gov.uk.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[lvr181]

4 hours ago, graemeaylward said:

Here we are only 2 weeks away from New Year and I have yet to see a "Drink Drive" poster or tv advert anywhere! Come to think of it, in the 5 years I have lived here I have never seen any road safety advertisements or public service broadcasts!! To see how it should be done throughout the year see http://think.direct.gov.uk.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

Agreed but the reality is that even though they could (or still may) do it, history shows that there will be little enforcement to back it up. Just another half-baked idea.

[Redline]

On 12/15/2017 at 6:07 AM, jaywalker said:

It's that time again... 

 

Gitty up!  Ok, then get me a Drink 

[mikiea]

On 12/15/2017 at 8:21 AM, sammieuk1 said:

Coming soon to a road near you death race 2018 on your marks .

yes    .... driving in thailand is like the original "death race" movie  only the coppers in the movie were much better then the gimme gimme gimme boys of these days ....

[berrec]

A'h, just another day on Thailand roads enjoying the pleasures of other considerate drivers around you.

 

 

Until the government starts from "ground zero" they will never change the driving attitudes of Thais.

 

IMHO it will be excessive "road toll" statistics as normal "year-on-year" without a complete holistic approach to the problem.

 

It could take one or more generations to dig themselves out of the current lethargy of solving this problem. 

 

Does the government, communities, agencies and drivers really have the fortitude and initiatives to undertake and accept effective change. 

 

If we are still engaging in this same conversational topic in the coming years, NO!