Pick-up sitting ban resurrected for New Year travel

[Russell17au]

5 minutes ago, jvs said:

I would think NY is supposed to be short for New Year and not New York.

Thanks jvs I will stand corrected on that

[digger70]

Why do they have Laws in Thailand  if they don't enforce them? It's been Illegal to travel in the cargo area for god knows how long,,,,1940 's,,, .Clayton's Laws,,,

[AL]

Never mind. If not permitted to sit down, just stand up.

[rwill]

I bet statistics wise it is far safer in the back of a pickup than on a motorbike.  And if they actually enforce this you will see a lot more 4-5 riders on motorbikes.

[Russell17au]

3 minutes ago, rwill said:

I bet statistics wise it is far safer in the back of a pickup than on a motorbike.  And if they actually enforce this you will see a lot more 4-5 riders on motorbikes.

At the end of the day there is only 1 statistic that is important and that is the total number of deaths from road accident related injuries, whether at the scene or later does not matter.

[cardinalblue]

Didn't know that my king cab area is only for registered cargo?

 

 

[bannork]

15 minutes ago, rwill said:

I bet statistics wise it is far safer in the back of a pickup than on a motorbike.  And if they actually enforce this you will see a lot more 4-5 riders on motorbikes.

70% of road deaths are on motorbikes, forget the pick-ups. If the government wants to go after vehicles, they should try vans.

[Chongalulu]

Stumbling directionless from one knee jerk ill  thought through idea to another and now clueless, back to a previous failed one. You really have to wonder about the IQ of those involved.

[helloagain]

If you clamp down on this then why you not clamp down on thousands of thais not wearing crash helmits going to markets. Never any police on the visit road markets rawai phuket every day. WHY PLEASE ANSWER POLICE

[JAG]

9 hours ago, johncat1 said:

Will this ban include pick-ups and converted pick-ups  that transport students to schools Most of which are severely overloaded  ?

 

4 hours ago, KIWIBATCH said:

 

Now, this is something that the Government could do something effective about. Invest in sufficient public/school transport to ensure that children don't have to travel to school like this.

 

Silly me - no money available. The budget has been spent n New Fortunas, IPads for "working away from the office" and natty zip up windcheaters for site visits in the cool season.....

[Rhys]

...ngha.... fatalism.... Thai believe in it..

[metisdead]

A post containing a profane gesture has been removed. 

[Airbagwill]

2 hours ago, berrec said:

Another quest to get the road carnage down, and as stated although in itself it is a dangerous practice, it's a tradition in the LOS..........economics will always dictate how people travel in Thailand.

 

Only................and a big ONLY.......if drivers actually 1) had a license and 2) understood the road rules and 3) drove accordingly to those road rules and conditions maybe....and a big MAYBE, there would be less carnage on the roads and less focus on loading up the back of pickup trucks with people.

 

That said when the majority of brain dead moron drivers don't even stop at clearly marked crossings for pedestrians what chance does Thailand every have of relinquishing their status as the number 1 country for road deaths and injuries in the world. 

 

As my buddy would say "you're flogging a dead horse" if you think you can get people out of the back of pickup trucks.

As ever a simplistic interpretation of a very complex subject

[Airbagwill]

1 hour ago, bannork said:

70% of road deaths are on motorbikes, forget the pick-ups. If the government wants to go after vehicles, they should try vans.

With less than 1% of the deaths?

[Kwasaki]

Wrong.

[Airbagwill]

1 hour ago, Russell17au said:

At the end of the day there is only 1 statistic that is important and that is the total number of deaths from road accident related injuries, whether at the scene or later does not matter.

Rubbish...there's a whole set of statistics relating to death rates and they are completely ignored which is why so much nonsense appears about road safety.

[sawadee1947]

I would like to delay those regulation.....

Because it would be a pity to lose being the "hub of fatal death tolls".

I want to stay in a "Number one" country in the world.

[wgdanson]

3 hours ago, mrfill said:

Which makes it really difficult to drive if people - the driver is a person after all - are not allowed in the cab. But that's the rule, so it must be true.

Don't be a plonker, you know it means behind the front seats.

[Russell17au]

There are plenty of different types of proper buses that could replace all these trucks and pick up conversions. You can buy anything from 22 seater Toyota Coaster, Nissan Civilian and Mitsubishi Rosa to replace all these pick up converted Baht Buses through to proper 40 seater Isuzu buses. There is no reason that these converted trucks should be used.

[wgdanson]

6 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

There are plenty of different types of proper buses that could replace all these trucks and pick up conversions. You can buy anything from 22 seater Toyota Coaster, Nissan Civilian and Mitsubishi Rosa to replace all these pick up converted Baht Buses through to proper 40 seater Isuzu buses. There is no reason that these converted trucks should be used.

I assume you are being sarcastic.

[Russell17au]

2 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

I assume you are being sarcastic.

Not really because the Toyota Coaster is built here in Thailand and is exported and they would be an ideal replacement for the baht buses and they cost the same to run.

You could buy a proper Isuzu bus for the same price as what it would cost to buy that truck and have it converted and the running costs would be the same

[wgdanson]

1 minute ago, Russell17au said:

Not really because the Toyota Coaster is built here in Thailand and is exported and they would be an ideal replacement for the baht buses and they cost the same to run.

You could buy a proper Isuzu bus for the same price as what it would cost to buy that truck and have it converted and the running costs would be the same

Are you saying that the price of an Isuzu bus is same as a 2-door Vigo, plus some planks in the back.

[jaywalker]

11 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Backwards logic again. This would be the time of year when you think they might look the other way because so many people are on the move, for the special occasion.  It should be the other more normal times of the year where people should be encouraged to make other plans to get around as they should not make this a daily practice.

That would require *cough* planning.

[The Deerhunter]

12 hours ago, missoura said:

 

 

I see grass.  Perhaps it is a rural area and kosher.

[Denim]

A good idea with good intentions that is doomed to failure. 

 

You get an idea of joe publics respect for traffic laws when the police have to be ordered to enforce them.

 

If the arresting officer was allowed to keep a percentage of each official fine they might be more motivated to do their job. Proof and reward that he was working and not goofing off as a guard in a gold shop.

 

Of course , should not be necessary but where the work ethic is wanting the wonger ethic is very strong.

[Psimbo]

For all the hand-wringers what do you suggest to move agricultural workers and others around? Minibuses are not practical and the drivers are just as bad. Companies are not going to run two vehicle fleets- it's economically nonviable.

 

The practice should not be banned entirely-  the country would grind to a halt.

 

Ban them on divided highways and other high speed roads but allow them on rural roads where they are needed.

 

The true problem is not people in the back - it's poor driving skills and an inability to read the road ahead. An empty pickup is far easier to brake than one with 16-20 people in the back but Somchai doesn't get that.

[jaywalker]

24 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

An empty pickup is far easier to brake than one with 16-20 people in the back but Somchai doesn't get that.

Especially when the "Brakes Fail".

[Megasin1]

4 hours ago, Psimbo said:

For all the hand-wringers what do you suggest to move agricultural workers and others around? Minibuses are not practical and the drivers are just as bad. Companies are not going to run two vehicle fleets- it's economically nonviable.

 

The practice should not be banned entirely-  the country would grind to a halt.

 

Ban them on divided highways and other high speed roads but allow them on rural roads where they are needed.

 

The true problem is not people in the back - it's poor driving skills and an inability to read the road ahead. An empty pickup is far easier to brake than one with 16-20 people in the back but Somchai doesn't get that.

This is the only solution as they are of course the Architects of their own demise. A law has to be a law, full stop. As soon as you allow exceptions, you allow interpretation and as soon as you allow interpretation you get abuse, misuse, denial and the good old boys in brown making a buck out of poor people. So yes, I agree, not that matters a jot, but the only way is to ban them from fast roads, easy to enforce and all those toll booths that will be empty could be filled with people logging the vehicles and phoning ahead to pull them over, pay proper fines, with proper traffic tickets....but of course that would mean taking their fatality figures seriously and you have to remember these aren't Thailand's accident fatalities, they have just borrowed them from their friend India.

[nausea]

555, yeah this is gonna work. I'm sorry but someone needs to take the VR goggles off and look at the reality.

[AsianAtHeart]

What percentage of road deaths can be attributed to people riding in the back of a pickup?  Are there any statistics for this, and, if so, is anyone willing to admit of such?

 

Personal observation would lead me to conclude that the relative risk of death in the back of a pickup is low.  The following road safety issues deserve greater attention.

 

1. Lack of courtesy.  Drivers who cannot be bothered to use their turn signals to indicate for other drivers what their intentions may be, have no understanding of the importance of doing so in terms of safety.  The same holds true of drivers who choose to drive in the wrong direction, against one-way traffic; drivers who tootle along at an unreasonably low speed in heavily trafficked roadways; drivers who continue to follow the vehicles ahead of them through the intersection after the light has turned red; drivers who leave no following distance between them and the vehicle ahead; drivers who cannot be bothered to use the correct lane, or who occupy portions of two lanes at once, preventing others from being able to pass them; drivers who turn onto a road, perhaps without even looking, completely unmindful of other traffic already traveling at speed; drivers who continue operating a vehicle without functioning headlights, brakelights, or turn lights; etc.  These simple "courtesies" create a culture prone to road rage and accidents.

 

2. U-turns.  Forcing traffic to change directions via a stop in the otherwise "passing lane" (the fastest lane of traffic, supposedly) while waiting for a break in oncoming traffic in which to turn back the other direction is to pit the fastest vehicles against the slowest--a sure recipe for fatal collisions.  Such fatalities would be incurred regardless of the mode of transport, and, depending upon the visibility and traffic conditions of the location, such fatalities may occur even with skilled drivers.

 

3. Alcohol.  The majority of fatalities on the roadways of Thailand are known to be related to the consumption of alcohol.  Prohibiting the purchase of spirits on special holidays does nothing to prevent people from stocking up and consuming their intoxicants at will.  Driving while under the influence of this drug poison reduces natural fears and sensibilities of danger, increases the lag time in responding to events, and impairs proper judgment in making safe decisions.  Even a very limited exposure to alcohol can obstruct proper brain function and render the consumer unfit for driving.  Precisely for this reason, many countries have strict laws regarding the limits of detectable blood-alcohol levels for drivers.

 

While some of these three points can be related to poor traffic engineering (e.g. U-turns), or to the proper enforcement of safety measures (e.g. working lights), the bulk of the problem lies squarely in the realm of culture.  To legislate changes in culture is virtually to attempt the impossible.  Education works better than legislation where culture is concerned. 

 

My suggestion: Hire foreign driving instructors to train a special group in Thailand's police force in how to properly conduct a safe-driving course, and then require all first-time licensees to complete such a course prior to licensure.  Make sure the course includes adequate instruction in the mechanics of vehicle operation, such as the proper use of gears and of brakes in reducing speed, and gives ample warning of the potential consequences of ignoring traffic safety issues--make this fact-based and graphic!