Motorbike helmet campaign aims to make Bangkok a model city

[snoop1130]

Motorbike helmet campaign aims to make Bangkok a model city

By Kornkamon Aksorndech 
The Nation

 

 

A campaign to make Bangkok a model of a “100 per cent safety-helmet using city” was launched on Thursday.

 

The campaign, equipped with 1,500 motorcycle helmets, will see traffic police loaning helmets to motorists arrested for failing to wear one, in order to boost road safety and save lives. 

 

The campaign coincides with the New Year 2018 holidays' seven-day road accident-monitoring period starting December 28. Under the campaign, cyclists can borrow the helmets after being given a hefty traffic ticket and watching a mandatory video clip made to raise road safety awareness. They must return the helmets within seven days. 

 

Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Pol Lt-General Chanthep Sesawech presided over the campaign launch held at the Traffic Police Command on Bangkok's Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road. He said 75 per cent of Bangkok motorcyclists wore helmet while riding, and so the campaign has a chance of reaching 100-per-cent adherence to the law.

 

According to the World Health Organisation, road traffic crashes are among the 10 leading causes of death. Nearly 1.3 million people die worldwide in road crashes each year, with another 20-50 million are injured or disabled. The United Nations has called for member countries to implement measures to reduce road accidents by up to 50 per cent by the end of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. 

 

Thailand was unofficially acknowledged on the World Atlas website last month as having the world’s highest fatality rate in road accidents. Thailand’s estimated road accident death rate is 36.2 per 100,000 (previously top-ranked country Libya had many of its road re-evaluated to reflect violent deaths in its civil war).

 

Thailand has a proportionally large number of motorcycle riders, and they commonly share the same roads as high-speed cars, buses, and trucks, arguably leading to a greater risk of death and injuries for motorcyclists.

 

A police survey in 2016 concluded that 10,924 motorcycles were involved in Bangkok crashes, with many bikers failing to wear a helmet. The report noted that a helmet-use campaign would be a key preventive measure against road fatalities and serious head-injury cases.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30334487

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-21

[cornishcarlos]

Awwww, look at those cute hats in the photo.. 1,500 !! I see more kids come out the local high school every day without helmets :)

[wgdanson]

Helmets?     Egg shells.

 

Humpty Somchai sat on a bike

Wearing a helmet he didn't like

All the Thai policemen and all the King's men

Couldn't put Somchai together again

Edited December 21, 2017 by wgdanson

[mercman24]

ONLY IN BANGKOK . whats up with nation wide it is the flippin LAW , so by this we can assume that the rest of the country are law abiding citizens, yeah right. just imagine this in the UK, all those in Manchester must wear helmets, the rest of the country need not , now see how stupid this is.

[mercman24]

question for the cop i nearly ran over on THREPPASIT road a couple of days ago, i was the farang wearing the helmet and you had to dodge in and out of thais on scooters minus helmets to try and stop me, sorry bud i was in a hurry ha ha  , yes i was sober and legit

[wgdanson]

40 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand has a proportionally large number of motorcycle riders, and they commonly share the same roads as high-speed cars, buses, and trucks, arguably leading to a greater risk of death and injuries for motorcyclists.

 

Ban the cars, buses and trucks. Sorted.

[observer90210]

By looking at things, this would also qualify as the standard issue regulation motorbike helmet !!

Edited December 21, 2017 by observer90210

[Rhys]

That time of year and the need to use that promotion money...

 

[Dexlowe]

This constant refusal to face reality gets so bloody frustrating. You know it, I know it ... the whole bloody world knows it: The only thing that will work is strict policing and harsh penalties.

 

The other undeniable reality which we all know is that the cowardly cops crumple at the words "Do you know who I am?". 

 

Anyway, here's an idea which involves CSR (corporate social responsibility, which is trendy these days): Backed by lots of promotions and advertising, companies could sponsor "helmet lockers" for staff and visitors in which nicely designed and very attractive lockers could be installed to keep helmets, along with tissues which staff (and others) can use with helmets provided by motorbike taxis to protect their hair (hygiene thing, really). 

 

EDIT: Just thought of another truly brilliant idea, which I know everyone will love: Hold a Miss Helmet beauty contest. Sure-fire winner, right? The winner gets her traffic fines automatically cancelled for the next 12 months.

Edited December 21, 2017 by Dexlowe
Adding ...

[james.d]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The campaign coincides with the New Year 2018 holidays' seven-day road accident-monitoring period starting December 28. Under the campaign, cyclists can borrow the helmets after being given a hefty traffic ticket and watching a mandatory video clip made to raise road safety awareness. They must return the helmets within seven days.

 

Please start a campaign to impound or disable motorcycles in this instance and a hefty fine required to have the motorcycle released.

Oh and find some police to actually enforce traffic laws independently and not hang around in "groups" waiting for special payment.

I have driven here for over 20 yrs and the style of driving is getting worse year upon year with motorcyclists top of that list. 

 

Edited December 22, 2017 by james.d

[ChrisY1]

Over 3 million bikes in Bangkok.....the cops are gonna manage these?

There will still be 4+ up, speeding, riding on footpaths, going the wrong way and no helmets for ever!

[peperobi]

DREAMERS.....

[AhFarangJa]

I have just come up with an idea for the accident problem at the next big accident time, Songkran........The police are going to lend a driving license to all drivers who do not have one at a checkpoint. They must watch a 10 second video on how to get one legally ( any longer and the attention span wanes ), and they must return the loaned license in the mail after 7 days......

[Lupatria]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

A campaign to make Bangkok a model of a “100 per cent safety-helmet using city” was launched on Thursday.

If I had dreams like that I would definitely change medication. Btw. looking at these 'helmets' one may as well try to protect his head by covering it in salad leaves. 

[Jimbo2014]

Ahh... the latest crackdown.  Wasnt it seatbelts a few months ago... thats gone.  Before that lane changes... thats gone.... before that talking on mobiles.... thats gone.

Statistical analysis proves that the average life expectancy of a crackdown in Thailand is about 12 days.

[Muggi1968]

Why do they always aim at Bangkok ???

When I travel up country I see people drive 10 times more crazy than in BKK and drink/drive much more !!!

Just Wonder ???

[Bangkok Barry]

Why are they wasting their time. Thais will do whatever they want to do. You cannot discipline them. And if the riders want to risk their life then let them. They harm no-one but themselves.

[irwinfc]

model city alright... model of what NOT to follow

[Ulic]

I can't believe what passes for a helmet in Thailand. Even worse is the photograph

they use for the article. It just reinforces the crap standard. 

[01322521959]

OK get them wearing helmets, now how to bring them up to a standard where they will be of any use in an accident ..Just another half baked idea by the BIB.

 

[chuang]

[PAIBKK]

Helmets in Thailand are egg shells.

 

Last Tuesday I wasn't allowed to enter a shopping mall in Bangkok while I was carrying my Arai VX-PRO helmet (own import, $ 749 + 7% tax + import tax of 15,000 THB) in my hand. Security guard stopped me and saying "can not, can not".

As I am not leaving it on my bike or chained to my bike, risking getting damaged or stolen, in a (un)guarded bike parking outside the mall, they didn't get any revenue from me.

[Rimmer]

A profane post has been removed

[farcanell]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Why are they wasting their time. Thais will do whatever they want to do. You cannot discipline them. And if the riders want to risk their life then let them. They harm no-one but themselves.

And their passengers.... and their family.... and anyone else who is involved in a gory accident.... and any ambulance/police/medical person attending.... and any bystanders. That’s the psychological side

 

then theres the financial cost to the community at large, from rehabilitation for the lucky, to cremation for the not so lucky.

 

the “they do no harm, but to themselves” ethos, is just wrong. Oft repeated on these pages, but still wrong, which is quite perplexing given the education level and personal experiences of posters herein

[Searat7]

Start with the moto taxis. I live in Silom and 99% of the drivers do not offer passengers a helmet. No police here to stop them anyway. Must be hiding out in coffee shops.

[Bangkok Barry]

9 minutes ago, farcanell said:

And their passengers.... and their family.... and anyone else who is involved in a gory accident.... and any ambulance/police/medical person attending.... and any bystanders. That’s the psychological side

 

then theres the financial cost to the community at large, from rehabilitation for the lucky, to cremation for the not so lucky.

 

the “they do no harm, but to themselves” ethos, is just wrong. Oft repeated on these pages, but still wrong, which is quite perplexing given the education level and personal experiences of posters herein

 

So what is your solution to those who refuse to safeguard themselves, their family, emergency service personnel, the community, none of whom those without helmets give a nano-second thought about? Don't talk about proper law enforcement because you and I both know that is never going to happen. The occasional 'crackdown on one or two streets in a few towns and cities a couple of times a year isn't going to crack it. That is as useless as no effort at all.

That's the reality this educated poster believes in. Sorry if that perplexes you.

[farcanell]

8 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

So what is your solution to those who refuse to safeguard themselves, their family, emergency service personnel, the community, none of whom those without helmets give a nano-second thought about? Don't talk about proper law enforcement because you and I both know that is never going to happen. The occasional 'crackdown on one or two streets in a few towns and cities a couple of times a year isn't going to crack it. That is as useless as no effort at all.

That's the reality this educated poster believes in. Sorry if that perplexes you.

Honestly.... I don’t have a solution, as the obvious one (law enforcement) is ignored by the people charged with protecting the people.... (perhaps they are the starting point... failed rice scheme felled many.... failed police system is far far worse)

 

but the one one thing I can say, with absolute certainty, is that espousing doing nothing, will change nothing, when change is needed... in fact, talking about the belief that doing nothing is acceptable, is worse than actually doing nothing, as this further normalizes the wrong doing

 

IMHO, the more talk (“press” ) about crackdowns and reforms, the better, because if nothing else, it heightens awareness of the dangers (in this case, not wearing a helmet.) and educates.

 

if you say it enough, it will sink in...... ”mustn’t punch people in the face... mustn’t punch people in the face”... guess what... I don’t punch people in the face (thanks Jim Jeffries)

[anon789561]

75% already wear helmets?? more like 75% or even more don't wear helmets

[farcanell]

32 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

So what is your solution

Here’s an idea....

 

the ncpo managed to do daily announcemnents on the tv..... do a daily mandatory segment on the previous day’s carnage, in all its gory detail... image after image of smashed heads

 

unpleasant images sure.... but hey... a powerful message, with a caption for each stating “vehicle inspections save lives” for brake failure claims... “helmets save lives” for non helmet wearing deaths... “speed kills” etc etc

 

radical.... sure... but normal doesn’t work

[Russell17au]

42 minutes ago, farcanell said:

Here’s an idea....

 

the ncpo managed to do daily announcemnents on the tv..... do a daily mandatory segment on the previous day’s carnage, in all its gory detail... image after image of smashed heads

 

unpleasant images sure.... but hey... a powerful message, with a caption for each stating “vehicle inspections save lives” for brake failure claims... “helmets save lives” for non helmet wearing deaths... “speed kills” etc etc

 

radical.... sure... but normal doesn’t work

Australia tried that and they spent a fortune in advertising but it was not until they increased the fines and hit the people in their pockets that the message finally got through to the idiot drivers.

It appears to me that the Thai people themselves have no respect of the law or of human life, they do not value the importance of safety on the road like other countries do.

Unfortunately things will not change here until you get the people to value and respect human life.

I see it every day where the parents are riding a motorbike and they are wearing helmets but they also have 3 children on the bike with them that are not wearing helmets, so I ask myself "do those parents love their children, why do they place their children in an unsafe situation like that".

It is past time for the government to kick some asses and show some respect for all the Thai people and make the RTP get off their asses and get out on the roads and make the roads a lot safer and charge any officer who puts his hand out for tea money with corruption