Road death toll rises to 239 after four days of Thailand’s "7 Dangerous Days"

[jvs]

I am afraid the numbers will go up as the people return to their places

they work and or live.

After a few days of partying and not enough sleep more people will be over tired but still drive,not a good idea.

[digger70]

What a Laugh,,,Was just Thinking out loud,They warn people that it is Dangerous to Live and Travel in the Southern Provinces of Thailand,,,I am glad that We live down here,,More people die every day on the roads North of us then from the Dark south terrorists Bombing and Shooting,,,.So I would Think that the government should get their shit together and Enforce All the Laws instead of looking the other way ,,,,,,Stop Pussyfooting around,,,,,,

[dick dasterdly]

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

 

The 'check points' that you refer to are not there to enforce anything. They are organized by the local authority, (in our case by the village head) and manned by volunteers from the within the community.

 

Their role is to react to any traffic incident by providing basic first aid and to call in the appropriate emergency services. Some of the volunteers are trained by the police. Their positioning, by the roadside serves a reminder to motorists of the dangers of inappropriate behavior on the roads.

 

Our own village head is a very active women and has done much to raise awareness regarding road safety, particularly drunk driving and the wearing of crash helmets and I'm pleased to note that there have been no incidence in, or around the village during the holidays.

 

This problem of traffic accidents and their consequences is very much a social issue that needs to addressed at the grass roots level of Thai society. This kind of initiative is, IMO, a small step in the right direction.

"This problem of traffic accidents and their consequences is very much a social issue that needs to addressed at the grass roots level of Thai society."

 

Exactly.  A few decades ago (in the UK) driving after a few drinks was normal, but it became socially unacceptable quite quickly after concerted campaigns.

 

More difficult in Thailand of course, as the majority can't afford taxis plus the general fatalist attitude.  Even so, the most effective long-term goal has to be to change the 'socially acceptable' attitude towards drink driving.

[thailand49]

Happy New Year Thailand,  if it was anything like at my house New Years day while cleaning up from night before, my neighbor came by wanted to use my large cement table to drink with his friends, he has done this before he works for the BIB and doing his celebration now since they were doing road blocks all night. 

In the conversation I ask them how many they stop etc last night?  it was something like 45-50 my assumption since on the darkside they would be majority of Thais?  I ask them how much for the stops minimum 4-5,000 and everything up for negotiations they said it with a smile? 

After a few hours of drinking they got on their bikes and when home to sleep it off...  2018  Mung Gun.

[cherry02]

I just talk for sukhumvit in Pattaya.... there is not one sign concerning speed limit. Every 500 m should be a sign maximum speed of 80 km/h. Rearl trafic speed is between 80 and 130 

 

 

[toofarnorth]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Looks like pole will be maintained for 2018.

Good Lord sammieuk 1 , a thought just crossed my turgid mind. A race if you would.

On the starting line in pole position is LoS , when the bottle of Chang drops its foot to the floor . Shades of Monty Python.

[toofarnorth]

I went into town last night hoping for a drink with a Thai mate , at the roundabout there were about 6 BiB doing a check , I hadn't had a drink all day but I could of been as pissed as a fart , wound down the window, a BiB saw a ferlung and waved me through. Too right m8 we ferlung don't drink .

[lhvdberg]

7 days campaign?? When do they start a whole year campaign? Road safety is a problem the whole year. I had to renew my driving licence and all I had to do was a brake test. color test and dimension test. After this an 1 hour sit watching all kinds of road accidents and a nice man telling me what is good and what is bad driving. That's all folks.... And Loony Tunes just keeps running. 

[StevieAus]

6 hours ago, Russell17au said:

I wonder how many accidents in Australia are caused by international drivers.

 

"A federal MP whose electorate takes in the Great Ocean Road wants stricter standards for international tourists on driving holidays.

"These tourists are coming across from other parts of the world, getting into a hire car and they really are a moving time bomb," government backbencher Sarah Henderson told ABC Radio, adding that 20 per cent of crashes on the Great Ocean Road involve international drivers.

Ms Henderson said there are cases of tourists driving on the wrong side of the road, stopping in the middle of the highway to take pictures of koalas and ignoring stop signs.

She's called for a review of international driver's licences and for tourists to watch compulsory road safety video clips."

This has been sourced from The Australian

Another politician living in dream land you only have to think about the concept for less than five minutes to appreciate the logistics of trying to implement such a proposal to know that it will not happen, that’s before you even try to get the States and Territories who administer driving licenses to agree.

Good luck there is more chance of me winning the lottery.

[dwcrist]

4 of the 7 dangerous days down, only 1 to go. Don't you just love their math?

[StevieAus]

42 minutes ago, lhvdberg said:

7 days campaign?? When do they start a whole year campaign? Road safety is a problem the whole year. I had to renew my driving licence and all I had to do was a brake test. color test and dimension test. After this an 1 hour sit watching all kinds of road accidents and a nice man telling me what is good and what is bad driving. That's all folks.... And Loony Tunes just keeps running. 

That’s more than you have to do in Australia to renew your licence all you do is an eye sight test and you would have to have very poor vision not to pass.

I understand that in the UK that’s not even necessary but that you have to submit a new photograph every ten years.

[Top Chef]

We all have read the posts in the media regarding the News Years Death Toll in Thailand.

Really though, the question remains, "what are the Thai Police doing about it". This drunk driving business is a persistent problem, whether it's the New Years holiday or not. The authorities happily (or sadly) give us quotes on the death tolls and post lots of horrendous photos. But are the police doing their job?? (foolish question)

Of course it's New Years and people want to have fun. And just maybe the police or the authorities that be don't want to upset anyones sanook by stopping or detaining them (and that's understandable and maybe a bit tolerable). Which is, of course, the Thai way (culture). Good or bad, right or wrong, culture and religion go hand in hand. But road safety and the saving of lives is ,by all means, the paramount issue.

But is it for religious or nepotistic reasons that this slaughter continues. or is it just plain complacency. (I'd like to believe it's the former). Whatever the reason is,  the thinking behind it is backwards and all wrong. This issue must be addressed and finalized. Life is too precious to be used as a media circus.

Edited January 2, 2018 by Top Chef

[wvavin]

Just continue killing, the government could not be bothered.

[StevieAus]

4 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

"This problem of traffic accidents and their consequences is very much a social issue that needs to addressed at the grass roots level of Thai society."

 

Exactly.  A few decades ago (in the UK) driving after a few drinks was normal, but it became socially unacceptable quite quickly after concerted campaigns.

 

More difficult in Thailand of course, as the majority can't afford taxis plus the general fatalist attitude.  Even so, the most effective long-term goal has to be to change the 'socially acceptable' attitude towards drink driving.

I don’t know about it being “ socially unacceptable “ but what brought about the change in the attitude to drink driving in Australia was enforcement by the police, including the introduction of random breath testing at various times of the day and night a substantial increase in fines, loss of licence ( in NSW a criminal record ) and the fact that your insurance was void if you were involved in an accident.

So when you combine all of these together why would you take the risk?

[Russell17au]

28 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

I don’t know about it being “ socially unacceptable “ but what brought about the change in the attitude to drink driving in Australia was enforcement by the police, including the introduction of random breath testing at various times of the day and night a substantial increase in fines, loss of licence ( in NSW a criminal record ) and the fact that your insurance was void if you were involved in an accident.

So when you combine all of these together why would you take the risk?

I do not know where in Australia you are from but there used to be a judge in Woollongong that was called the hanging judge because he was dead set down on drink drivers, for a first minor offense you would loose you license for 1 year plus do community service for 6 months and if you were stupid enough to go before him again it was a 6 month minimum prison sentence. On the Central Coast we had a judge that covered both Gosford and Wyong courts and 1st minor offense was a 6 month stint with us at the rescue squad getting the dead and injured out of the cars, we always gave them the dirtiest job of handling the dead bodies, they soon learnt what happens when you drive under the influence

Edited January 2, 2018 by Russell17au

[Russell17au]

1 hour ago, StevieAus said:

Another politician living in dream land you only have to think about the concept for less than five minutes to appreciate the logistics of trying to implement such a proposal to know that it will not happen, that’s before you even try to get the States and Territories who administer driving licenses to agree.

Good luck there is more chance of me winning the lottery.

Ye, but I wonder how many accidents are caused by this fact, how many drivers from countries that drive on the right hand side actually forget where they are and cross onto the wrong side of the road and how many drivers do like they do here and just stop anywhere on the road without thinking or realizing that they are not at home in their own country, and I wonder if the same thing happens here

[farcanell]

7 hours ago, Russell17au said:

Here is a breakdown and a comparison that I have done of the road carnage figures on a daily basis with a comparison total for the 7 days.

Bloody good work. Great post... I expect to see it again as things “progress”

 

but... I reckon adding the numbers for 2015 would be a good addition, because 2016 was the worst of years (as long as your spread sheeting it... lol... saving for next year too?)

 

as a side note.... I still don’t know why people are using the international agencies figures (24000 per year...67 per day) to compare the daily death rates as advised by the Thai police, (10,000 per year... 27 per day)

[Russell17au]

2 minutes ago, farcanell said:

Bloody good work. Great post... I expect to see it again as things “progress”

 

but... I reckon adding the numbers for 2015 would be a good addition, because 2016 was the worst of years (as long as your spread sheeting it... lol... saving for next year too?)

 

as a side note.... I still don’t know why people are using the international agencies figures (24000 per year...67 per day) to compare the daily death rates as advised by the Thai police, (10,000 per year... 27 per day)

I'll see what I can do about 2015.

I think the reason using the international figure is because it has those that die in hospital included whereas the police only have the die at the scene figures

[Odysseus123]

8 hours ago, StevieAus said:

I have just read in the Australian newspaper that 28 people which is double the figure from last year died on NSW roads over the Christmas/ NY period and that is in a country where the police do enforce the law.

So it’s not only Thailand where there is a problem on the roads.

The official police statistic was 22 deaths over 14 days-adjusted up for deaths in hospital.

 

As this is a forum about Thailand,and tho' I do love reading mounds of BS about Australia's road safety being so bad from eager expatriates,I fail to see where the comparison actually lies.

Edited January 2, 2018 by Odysseus123

[farcanell]

9 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

I'll see what I can do about 2015.

I think the reason using the international figure is because it has those that die in hospital included whereas the police only have the die at the scene figures

???

 

Regards referencing international figures.... as some are doing (65 yesterday... everyday average 67, no difference..... 67 being the international figure)

 

yet the police reporting 65 yesterday, are the same ones that reported 27 as an annual daily average for 2016.... any comparisons to daily reports need to be held against the same source... (65 yesterday vs 27 annual average)

 

in november 2018, we will see the annual international report, which put Thailand at number one ( adjusted weight??), and then we can compare international agency numbers against the 67 average that they claimed

 

 

[StevieAus]

9 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

Ye, but I wonder how many accidents are caused by this fact, how many drivers from countries that drive on the right hand side actually forget where they are and cross onto the wrong side of the road and how many drivers do like they do here and just stop anywhere on the road without thinking or realizing that they are not at home in their own country, and I wonder if the same thing happens here

Don’t disagree at all remember driving on the right hand side of the road in Germany many years ago when I was a lot younger have never done it since you automatically are thinking as if you are on the left

Even if you are a pedestrian and crossing the road you look in the same direction as your home country.

I have seen a few visiting Chinese drivers here in in the North on both two and four wheels accidents waiting to happen

I think it takes some time to actually get used to the change

There was some discussion here a few months ago about the difference in driving test standards and that a person in Thailand where the driving test is a joke can go to Australia where it now takes 3 years in most states to get your full licence and can drive on the roads whist on holiday.

I was reminded by one poster that most countries have recipricol agreements that provide that if you have a licence from one country you can use that licence whilst on holiday to drive in another

There seems to be no consideration as to the standards required to obtain the licence

For what it’s worth my Thai wife has both a Thai and Australian licence her view is that passing the driving test here does not make you competent to drive a car.

[StevieAus]

17 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

The official police statistic was 22 deaths over 14 days-adjusted up for deaths in hospital.

 

As this is a forum about Thailand,and tho' I do love reading mounds of BS about Australia's road safety being so bad from eager expatriates,I fail to see where the comparison actually lies.

It’s called making comparisons otherwise how do you make a judgement as to what occurs here is acceptable or not.

If you consider it to be BS don’t bother to read and don’t bother to learn what happens elsewhere in the world.

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, StevieAus said:

It’s called making comparisons otherwise how do you make a judgement as to what occurs here is acceptable or not.

If you consider it to be BS don’t bother to read and don’t bother to learn what happens elsewhere in the world.

I have travelled the world extensively and am back residing in Australia-NSW to be exact.

 

The authorities in my state are certainly concerned about what is termed a "spike"  but those numbers have no comparison with what occurs in Thailand on any given day.The ideal is for "zero" deaths tho' that is a scarcely conceivable outcome

 

The concern about foreign standards comes from two comparatively recent events involving a British man and a Chinese woman

 

Again I must emphasis that the figure was for 14 days.

[Russell17au]

Here is the latest figures that have been released, please not the updated figures for deaths, also included is the figures for the same 7 days for 2015 as requested by a forum member.

Here is a breakdown and a comparison that I have done of the road carnage figures on a daily basis with a comparison total for the 7 days.

 

Please note, all deaths are recorded regardless of whether it happened at the scene of the accident or not. If someone died a few days later in hospital, they are added to the tally, as long as it is within the so-called “7 dangerous days”.

 

The information for this has been acquired from several source's including MSN, The National, Bangkok Post, ThaiVisa News and Richard Barrow

 

[Russell17au]

5 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

I have travelled the world extensively and am back residing in Australia-NSW to be exact.

 

The authorities in my state are certainly concerned about what is termed a "spike"  but those numbers have no comparison with what occurs in Thailand on any given day.The ideal is for "zero" deaths tho' that is a scarcely conceivable outcome

 

The concern about foreign standards comes from two comparatively recent events involving a British man and a Chinese woman

 

Again I must emphasis that the figure was for 14 days.

I think there is a comparison to work with here and that is what can be achieved when you are serious about something and get off your a***e and do something about it. NSW has achieved a road toll of 28 for a 14 day holiday period whereas Thailand has already achieved a road toll of 317 in a 5 day holiday period. It all comes down to enforcement and being serious about it

 

[oldlakey]

7 hours ago, PattayaAngel said:

So you say but my friend who works in a government hospital say's differently many die after 7 days and pressure is there to REDUCE figures. If you believe Thai stats then I don't know what to say lol 

If somebody wants to really believe, then they will bend over backwards to believe anything

Hands on experience from your friend the way to go

[Russell17au]

7 hours ago, PattayaAngel said:

So you say but my friend who works in a government hospital say's differently many die after 7 days and pressure is there to REDUCE figures. If you believe Thai stats then I don't know what to say lol 

We are only at day 5 and you and your friend that works in a government hospital are talking about people that die after 7 days. LOL. I think that I would prefer to work on the figures that are released each day up until the 7 days the same as the figures were done on all previous years back to 2010

[StevieAus]

2 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

I have travelled the world extensively and am back residing in Australia-NSW to be exact.

 

The authorities in my state are certainly concerned about what is termed a "spike"  but those numbers have no comparison with what occurs in Thailand on any given day.The ideal is for "zero" deaths tho' that is a scarcely conceivable outcome

 

The concern about foreign standards comes from two comparatively recent events involving a British man and a Chinese woman

 

Again I must emphasis that the figure was for 14 days.

For the record my original post was not an attempt to suggest that Australia has a poor road safety record compared with Thailand as that would be foolish

If you read some of my earlier posts I have held up Australia and particularly NSW  as I am from Sydney as having very high standards particularly in relation to driver training, testing and road traffic law enforcement

It was an attempt to show that how ever high the standards accidents occur

You don’t need to be a Rhodes Scholar to know what the solution is here in Thailand but sadly I don’t think it is going to happen any time soon

I can remember when people used to drink and drive in Australia, speed etc and it was only strict police enforcement together with high fines and a criminal conviction for drinking and driving that solved the problem, for most people anyway.

The other factor here is the high number of motor cycles and the figures suggest that the majority of accidents are involving that group again something that does not happen in Australia

Safe driving in Oz

[watcharacters]

 

 

 

I honestly don't think Thailand has the ability/capability to report accurate figures so close to  a time frame.

 

Claims are just that.

[jimn]

4 hours ago, dwcrist said:

4 of the 7 dangerous days down, only 1 to go. Don't you just love their math?

Oh please do keep up. They have the results for the first 4 days not for 5th and 6th. There is 1 day to go which is tomorrow 3rd Jan.