Massive rise in New Year lawbreaking on the Thai roads - nearly 50% more drunks

[meatboy]

could be all that SODA WATER that's being drunk.

[55Jay]

Just now, meatboy said:

could be all that SODA WATER that's being drunk.

Indeed, especially LEO brand soda water, which has become very popular from advertising during EPL football games. 

[Artisi]

2 hours ago, agudbuk said:

Thai road deaths from Bangkok Post "Oct 21, 2558 BE · 14,059 reported road-deaths per year, 24,237 Oct 21, 2558 BE · 14,059 reported road-deaths per year, 24,237 actual deaths says WHO, deaths says WHO, "
So Thai figures average 39 per day.
WHO figures = 66 per day
This year over holiday. 62 per day.
Considering the extra number of journeys and vehicles on the road New Year seems to statiscally be a safer time to travel



Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

The extra vehicles on the road in many case is likely resulting in a traffic calming  effort leading to less serious accidents.

[Ivanovitch]

During my 14 years in Thailand it has been the same same. Red, yellow or junta in goverment. And to blame anyone then yourself for drink and drive is preeetty stupid. They can e.g. kill there own family also. IQ = zero.

[Odysseus123]

Well...I will now go back to perusing my dear Thai family's photos of their activities over the last few days.....

 

Yes-it's all that damn soda water-the villagers can't get enough of it.

 

Dear old Isaan.....

[agudbuk]

Observing the speed limit
Driving with due care or attention
Stopping at a red light
Driving with an offensive wife

I like the last one

Sent from my SM-C900F using Tapatalk

[speedtripler]

Just now, agudbuk said:

I like the last one

Sent from my SM-C900F using Tapatalk
 

Every wife is capable of being offensive... Maybe the Saudis have the right idea.... 

[Anthony Loh]

This have proof that local people/foreigners in this country don’t care about the law or maybe totally don’t care about they own life and others. Road safety have to start from the parents, school and by the police to enforcing when they are still young, is too late when the driver have been grow old as they totally don’t care or listen. Try to increase the punishment to this kind of person to ensure they can learn what is call safely before they can drive again like if get caught drunk or drugs just send  them to jail for a few months may work better!

[Odysseus123]

1 minute ago, Anthony Loh said:

This have proof that local people/foreigners in this country don’t care about the law or maybe totally don’t care about they own life and others. Road safety have to start from the parents, school and by the police to enforcing when they are still young, is too late when the driver have been grow old as they totally don’t care or listen. Try to increase the punishment to this kind of person to ensure they can learn what is call safely before they can drive again like if get caught drunk or drugs just send  them to jail for a few months may work better!

The slaughter-because I am getting bored with "carnage"-has very little to do with foreigners.

[speedtripler]

Just now, Anthony Loh said:

This have proof that local people/foreigners in this country don’t care about the law or maybe totally don’t care about they own life and others. Road safety have to start from the parents, school and by the police to enforcing when they are still young, is too late when the driver have been grow old as they totally don’t care or listen. Try to increase the punishment to this kind of person to ensure they can learn what is call safely before they can drive again like if get caught drunk or drugs just send  them to jail for a few months may work better!

It would be more simple to turn every vehicle with a drunk or high driver into a cube, no matter who owns it or what their excuse is.... A 500thb fine  is ineffective 

[Jack Mountain]

Love this country, what a freedom ...

[brommers]

It is naive and dangerous to focus on percentate change. The pertinent facts are that the growth in not wearing helmets was six times greater than the rise in drunk driving, and the increase for unlicensed driving was four times greater than drunk driving! All of these offences show the continuing disregard for obeying the law that is so prevalent because it is an ingrained national trait. Until there is a massive attitudinal change in Thai society short term events like the 777 promotion will have absolutely no effect, except that there will be enhanced data collection for a few days.

 

Obeying the law and having regard and respect for others needs to become an intrinsic part of education as well as being strongly espoused by influencers anongst all age groups. Thailand will be shamed globally for decades to come as the society that has no individual sense of responsibility. And rightfully so.

[Ivanovitch]

Yes. To die is the ultimate freedom. ;-)

[Get Real]

Everything up! Seems like all the hard work and effort are paying off. 

[Classic Ray]

2 hours ago, impulse said:

Looking at the Barrow link from khjwaibah, it seems drunk driving figured into over 45% of the accidents. 

 

Yet, with millions on the road, they only nabbed 9,700 for drunk driving.  I salute them for increasing that by 47% year on year.   But they have a long way to go.   It won't get safer until the probability of being caught increases.  Plus, it would be interesting to see what the current consequences are.

 

Plus, with 317 deaths over 5 days (63 per day or 23,000 in 365 days), that's less than the most likely daily death toll quoted by the WHO.  Leading to other questions...

 

In UK (not Scotland or NI) for comparison over 85,000 convictions last year for drunk driving, similar population. That means ten times as many potential or actual killers removed from the roads, many never tobreturn with the expense of the punitive insurance premium rise.

 

If public transport and road law enforcement were better, most people would not choose or have to rely on a wobbly motorbike to get them home from the pub.

[halloween]

3 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Hmm... many possible answers...

 

One of which is that when the leaders of a society (the Junta) don't give a rat's ass about the law, normal people will follow. I can't blame the rise in drunk driving on Prayut, but a general disrespect for the law?

 

Yes.

Dear me, so those who finally DO something, actual law enforcement, are to blame?

[sawadee1947]

There are many reasons for it:

one reason might be that I could see always groups of police men at the check points. So bribing might have been a problem and so they caught more people.

[speedtripler]

4 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

There are many reasons for it:

one reason might be that I could see always groups of police men at the check points. So bribing might have been a problem and so they caught more people.

Some nights they are accepting bribes and some nights they are only giving official tickets.... It depends on their monthly quota I think

[Anthony Loh]

We do agree that is very difficult to tell people that who like to drink a lot of alcohol or beer till they are drunks not to drive after they drunk. So, just don’t regret when kill somebody or himself or whenever he get caught by the police. Remember! Is not good to be a killer, please think about your family and other road users family and don’t ever get drunks if you know that you need to drive home. Life is short and nevertheless wast your time and money, be safe at all times. Cheers

[Chongalulu]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Sterile, anodyne, expensive.

 

...like Singapore.

Have you considered the expense involved in RTAs? The loss of the family breadwinner,the burden of the maimed unable to work,the medical costs to the individuals and country are all very substantial. Being able to venture out onto the roads without significant risk of the aforementioned does not make a place sterile or anodyne,rather increases the pleasure of all the things you can still do without the nagging feeling that you may not return safely.

[Odysseus123]

12 minutes ago, Anthony Loh said:

We do agree that is very difficult to tell people that who like to drink a lot of alcohol or beer till they are drunks not to drive after they drunk. So, just don’t regret when kill somebody or himself or whenever he get caught by the police. Remember! Is not good to be a killer, please think about your family and other road users family and don’t ever get drunks if you know that you need to drive home. Life is short and nevertheless wast your time and money, be safe at all times. Cheers

Please tell that to the Thai.

 

There were zero car deaths caused by foreigners in my area of Isaan  whilst I was living there and most were extremely careful about drinking and driving.

 

I attended too many Thai funerals caused by MVA's and saw far to many dead drunk Thais climb into their pickups and drive off -with the entire family in the back-to have any degree of equanimity on this subject.

Edited January 2, 2018 by Odysseus123

[speedtripler]

1 minute ago, Odysseus123 said:

Please tell that to the Thai.

 

There were zero car deaths caused by foreigners in the area of Isaan where I came from whilst I was living there and most were extremely careful about drinking and driving.

 

I attended too many Thai funerals caused by MVA's and saw far to many dead drunk Thais climb into their pickups and drive off -with the entire family in the back-to have any degree of equanimity on this subject.

I was drinking in a 24hr bar  and everyone who left drove away on their own transport

 

A lot of bikes but some cars and pickups  but absolutely nobody I saw bothered to use a taxi

 

I don't think its the price either because if  they can afford to drink all night I'm sure they could afford an extra 100thb for a taxi if they wanted to avoid the drunk driving 

[The manic]

4 hours ago, robblok said:

Wonder if it was more people breaking the law or more people  being checked. 

More checks than ever before.

[mtls2005]

I don't remember Dec. 31/Jan. 1 being a big deal here re: partying for Thais when I first came here ages ago, and I am usually out of the country visiting the homeland during this time. But I did return to Thailand on 1/1/18, and my local bodega is completely sold out of beer. I've never seen fewer than 2 full size coolers fully stocked.

[wvavin]

Sorry to say this but this spokesman just look stupid to me! There is no better alternatives?

[alfen]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

" No licence: 94,453 offences - up 13%" and therefore no insurance,

obviously Government policies are not working,they are far too lax

in enforcing traffic laws,also the punishments are not severe enough, 

social service,is not good enough for DUI,a drunk man running about

with a gun threatening people, hopefully should get a custodial  

sentence (ok maybe not),a truck,car in the hands of a DUI driver is

an even more dangerous weapon,it seems they look on anyone that

 criticizes the Government as a more serious offence.

 

regards worgeordie

I wonder how many had the trifecta, no seatbelt, no licence, and shitface as well.

[thailand49]

4 hours ago, robblok said:

Wonder if it was more people breaking the law or more people  being checked. 

I think both, the factory of death continues starting right in schools and with no parental oversight or the parents doing pretty much the same thing which the kids basically copy as they grow up the production line continue add that with the regulars you got a constant problem.

How do you fix the problem when just last week in the Bangkok Post, a big picture of the Chan O, riding away on a motorbike with no helmet. It is practice what you preach or monkey see monkey do?

[phantomfiddler]

I miss the good old days, when you could fall out of your jeep absolutely rata*s*d and the friendly copper would come over, laughing, and help you back into your seat :)

[Khun Paul]

4 hours ago, worgeordie said:

" No licence: 94,453 offences - up 13%" and therefore no insurance,

obviously Government policies are not working,they are far too lax

in enforcing traffic laws,also the punishments are not severe enough, 

social service,is not good enough for DUI,a drunk man running about

with a gun threatening people, hopefully should get a custodial  

sentence (ok maybe not),a truck,car in the hands of a DUI driver is

an even more dangerous weapon,it seems they look on anyone that

 criticizes the Government as a more serious offence.

 

regards worgeordie

As I understand it at the moment the Insurance companies pay out as it is the car that is insured, however I think THAT  SHOULD CHANGE .if Thais were hit where it hurts in  POCKETS THEY START TO LEARN  fast

[thailand49]

2 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

I miss the good old days, when you could fall out of your jeep absolutely rata*s*d and the friendly copper would come over, laughing, and help you back into your seat :)

The good old days still exist, the difference they help you back in depending whether you want to pay their price?  These places where they help you back into your vehicles are call Checkpoints?