Songkran looms, along with more road horrors

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EDITORIAL

Songkran looms, along with more road horrors

 

Drivers of public and chartered buses are being tested for drugs and alcohol, but much more needs to be done
 

The last of the 18 victims of last week’s horrific bus crash in Nakhon Ratchasima was cremated a few days ago, but not only does profound grief still grip the families of those killed, there remains an important lesson for all of us to learn.

 

The accident, which also left 30 other passengers injured, stands the risk of becoming just another statistic adding to Thailand’s reputation as one of the world’s most dangerous places to drive. At least – at the very least – the catastrophe underlined the fact that road accidents can happen any time. We also see how at risk we all are to the hazards of inter-provincial journeys.

 

Thailand has the second-highest traffic fatality rate in the world, at 36 deaths per 100,000 population. Annually on average, according to the World Health Organisation, there are more 24,000 deaths – that’s 66 people being killed every day.

 

The blame is shared among poor road conditions, poor law enforcement, vehicle malfunctions and irresponsible drivers. Motorcyclists routinely shun helmets. Motorists in all kinds of vehicles speed, change lanes abruptly, and drive while drunk or under the influence of illicit drugs, particularly amphetamines.

 

Methamphetamine, known in Thai as ya ba (crazy medicine), was found in the bloodstream of the 44-year-old driver of the bus in last week’s accident after he was arrested, having fled the scene in fear, slightly injured. He was charged with reckless driving causing death and injury, failing to stop to provide aid to injured passengers, and driving under the influence of a narcotic.

 

Survivors have said he leapt out of the vehicle as soon as he lost control. The chartered bus was carrying 50 vacationers, many of them from the same family, home to Kalasin from a seaside outing to Chanthaburi.

 

The driver claimed the brakes failed, but a Land Transport Department inspection found no leaks in the braking system. Instead, it was determined that the driver failed to engage low gear on a winding, downhill six-kilometre stretch of road. He repeatedly applied the brakes until the system lost air pressure, rendering the bus unable to stop.

 

The calamity seems to have prodded the relevant authorities into action. Ahead of the long Songkran holiday next month, police and Land Transport officials are conducting random drug and alcohol tests on drivers of public-transport and chartered buses before and during journeys.

 

On Tuesday the driver of a chartered bus carrying 60 passengers from Khon Kaen was arrested midway to Nakhon Ratchasima after testing positive for amphetamine.

 

Stricter enforcement of the laws aimed at getting irresponsible drivers off the highways certainly can help save lives and prevent damage. Truck and bus drivers often rely on narcotics like ya ba in the belief that it helps them stay awake through long-distance hauls.

 

They fail to recognise that drug-imposed wakefulness has counterproductive side effects. Overall concentration is reduced and judgement weakened in the moment of emergency.

 

In addition to cracking down on drivers of public transport, the authorities should be enforcing the law as it applies to their employers – the companies that run the public and chartered bus services.

 

They must be compelled to take measures to ensure their drivers aren’t high or drunk on the road. If that means fewer trips, lower passenger tallies and reduced profits, then so be it. Lives are at stake.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30341987

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-29

[Get Real]

Horror??? It´s like a mental hospital without the roof!

[colinneil]

Now listen here Somchai, you will drive that bus again now.

We dont care that you have been driving for the past 24 hours, get going or you have no job.

There are many people wanting to get home for songkran, and if you dont drive they cannot get home.

[johng]

If the air brakes run out of air aren't they supposed to lock to the on (stop) position ?

In other words the air keeps the brakes from locking the wheels.

 

 

[Crossy]

7 minutes ago, johng said:

If the air brakes run out of air aren't they supposed to lock to the on (stop) position ?

In other words the air keeps the brakes from locking the wheels.

Yup. Typically poor reporting, much more likely he overheated the brakes. But the cause (not using a lower gear) and effect (no brakes) are the same.

 

To kill off the culture of poor driver training and long hours along with drug (and alcohol) use is going to take a long and concerted effort. It is possible but not with the "crackdown" methods typically employed by the authorities.

 

Regulate and enforce, enforce, enforce. 

 

[JOC]

The irony here is, that the number of people killed on the roads here during "the seven dangerous days" on an daily average is lower than the yearly daily average.....

Approx 26.000 are killed on the roads here yearly= 71 per day ..............7x71=497....................Normally fewer than 400 are killed during Songkran

Scary as it is.....Songkran is safest period to be on Thailand's roads.....!!

Go figure...

 

 

 

 

[sammieuk1]

Ultimately no accountability the only heads to roll will be the passengers literally.   

[Lungstib]

9 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Regulate and enforce, enforce, enforce. 

While the police remain what they are we all know this to be but a dream. If the Thai public has no wish to reduce the road deaths among themselves there will be no improvement. The police are part of the problem and not the answer.

[stanleycoin]

30 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Now listen here Somchai, you will drive that bus again now.

We dont care that you have been driving for the past 24 hours, get going or you have no job.

There are many people wanting to get home for songkran, and if you dont drive they cannot get home.

Also if you don't drive,  you will not have a job tomorrow.

Quick get the new safety Manager, 

Oops, that was the safety manager talking !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Edited March 29, 2018 by stanleycoin

[PatOngo]

They are just resigned to the fact there will be road carnage..........cruel fate I guess.

[NCC1701A]

it is an interesting challenge.

 

to replace an entire corrupt police force of a country and change the attitude and RE-educate and license an entire population on how to drive, accept responsibly and maintain their vehicles.

 

sorry, too much coffee this morning.     

Edited March 29, 2018 by NCC1701A

[bluesofa]

16 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

it is an interesting challenge.

 

to replace an entire police force of a country and change the attitude and RE-educate an entire population on how to drive, accept responsibly and maintain their vehicles.

 

I'd agree with that, except I see it rather than 'an interesting challenge', but as 'an enormous uphill challenge'.

 

Also, I've said this for years now:

Until the cultural and education system changes, instead of being told not to ask awkward questions, but being encouraged to use critical thinking in everyday situations, nothing much will improve.

 

[Anak Nakal]

It not difficult. If you drink or drugs, do not drive!

 

Police, do your job!

 

Why does this happen every year?

[bluesofa]

40 minutes ago, Anak Nakal said:

It not difficult. If you drink or drugs, do not drive!

 

Police, do your job!

 

Why does this happen every year?

Because we have Songkran every year...

[ratcatcher]

4 hours ago, Get Real said:

Horror??? It´s like a mental hospital without the roof!

                       

                               Is this what you meant?

[utalkin2me]

Trying to objectively read that as best I can. It sounds like meth wasn’t even the culprit. There are many functioning drug users in society, professional athletes and truck drivers among them. 

 

it sounds like he wasn’t properly trained. He didn’t understand how to apply the breaks on a steep downhill grade. Why does meth get the headline and not proper training?

[fantom]

'Truck and bus drivers often rely on narcotics like ya ba in the belief that it helps them stay awake through long-distance hauls.'

At the risk of being accused of pedantry yabba / amphetamine is not a narcotic either medically or legally.

[jvs]

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

I'd agree with that, except I see it rather than 'an interesting challenge', but as 'an enormous uphill challenge'.

 

Also, I've said this for years now:

Until the cultural and education system changes, instead of being told not to ask awkward questions, but being encouraged to use critical thinking in everyday situations, nothing much will improve.

 

Don't forget the "mai pen rai" attitude.

[Expatthailover]

Somgkran has become the clustet#$&£ it is in places like pattaya, phuket and bangkok due to expats and foreign tourists. 

Move away from the sleazy places ( a big ask for many I realize ) and you will experience a gentle and pleasantly spiritual experience.

This drenching and drunken debauchery is something that has been fuelled by farangs .

Unpalatable but nevertheless true unforrunately

[cornishcarlos]

13 minutes ago, Expatthailover said:

This drenching and drunken debauchery is something that has been fuelled by farangs

 

I live in the sticks and I can assure you that drunken debauchery and drenching is common place during the Songkran festival.

It might not continue for 3-4 days as in the tourist hotspots, purely because people need to go back to work...

The Thais in the country do not need the influence of Farang to get into crazy party mode :)

[johng]

2 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

It might not continue for 3-4 days as in the tourist hotspots,

In Pattaya its usually from the 12th-19th so over a week   

[jollyhangmon]

5 hours ago, utalkin2me said:

Trying to objectively read that as best I can. It sounds like meth wasn’t even the culprit. There are many functioning drug users in society, professional athletes and truck drivers among them. 

 

it sounds like he wasn’t properly trained. He didn’t understand how to apply the breaks on a steep downhill grade. Why does meth get the headline and not proper training?

 

You sure got a point there good sir ... as always: put the blame on someone/-thing else more convenient.

(Meth)Amphetamines where - and probably still are - in 'controlled' use in most armed forces, e.g. the fighter-plane pilots & gunners during WW2 or as what was known to the Germs as 'Panzerschokolade' (meaning 'Tank-chocolate') for the ones in their tincans ...

[HLover]

[selftaopath]

4 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

I live in the sticks and I can assure you that drunken debauchery and drenching is common place during the Songkran festival.

It might not continue for 3-4 days as in the tourist hotspots, purely because people need to go back to work...

The Thais in the country do not need the influence of Farang to get into crazy party mode :)

I too live in the sticks. Songkran lasts a/b 10-14 days around here. Work? Not so much. Spiritual? Humnnnnnn not from what I've seen and heard. Just another reason to "act out." IMO. 

[hanuman2543]

5 hours ago, Expatthailover said:

Somgkran has become the clustet#$&£ it is in places like pattaya, phuket and bangkok due to expats and foreign tourists. 

Move away from the sleazy places ( a big ask for many I realize ) and you will experience a gentle and pleasantly spiritual experience.

This drenching and drunken debauchery is something that has been fuelled by farangs .

Unpalatable but nevertheless true unforrunately

Ever been in a village in Isaan during Songhkran? Pure madness. Please elaborate where one can have " a gentle and pleasantly spiritual experience " during Songhkran?

[Lungstib]

8 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

to replace an entire corrupt police force of a country and change the attitude and RE-educate and license an entire population on how to drive, accept responsibly and maintain their vehicles.

Yes, in a nutshell. And yet people think the Thais are up for this. Not a chance. Having seen the size of the problem, you had better order more coffee!

[keithkarmann]

12 hours ago, johng said:

If the air brakes run out of air aren't they supposed to lock to the on (stop) position ?

In other words the air keeps the brakes from locking the wheels.

 

 

As a mechanic of 37 years yes you are right. More like brake failure to brakes getting too hot. If they get too hot loosing all the air will still mean you have no brakes.

 

[Jonah Tenner]

3 hours ago, hanuman2543 said:

Ever been in a village in Isaan during Songhkran? Pure madness. Please elaborate where one can have " a gentle and pleasantly spiritual experience " during Songhkran?

In India?

[connda]

If you look at the road stats, the holiday carnage isn't much different than the day-to-day carnage numbers.  That's what is truly scary! 

[surangw]

the time of the year when locals "do as they please" ?