Study reveals shocking extent of dangerous driving

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

Cargo trucks and public transport buses in Thailand were found to have been speeding beyond the legal limit on more than 17 million occasions last year, according to a GPS-based study by a Bangkok-based university.

 

The Safety Analysis  study, by King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang’s Smart City Research Centre (SCRC), found that 250,000 trucks and buses had exceeded a legal speed limit 17,218,811 times. It also found that cargo trucks travelled at an average speed of 101.58 kilometres per hour. 

 

File photo

 

The researchers nalysed the 2017 data from the Highway Accident Information Management System (HAIMS), identifying the seven most dangerous spots for crashes and fatalities.

 

They were: 

 

1. Highway No. 1 between the 708th-726th kilometre markers; 

2. Highway No. 2 between the 20th-36th kilometre markers;

3. Highway No. 4 between the 126th-130th kilometre markers;

4. Highway No. 9 between the 30th-38th kilometre markers;

5. Highway No. 32 between the 132nd-137th kilometre markers;

6. Highway No. 41 between the 366th-379th kilometre markers;

7. Highway No. 304 between the 165th-176th kilometre markers and between the 190th-250th markers (cutting through the national forest).

 

The SCRC joined with the Department of Land Transport to develop a “Smart Mobility” system using global positioning system (GPS) technology to collect data, study drivers’ behaviours, positions and travel directions, and detect vehicle speed.

 

The findings were revealed on Sunday after several serious road accidents involving buses.

 

They include the March 21 double-decker coach crash in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Wang Nam Khieo district that killed 18 passengers and wounded 30 others, and the March 30 incident in which a double-decker bus loaded with Myanmar workers crashed and burned in Tak, killing 20 workers.

 

 

The former case involved a meth-taking driver who was speeding beyond the 60km/hour legal limit while driving on winding downhill road.

 

In the latter case, Dr Thanapong Jinawong, chief of the Road Safety Policy Foundation, raised questions over the bus’s condition, speed and the likelihood of it being overloaded as possible contributing factors.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30342258

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-02

" a meth-taking driver who was speeding beyond the 60km/hour legal limit while driving on winding downhill road."

 

Maybe this could be marketed by TAT for all the adrenaline junkies around the world as a new tourist activity for the young, stupid and adventurous. 

 

 

 

 

Thai are not going to change their driving habits on their own, so the only solution is to install tamper proof speed limiters on all forms of public transportation, i.e. trucks & busses.  Inhibitors that will totally disable the vehicle's engine if anyone tries to disable it, along with a 50,000 baht fine and at least one year in jail for anyone attempting to disable one.  Plus, anyone caught using drugs while operating these vehicles face a mandatory 5 years in prison and 50,000 baht fine.  If the children won't behave on their own, then they have to be forced to.

Amazing Tireland

35 minutes ago, webfact said:

"Study reveals shocking extent of dangerous driving"

Not sure which is more shocking here: the results of the study, or the fact they needed one at all to discover what epxats here have known for years?

 

This cannot be true, it totally goes against Thailand being safe for tourists ! I guess the GPS company are going to get called in for 'readjustment' soon by the TAT and told their GPS's are faulty.

38 minutes ago, jonclark said:

" a meth-taking driver who was speeding beyond the 60km/hour legal limit while driving on winding downhill road."

 

Maybe this could be marketed by TAT for all the adrenaline junkies around the world as a new tourist activity for the young, stupid and adventurous. 

 

 

 

 

It would appear that some do it on motorbikes already.

I wonder how much longer they can waste time with studies and newly formed panels before they actually do something to address the root causes? 

I won't hold my breath.

8 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Not sure which is more shocking here: the results of the study, or the fact they needed one at all to discover what epxats here have known for years?

 

You beat me bluesofa

This goes to show that they must consider the roads we drive on are quite normal & that they needed a study due to a spate of accidents

They could of saved a lot of time by just watching the news

We have friends that recently arrived from the UK, of course we told them how dangerous the roads are, if they didn't believe us or even thought we were exaggerating they were soon to find out for themselves.

We went to pick them up from Bangkok airport on Wednesday, en route on the expressway from Pattaya we saw an overturned car. Returning we were awaiting to pay at a toll booth when in the next bay to us there was a multiple pileup of 5 cars. Just to make it interesting we went out for a meal in the evening and witnessed a motorcyclist knocked off his bike and looking in a very bad way.

They were going to hire bikes, but they have been put off, can't think why!

Surely this is one study not required just count the mount Everest of corpses.  

Just a thought, but if drivers can't drive within the speed limits, couldn't manufacturers limit the speed of vehicles. I am sure we have the technology to do it. Say you enter a 40km speed limit area, your vehicle is automatically restricted to no higher than that speed as it passes a post indicating the speed (a signal is sent to your vehicle as you pass).  The only vehicles with speed control bypasses would be emergency vehicles. 

2 minutes ago, GarryP said:

Just a thought, but if drivers can't drive within the speed limits, couldn't manufacturers limit the speed of vehicles. I am sure we have the technology to do it. Say you enter a 40km speed limit area, your vehicle is automatically restricted to no higher than that speed as it passes a post indicating the speed (a signal is sent to your vehicle as you pass).  The only vehicles with speed control bypasses would be emergency vehicles. 

The majority of people here are incapable of driving at any speed, not convinced restricting top speed is the answer, though doubtless in some cases it would help. They should also introduce a minimum speed, many here like to hog the outside lane doing very low speeds!

Lets be honest though, what should and should not happen here is just not going to happen until they get a functioning "Police force"!

6 minutes ago, CGW said:

Lets be honest though, what should and should not happen here is just not going to happen until they get a functioning "Police force"!

 

And that's not going to happen because they're all on inactive posts...

In Europe they have addressed this problem over the last 40 years or so.

 

You can't change human behaviour or reduce the number of stupids.....they just made it difficult for the stupids to do what STILL comes naturally.

 

Companies that want/force drivers to drive overlong hours are put outside the law.

Speeding, drugs and hours are all regulated.

At the heart of the regulation of commercial drivers has been the tachograph and commercial licencing systems.  This together with a Euro-wide net work of expertly run testing stations have curbed the excesses of a cut-throat transport industry.

 

Thailand does nothing more than a nod and a wink to this.....thinking that blaming the drivers is the answer.

 

In Europe the drivers are still the same, they just can't be so stupid anymore.

 

As this process is a long one, it requires a consistent approach and as it involves reforms of law, police, road design tc etc it costs...... Thailand loses 5% of GDP to road casualties but they still refuse to address the problem in a scientific, rationalised and consistent manner.

15 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

This cannot be true, it totally goes against Thailand being safe for tourists ! I guess the GPS company are going to get called in for 'readjustment' soon by the TAT and told their GPS's are faulty.

Now I wait for the photo with a trucker or bus driver + a dozen 'officials' from whatever club under a 'Thailand is safe for travel' banner, awarded with a flower bouquet and a huge basket of 'Essence of Chicken' after reaching a destination 20 km away without being drunk, on drugs, speeding, or claiming break failure after a fatal accident, and escape from the scene when he turns himself in after three days of sobering up.

Keep on truckin' Thailand! It helps to prevent an aging population. I also wait for a poem or song from the head honcho regarding this topic. Don't hide behind the line: silence is golden.

Whats the point of having them install GPS tracking if they exceed the limit 17 million times a year without facing any penalty?

54 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

Thai are not going to change their driving habits on their own, so the only solution is to install tamper proof speed limiters on all forms of public transportation, i.e. trucks & busses.  Inhibitors that will totally disable the vehicle's engine if anyone tries to disable it, along with a 50,000 baht fine and at least one year in jail for anyone attempting to disable one.  Plus, anyone caught using drugs while operating these vehicles face a mandatory 5 years in prison and 50,000 baht fine.  If the children won't behave on their own, then they have to be forced to.

If youre  not  looking where youre  going any speed can end up fatal, the biggest problem is the operator not the speed, Thais have a 1  second  attention span unless its  gawking down at their phones.

42 minutes ago, akirasan said:

I wonder how much longer they can waste time with studies and newly formed panels before they actually do something to address the root causes? 

I won't hold my breath.

The only way I could see it happening is to sensationalise it and have it beamed around the world on international television to absolutely shame these people. If Al Jazeera or BBC (or even ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation) did a documentary like a Four Corners based on the revelations in this study and then demanded an interview with the Minister of Transport to confront him head on asking him what is he doing about it they wouldn't be able to hide behind the scene as they do so often.

24 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

Thailand does nothing more than a nod and a wink to this.....thinking that blaming the drivers is the answer.

 

In Europe the drivers are still the same, they just can't be so stupid anymore.

 

As this process is a long one, it requires a consistent approach and as it involves reforms of law, police, road design tc etc it costs...... Thailand loses 5% of GDP to road casualties but they still refuse to address the problem in a scientific, rationalised and consistent manner.

 

Though I'm afraid you're correct that the process is a long one, it's even longer if they never start. 

 

And the main challenge that dragged out the process back home was developing the tech and experimenting with the policies (and unintended consequences).  The tech is now available.  The unintended consequences have, for the most part, been identified and addressed.  It should be much faster for Thailand to take a path that's already been cleared by others.  But I'm not holding my breath.

 

The only surprising thing about statistics on the subject is why there isn't even more people killed and injured .Every time you get on a bus ,a mini bus or a taxi you are taking one hell of a risk .To me the big buses are the safest ,because they are big .Recent journeys in a mini bus and a taxi were mind blowingly scary .In fact I have decided never to use a mini bus again .There would have to be a major offensive ,backed by very hefty fines to start changing the mindset in Thailand .

35 minutes ago, Thian said:

 

And that's not going to happen because they're all on inactive posts...

Clearly the "active posts" are indistinguishable from the "inactive posts"

sadly thais just think it is ''a day in a life'' ,and not one single person will think twice about travelling home to see the folks..my prediction is 433 ..given all the pie charts and finger pointing...

50 minutes ago, CGW said:

The majority of people here are incapable of driving at any speed, not convinced restricting top speed is the answer, though doubtless in some cases it would help. They should also introduce a minimum speed, many here like to hog the outside lane doing very low speeds!

Lets be honest though, what should and should not happen here is just not going to happen until they get a functioning "Police force"!

Oops, I forgot about low speeds. 

OK, so they know the 7 most speeding highways, but what will they do about it? Nothing is the short answer. Other countries might try flooding these areas with speed cameras and highway patrol cars, but what will thailand do?

1 minute ago, DoctorG said:

OK, so they know the 7 most speeding highways, but what will they do about it? Nothing is the short answer. Other countries might try flooding these areas with speed cameras and highway patrol cars, but what will thailand do?

The very enterprising police farce will flood the areas with money-making speed-catching officers.

 

15 minutes ago, Emster23 said:

Clearly the "active posts" are indistinguishable from the "inactive posts"

This ......is an inactive post!

 

 

5 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

OK, so they know the 7 most speeding highways, but what will they do about it? Nothing is the short answer. Other countries might try flooding these areas with speed cameras and highway patrol cars, but what will thailand do?

put a toll box at each end with a ticket reading machine that shows the speed taken by the driver between the two points. For every 5mph or kph over a limit per distance you get a 1,000 baht fine, That would stop them !

Here in Australia a lot of companies that have heavy vehicles involved in the work place eg. Bus companies,truck and mining companies have compulsory alcohol and drug tests before you start work . If you fail you are not allowed to start work and then brought in for councelling. Surely they could test the drivers in Thailand the same way. Might cost a bit extra for your trip , but at least your some chance of getting to your destination.

 

Study Reading the daily news reveals shocking extent of dangerous driving

 

Here...I fixed that for you!