Drink-drive offenders to work over Songkran coping with other drivers

[snoop1130]

Drink-drive offenders to work over Songkran coping with other drivers

By Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai 
The Nation

 

File photo

 

A large number of the 10,000 people currently on probation after being convicted of drink-driving offences will be helping the Probation Department in its attempts to enhance road safety over the Songkran holidays.

 

The extra helpers, who have been ordered by the courts to perform social services, will serve as traffic-regulating volunteers at checkpoints nationwide, said Probation Department director-general Prasarn Mahaleetrakul. 

 

These former drunk drivers would, besides missing the chance to celebrate Songkran or travel wherever they like during the holidays, will work at outdoor checkpoints come rain or shine and deal with other intoxicated drivers’ aggression. 

 

This should make them think twice before doing the same thing next time, he said. 

 

Those placed on probation for drunk driving are required to perform social services at given hours throughout the one-year probation period during which their driver’s licence are also suspended.

 

Prasarn made the comment during a press conference in Bangkok to announce the department’s collaboration with related agencies to boost road safety during Songkran. 

 

Using or having the checkpoint volunteers is a new activity aimed to make those arrested for drunk driving realise their action’s impacts and refrain from repeating the offence.

 

The holiday duties will be on top of the department’s usual assignments for them to devote their time to social service activities, such as working in morgues or taking care of road accident victims at hospitals or at the bed-ridden victims’ houses, Prasan said. 

 

The department officials, if caught drunk driving, would also be liable for dismissal, he added.

 

Anther speaker, Secretary General of the Don’t Drive Drunk Foundation, Dr Taejing Siripanich, praised the new form of “checkpoint” probation and said it was entirely appropriate. 

 

He said forcing former drunk drivers to work directly with traffic officers would give them a new perspective about drunk drivers’ actions. Many drunk drivers become aggressive, he said, threatening police officers and those manning checkpoints, or otherwise act inappropriately due to being intoxicated. 

 

The Metropolitan Police Bureau’s Traffic Police deputy chief Pol Lieutenant Col Akom Jantalach said about 2,700 people were on probation in Bangkok City for drunk driving. They could be selected for the checkpoint-manning volunteer work or ordered to stand-by at police stations or other designated facilities.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30342843

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-4-9

[darksidedog]

An insensitive troll post has been removed.

 

This is one of the first sensible initiatives I have heard of regarding safety on the roads  here. Sure, it will piss them off having to work over Songkran, but they can repay a debt to society and better understand the problem they were a part of. Some mandatory hours down at the morgue, seeing the deadly after effects of drink driving should also help drive the point home. Drink driving costs lives.

[TVGerry]

Jail would be better. However, an inconvenience of working over a holiday is a good deterrent also.

 

If the police enforce it of course...

[Rimmer]

A troll/slur has been removed:

 

11) You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

[ThreeEyedRaven]

It is quite sad when something half sensible comes along and gets at least a couple of idiot trolls before the post gets going.

I believe that ANYTHING that reduces deaths on the roads is a good idea, and this one is better than the 777 tripe we got recently.

If it saves a single life it is worthy. If it stops repeat drunk drivers it is worthy also.

People moan like buggery about the carnage on the roads, but then belittle actually sensible ideas to reduce it.

While I agree that many announcements are not going to help at all, this is actually one that might.

Posters could at least embrace the idea that the Govt are trying, even a little bit, to reduce the death toll, even though they have a long way to go to truly get to grips with the problem. I hope this has some success.

[CGW]

Small problem with this, anybody actually driven through a "checkpoint" I have never seen them move to check anything! far too busy sitting!

Also " taking care of road accident victims at hospitals or at the bed-ridden victims’ houses," thats going to work well isn't it, having a untrained drunk taking care! Fantastic idea.....

Why don't they just enforce the law!

Edited April 9, 2018 by CGW

[Cadbury]

Some time back "they" introduced a penalty whereby drunk drivers would have to serve penance by working in the local morgue.

 

[Sir Dude]

Sadly, the truth is, they simply can't jail people for these infractions, even if they wanted too as incarcerating 100k people upwards at a holiday for serious crimes like not having a license, insurance, tax and being drunk too boot (all of them together most likely) would require them to build another 30 large prisons. The problem is simply too generic, widespread and ingrained for them to do anything about it even if they wanted to. Top-and-tail of it is the Thai public simply don't give a toss about it...so, take it from there. 

Edited April 9, 2018 by Sir Dude

[Russell17au]

On the Central Coast of NSW in Australia there was a program that both the Gosford and Wyong courts used and that was to sentence low reading drink driving to 100 active hours with us at the rescue squad where they were to attend fatal car accidents and help remove the injured and the dead bodies and that really sunk in to a lot of them that their action of drink driving could cause the fatal accidents. Some of them remained as active members after they had served their 100 hours

[ThreeEyedRaven]

3 minutes ago, Sir Dude said:

Sadly, the truth is, they simply can't jail people for these infractions, even if they wanted too as incarcerating 100k people upwards at a holiday for serious crimes like not having a license, insurance, tax and being drunk too boot (all of them together most likely) would require them to build another 30 large prisons. The problem is simply too generic, widespread and ingrained for them to do anything about it even if they wanted to. Top-and-tail of it is the Thai public simply don't give a toss about it...so, take it from there. 

You have obviously never visited a prison here. Even though crammed way beyond capacity, they will always open the doors for more and just cram them in like sardines. Human rights agreements be damned. I feel a change in the wind and Thai people are beginning to give a toss, to quote your expression.

I do agree that the problem is widespread, but I have noticed in the last year or so a determination to stop it. When I first got here a breathalyser was a thing to be joked about. Now they are rampant. Things move slowly here, but they are moving. Will be many years before the full effects are noticed nationwide, but at least some attempts are being made, which is more than can be said for years gone by. We should encourage attempts to improve things, not knock them.

[Gazman1]

I find it difficult to understand why some people are so negative to any action the Police put into addressing the Road Toll whether it may work or not.  To me the driving issue in Thailand has been long standing and would require a major shift in general attitude to improve.  I can not understand the psychology of the Thai driver and why they take there life in their hands with gay abandon especially those on motor cycles.
I have said on many occasions the Police are very much under resourced and need a massive injection to bring them up to a standard of where they are feared and respected.  This will come down to meaningful laws and punishments to be properly enforced to all members of the community.
Sad I have seen some police not observing the law, one yesterday dodged a person on a cross walk on his motor bike and had no helmet on.  The laws should start with them obeying them so they can uphold them as well.  I do realise this is probably the minoritory.
I think the negative comments are uncalled for.  I live near Sai Mai Raod and police have been hammering the motor cyclists with no helemets and now it is noticeable that the majority of riders are now wearing helmets.  Things can change even though it may be slow.
As an example of it not just being in Thailand Australian Police are having problems with mobile phone use while driving, this has led to a lot of publicity how young people think they will nto get caught.  Penalties have been increased and now the public are sending videos to police of offenders.  This now greatly increases the number of police (so to speak) on the road and offenders do nto know where they may be.
 

[meatboy]

what a good idea if you are one of the following,FORMER DRUNK DRIVERS are to work as volunteers at check points. with their first job is to CONFISCATE all alcohol.

[Odysseus123]

17 minutes ago, Gazman1 said:

I find it difficult to understand why some people are so negative to any action the Police put into addressing the Road Toll whether it may work or not.  To me the driving issue in Thailand has been long standing and would require a major shift in general attitude to improve.  I can not understand the psychology of the Thai driver and why they take there life in their hands with gay abandon especially those on motor cycles.
I have said on many occasions the Police are very much under resourced and need a massive injection to bring them up to a standard of where they are feared and respected.  This will come down to meaningful laws and punishments to be properly enforced to all members of the community.
Sad I have seen some police not observing the law, one yesterday dodged a person on a cross walk on his motor bike and had no helmet on.  The laws should start with them obeying them so they can uphold them as well.  I do realise this is probably the minoritory.
I think the negative comments are uncalled for.  I live near Sai Mai Raod and police have been hammering the motor cyclists with no helemets and now it is noticeable that the majority of riders are now wearing helmets.  Things can change even though it may be slow.
As an example of it not just being in Thailand Australian Police are having problems with mobile phone use while driving, this has led to a lot of publicity how young people think they will nto get caught.  Penalties have been increased and now the public are sending videos to police of offenders.  This now greatly increases the number of police (so to speak) on the road and offenders do nto know where they may be.
 

I have posted this before but the word from my Thai family (serial offenders) this Songkran, is that they are beginning to fear jail time as a consequence of drinking and driving.

 

Therefore any step in the right direction must be encouraged and ANYTHING that keeps my three Thai BiL's of the road at Songkran-and a zillion like them-should be applauded.