Road carnage: You're all breaking the law, campaigner tells Thais.

[ice4351]

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Expect more carnage then, because they haven't listened so far and I don't see them having a sudden epiphany. Most of them don't seem to have the first clue what the road laws are anyway. The me first mentality and I am Superman, I can drive in any condition, at any speed seems highly prevalent.

You can expect a lot of accidents deaths when you have a country that does not require driver education for the population.  Driver education should be taught in all the schools like in other countries!  Most street and most of the soi do not have speed limits.  Asking for disaster and getting it daily!

[Benmart]

5 hours ago, smedly said:

people will not follow the law (especially on the roads) unless they are forced to, and the only way to force them is by enforcing the law

 

Speeding - mobile use - drink driving and general reckless driving, add to that the general road worthiness of HGV and public transport vehicles not to mention drug taking

 

It all comes down to enforcement of the law and penalising those caught, no use setting up a road stop and checking for tax - that contributes nothing to road safety

 

What Thailand needs is solid proactive prevention policing and until that happens nothing will change 

In 5 years of city and rural highway driving, I have never seen a car, truck or scooter pulled over by a marked patrol car or motorcycle with lights and sirens. The only time I ever see such a vehicle is during a police escort for so called VIPs.

[Juan B Tong]

Nah,

 

All constructive observations could do it, but.won't

 

I suggest a new approach.  The do nothing approach.

 

Let absolute chaos happen. Let carnage be so manifest that is reported as merely a statistic like a military casualty report. Only hi-so or major multi deaths get a sound bite.

 

Perhaps if each family looses loved one. an awareness the danger and responsibility of driving may arise.

 

Maybe street justice, maybe community gorilla enforcement.

 

Not some demanding standards that comes from the International Standards, but from the 'Thainess' of the people.

 

Home grow a set of driving standards and ethics.

 

Actually that's what is going on now.

 

 

 

[leither69]

How can you expect the law to be enforced when the enforcers see no problem with their actions

[PEE TEE]

4 hours ago, Thian said:

Mostly it's the ones without helmets who don't give a duck about safety of themselves or others.

 

I don't care if they kill themselves but they show very clearly how they think about the law. Also it's the first thing tourists in Thailand see, so they think there's no rule of law in this country.

They do have set laws much the same as international laws . BUT they are not enforced and no one takes any notice of them is a free for all. until the police take drastic action  . road side check are a waste of time . It needs Proper policing  24 /7 

[heybuz]

2 hours ago, Lemonltr said:

So only 17% actually pay the fines ( I have read that is only 4% too) I hesitate to defend the police but it must be demoralising and a huge disincentive.

Why don't they come down on this hard? Probably the usual Thai inertia. Nobody really cares in the end. Fines are useless if they don't need to be paid.

The government can't keep up with the paper work if a fine is not issued by 12 months it becomes null and void. 

[Beats56]

I.want to reply to.this post but won't bother. Nothing I say will change anything in this country of moron drivers. It starts at the top and people doing their job they are paid to do. 

[wabothai]

5 hours ago, smedly said:

people will not follow the law (especially on the roads) unless they are forced to, and the only way to force them is by enforcing the law

 

Speeding - mobile use - drink driving and general reckless driving, add to that the general road worthiness of HGV and public transport vehicles not to mention drug taking

 

It all comes down to enforcement of the law and penalising those caught, no use setting up a road stop and checking for tax - that contributes nothing to road safety

 

What Thailand needs is solid proactive prevention policing and until that happens nothing will change 

Overseeing consequences of actions, not a thai thing.

[Cranky]

4 hours ago, stanleycoin said:

This is what the average Thais Driver/Rider thinks of the law

When the cops are not around. ( that's most of the time )

Even when the cops are around they know a few baht or a phone call will get them out of trouble.  Road safety can only improve when there is education, a proper test to get a license and a system that actually penalises offenders in a real way - points on the license, bans, fines that hurt, jail time etc.

 

What is the point in blaming the offenders and asking them nicely to kindly change the habits of a lifetime and fix a broken, inadequate 'system'.  It would take years with a plan, but there clearly isn't one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[johnny49r]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Thai drivers and riders have been told in no uncertain terms to start obeying the law or face more road carnage

I had hoped that it might read "Thai drivers and riders have been told in no uncertain terms to start obeying the law or face heavy fines and jail time". But again police beg drivers to behave instead of doing actual law enforcement. 

[Asquith Production]

 

Quote

Big problems existed with people not slowing or taking appropriate care at U-turns and when there were roadside stalls or shops.

U turns are one of the worst pieces of road infrastructure out there.  It sometime means a driver starts from stationary and turns into the path of traffic bearing down on him.

[datcook]

Only 17% pay fines. Easily fixed send debt collectors. no pay seize vehicles hold for say 30 days if not paid crush cars/motorcycles and make sure that the crushing is shown on national television. 

[wvavin]

Dr Thanapong stop short of saying you <deleted> 100% no brains!!!

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

This one should solve most of the issues

 

 

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/speed-limit-imposed-at-80-kms-per-hour-for-ambulances/

 

 

 

And the reverse as well:

The current speed limit is 80-90 km/h on highways. 

Police propose speed limits on inter-provincial highways with no intersections or crossroads at at maximum of 110 km/h.

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1032570-police-propose-higher-speed-limits-for-highways-and-slower-limits-for-urban-areas/

 

 

Edited April 10, 2018 by Srikcir
sp

[akampa]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that the problem was not with the roads themselves, the signage, the warnings, the lights - these were of international standards

only on major roads,   some signs where I live look like they have been drawn by 5 year olds.

[Chris Renaix]

One of the locals where I used to live before broke it very clear to me: "Law is only for farang, not for Thai people.  Thai people do what they want".

[smedly]

1 hour ago, Benmart said:

In 5 years of city and rural highway driving, I have never seen a car, truck or scooter pulled over by a marked patrol car or motorcycle with lights and sirens. The only time I ever see such a vehicle is during a police escort for so called VIPs.

In 14 years of driving here (all over the country) I have not gone more than 5mins were I haven't observed a serious driving offence that would have earn someone a ticket back in the UK.

 

They know how to drive - they generally know the rules but since there is nothing to stop them breaking the rules then you have chaos and carnage

 

Take 50 Thai drivers and put them behind the wheels of a vehicles in the UK and you will either see 50 very quickly banned drivers or they will all drive very differently than they do in Thailand because they will learn very quickly that they are going to get caught and penalised if they don't follow the rules

[Airbagwill]

 Dr Thanapong Jinawong seems to have got the wrong end of the stick on just about everything.

but this is of course a major factor as to why Thailand lags behind  on road safety.

so long as we listen to people spouting nonsense, disinformation and useless comment like above no progress will be made.

 

 

PS - "Don't just see fines as a bit of paper," said Dr Thanapong Jinawong. "Understand why you got the fine and adjust your driving accordingly"

Relly? - in the reality the bits of paper aren't even worth the bit of paper they've been written on....he has completely missed the point - how sad, how typical

[Airbagwill]

8 minutes ago, smedly said:

In 14 years of driving here (all over the country) I have not gone more than 5mins were I haven't observed a serious driving offence that would have earn someone a ticket back in the UK.

 

They know how to drive - they generally know the rules but since there is nothing to stop them breaking the rules then you have chaos and carnage

 

Take 50 Thai drivers and put them behind the wheels of a vehicles in the UK and you will either see 50 very quickly banned drivers or they will all drive very differently than they do in Thailand because they will learn very quickly that they are going to get caught and penalised if they don't follow the rules

actually if you take a Thai driver to the UK - which I have - you'll soon realise that they physically can't break most of the rules of the UK roads because road layout lanes and signage prevents term from doing it.

 

[the claim in the OP that Thailand has modern road signage is total nonsense].

Edited April 10, 2018 by Airbagwill

[smedly]

4 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

actually if you take a Thai driver to the UK - which I have, you'll soon realise that they physially can't break most of the rules of the UK roads because road layout lians and signage prevents tem from doing it.

it doesn't prevent anything, not following the rules - road layouts - signage will get them a ticket in the UK...............simple as that

 

and yes some road markings in Thailand need addressed especially at junctions

[The Teacher]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Expect more carnage then, because they haven't listened so far and I don't see them having a sudden epiphany. Most of them don't seem to have the first clue what the road laws are anyway. The me first mentality and I am Superman, I can drive in any condition, at any speed seems highly prevalent.

Exactly the law means nothing to them, toothless tiger anyway 

[The Teacher]

32 minutes ago, akampa said:

only on major roads,   some signs where I live look like they have been drawn by 5 year olds.

Hahahahaaha yes I agree, Kindergarten stuff

[Airbagwill]

2 minutes ago, smedly said:

it doesn't prevent anything, not following the rules - road layouts - signage will get them a ticket in the UK...............simple as that

 

and yes some road markings in Thailand need addressed especially at junctions

Unfortunately you clearly don't seem to understand road safety basics - I guess it's a bit like assuming the world is flat because that's how it looks to you.

the key is to prevent stupids from being stupid - the roads in the UK are designed to do this on many levels.

The downside is that UK drivers because they have one of the lowest death rates in the world think it is because they are "good driver" when in actual fact it is the driving environment that keeps them safe.

 

Health and safety - a dirty word for many - is the art/science of PREVENTING crashes or injury, and it has been very successful in Europe, unfirtunately many people still don't understand how it works - including the gent in the OP and both your theories and his when accepted by those in authoritiy are part of the reason that Thailand is so slow to deal with the poor performance they have on road safety.

[worgeordie]

In one ear,out the other, sorry no one's listening to you,

they will just keep on doing their own thing,no matter

that it could result in their death and loved ones.

regards worgeordie

[DM07]

...ahm....I cam't quiet figure out, where the problem is...

 

"And only 17% even bothered to pay their fines, he claimed."

[Bundooman]

"He also called for the authorities to target the areas known as the 77 danger spots in Thailand where most of the accidents occur."

 

There are 77 Provinces in Thailand. So he is saying that the entire country is the danger spot and is where most accidents happen!

 

Wow! what insight. Everyone in Thailand knows that - but it don't make a scrap of difference, does it?

[Lucky mike]

Talk, talk, talk and no action...no change !

[CeeGee]

Some Thais are aware of the problems on the roads, I was talking to my wife and asked her why on long car journeys in the UK that she slept but when we drive in Thailand she never sleeps.

She said in England I feel safe so I can sleep, but in Thailand cannot sleep, not safe!

[Airbagwill]

PS - rather than using the word "carnage" ( derived from "meat") over nd over again, do you think the media or posters on this thread could come up with a more constructive,less emotive expression that is actually connected with what is really happening?

Deaths on buses only represent 1% of road deaths in Thailand.

 

Does anyone have comparative figures fir the USA Europe or UK?

[Howiehotspur]

Just seen an ‘ incident ‘ about 30 min ago , A 4x4 reversing onto a road , one guy got out of the passenger side to stop traffic , fair enough, guided him out .. got back in , then the car reversed even more and reversed into a parked car on the opposite side of the road , about 10 people shouted as you can see what was just about to happen .. bang ! 

Then they just drove off , as if  nothing happened . Smashed the offside rear lights etc ... I drove up ( on my bike ) along side at the next junction and indicated what happened , answer . “ ok ok , it’s no problem “ .. drive off .. ?? ( a Farang was the passenger ) .