Water hazard - Thailand rolls out 'Seven Deadly Days' road safety campaign

 

Elephants and people play with water during the celebration of Songkran Water Festival, to commemorate Thailand's New Year in Ayutthaya, Thailand April 11, 2018. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The video opens with revellers throwing water by the side of a road as they celebrate Songkran, the festival that ushers in the traditional Thai new year.

 

Then the camera pans to a horrific road accident and the group are seen trying to douse flames engulfing the vehicles.

 

This is one of several public service announcements being aired ahead of the new year holiday, when Thailand sees a spike in road deaths as many people exit cities bound for their homes in the countryside.

 

Dubbed the "Seven Deadly Days", the days before, during and after the Songkran holiday see accident rates soar, with drunk driving accounting for many crashes.

The seven days began on Wednesday this year and will end on Tuesday.

 

The holiday is often referred to as the world's biggest water fight, with revellers throwing water at passing cars and motorbikes that sometimes swerve to avoid getting doused.

 

Thailand's roads rank among the world's deadliest, according to the World Health Organization, and there has been little improvement despite safety campaigns over the years.

 

On Tuesday, six migrant workers from Myanmar were killed when their double-decker bus crashed into a ditch near the border town of Mae Sot, the second fatal accident in as many weeks involving migrants.

 

Thailand's transport ministry said it aimed to reduce the number of road accidents by 7 percent during this Songkran festival.

 

Emergency responders doubt the latest safety campaign will have much impact.

 

"These campaigns are quite isolated and mostly for show only," said Marko Cunningham from the Bangkok Free Ambulance Service, a volunteer ambulance organization.

 

"Thai people know the laws and yet continue to break them," he said. "I have always said the main problem lies with enforcement."

 

(Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Darren Schuettler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-4-11

With last year's successful campaign, good to see they brought it back for this year.

Thank you for providing a safe environment for me to enjoy.

 

As suggested a month back the water throwing on main roads that is banned is now taking place at many points along the Mae Ai-Thaton road, in one case from a tent much like the one the officials are setting up to see how much booze they can drink while telling drivers not to.

Much as I would like the campaign to be a success, I am far too much of a realist to believe for one second that it will be.

Thais and farangs alike seem to totally part company with their brains when water throwing starts.

 

38 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

"These campaigns are quite isolated and mostly for show only," said Marko Cunningham from the Bangkok Free Ambulance Service, a volunteer ambulance organization.

 

"Thai people know the laws and yet continue to break them," he said. "I have always said the main problem lies with enforcement."

Spot on...!!

Those campaigns are nothing but a photo op for police and politicians.....

 

And with the police being as playful (stupid) as the population...how are they supposed to earn any respect and enforce the law...?

Once again - ANY holiday that is highlighted by the number of deaths it caused is worthy of rethinking its process.

Time to load up with food and drinks and stay home, had enough of traffic jams and crazy kamikaze drivers.

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The holiday is often referred to as the world's biggest water fight

It would be more appropriate to call it what it really is, the worlds worst road carnage bloodbath. Hell of a holiday!

Good Luck everybody, hope you all surivie this years crazy 7 days and get back

home in one piece, whether it is in Thailand or somewhere else.

Geezer

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the world's biggest water fight

 

Top that, Libya.

 

 

Cobblers  , accidents dont "soar" over this period if anything they're  the same or less.

Your average Somchai or Lek risks being called "too serious" or thinking too much if they request a bit of common sense regarding Songkran safety. The ambulance driver says it all: Thais know the laws but break them anyway. Sad. How many Songkan celebrations are also memorials for families who have relatives killed in action during these Seven Deadly Days? 

Whatever!!! 

It does,not take a holiday period for all the idiots to cause havoc on the road.Any day will do.

Thailand is so very proud of this 7-day death campaign. 

They just do not get it,,, do they  ???

The road traffic safety monitoring & policing needs to be 365 days a year ,,, Get it RTP?????

31 minutes ago, falangjim said:

Your average Somchai or Lek risks being called "too serious" or thinking too much if they request a bit of common sense regarding Songkran safety. The ambulance driver says it all: Thais know the laws but break them anyway. Sad. How many Songkan celebrations are also memorials for families who have relatives killed in action during these Seven Deadly Days? 

"inaction" being the word

16 hours ago, JOC said:

Spot on...!!

Those campaigns are nothing but a photo op for police and politicians.....

 

And with the police being as playful (stupid) as the population...how are they supposed to earn any respect and enforce the law...?

No respect, only contempt.

any better for the death rate this time ... the only way is up... with the goons in charge

17 hours ago, HLover said:

With last year's successful campaign, good to see they brought it back for this year.

Thank you for providing a safe environment for me to enjoy.

 

are you sure??????

1 minute ago, essox essox said:

are you sure??????

Not even .14 %

1 minute ago, HLover said:

Not even .14 %

no one is safe when this circus starts !!

17 hours ago, HLover said:

With last year's successful campaign, good to see they brought it back for this year.

Thank you for providing a safe environment for me to enjoy.

 

LoL

Thaiand's version of "The Purge"

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

They just do not get it,,, do they  ???

The road traffic safety monitoring & policing needs to be 365 days a year ,,, Get it RTP?????

They just dont get it do they??

Yur right about 365 days.....

The reality is that the 7 Deadly Days are not anymore deadly than any other 7 consecutive days during the year.  These 7 days simply have more press coverage.  The average death toll per day is over 60 souls and there were more then 1/4 million traffic related injuries before the end of March 2018.  For a country with 76 million inhabitants, 20 million motorbikes, and 17 million cars/trucks, these are simply ghastly statistics. 

Thailand has a huge problem, but not one that is limited to major holidays like Songkhan. 

3 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Good Luck everybody, hope you all surivie this years crazy 7 days and get back

home in one piece, whether it is in Thailand or somewhere else.

Geezer

Crazy 7 days "somewhere else"??????

The Key Here is Enforcement Enforcement Enforcement Enforcement.

There should be NO excuses No Bribes No I'm Sorry 

Enforce Enforce Enforce Take keys away from people let tyres down 

It's a Police Force  So Enforce Enforce Enforce until message is understood by all

Its a Thai Thing . i stay home thanks. after seeing last year ,foreigners firing ice cubes with catapults