Laws Can't Solve Road Deaths: Interior Minister

[snoop1130]

Laws Can't Solve Road Deaths: Interior Minister

By Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

 

A motorcyclist was killed after crashing into a truck Monday night in Sisaket province.

 

BANGKOK — Interior Minister Gen. Anupong Paochinda on Tuesday denied that this year’s apparent rise in road fatalities during Songkran were caused by a lack of police diligence at traffic checkpoints.

 

Striking a defensive posture after the body count seemed set to surge despite widespread public awareness campaigns and vows of stricter alcohol control measures, the minister insisted police did their utmost to ensure safety during the long holiday.

 

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/04/17/laws-cant-solve-road-deaths-interior-minister/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-4-17

[Thaiwrath]

The interior minister added that the law alone cannot solve fatal road accidents

 

 

Do they not think that realistic punishments, like prison sentences, instead of minimal fines, could act a deterrent to others ?  It would not solve accidents, but I'm reasonably sure it could reduce the numbers. 

[darksidedog]

Wow! An admission of failure. And he is completely wrong. Laws can and do stop the carnage, but ONLY when they are bloody well enforced, which clearly doesn't happen here.

[jvs]

A lot more people this year again paid the ultimate price,until the attitude changes things will remain the same.

Death does not seem to scare the people here.

[DM07]

Yeah...do away with those damn laws!

And while you are at it: there are sure some laws that don't solve murder, corruption, theft and arson!

So, let's try a lawless society!

...oh...wait...

[JOC]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

the minister insisted police did their utmost to ensure safety during the long holiday.

Like being good role models....?

No helmet 

No plate

No problem

[coulson]

Anupong said the mass media should shoulder more responsibility by making citizens responsible members of society

 

The media????

 

 

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

Laws Can't Solve Road Deaths: Interior Minister

I beg to differ.

[maximillian]

11 minutes ago, JOC said:

Like being good role models....?

No helmet 

No plate

No problem

Nah, the good policeman is only driving a confiscated Scoopy to the junkyard...

[Eric Loh]

The invisible interior minister is making his usual excuses. Don’t blame us, blame them. The usual excuses like the malfunction GT200 and blimp which he approved. He again is so wrong to say law don’t solve road  deaths. 

[sammieuk1]

They do work in most country's its the buying out of it that can make a tad ineffective.

[Orton Rd]

The most important change needed is a REAL driving test with draconian measures for officials selling a licence under the table

[KMartinHandyman]

Many foreigners ideas for enforcement of all Thailands issues are accurate but the root of the problem is when the government comes down hard the Thai people cry its over burdening and excessive punishment because they are poor and have no money or choices to meet the mandates. A vicious circle as the riding in the back of open pickup trucks crackdown highlighted.
The same for larger fines for infractions to send a message to the population that they can’t afford. The west will jail you if you don’t pay. Thailand is not willing to impose that on the people to send a message and lock up poor people who can’t pay ฿5000 for running a red light or no helmet or no license etc.
It’s a game of appeasement they both play. The government doesn’t get to stern and punish them excessively and the people don’t rise up against them and are willing to overlook the foolishness that goes on amongst the elite in power.
Simple as that, a quid pro quo.

[Odysseus123]

17 minutes ago, KMartinHandyman said:

Many foreigners ideas for enforcement of all Thailands issues are accurate but the root of the problem is when the government comes down hard the Thai people cry its over burdening and excessive punishment because they are poor and have no money or choices to meet the mandates. A vicious circle as the riding in the back of open pickup trucks crackdown highlighted.
The same for larger fines for infractions to send a message to the population that they can’t afford. The west will jail you if you don’t pay. Thailand is not willing to impose that on the people to send a message and lock up poor people who can’t pay ฿5000 for running a red light or no helmet or no license etc.
It’s a game of appeasement they both play. The government doesn’t get to stern and punish them excessively and the people don’t rise up against them and are willing to overlook the foolishness that goes on amongst the elite in power.
Simple as that, a quid pro quo.

A very fine post.

 

Yes, the anarchic behaviour of the lower ranks is written in invisible ink into the social contract."You let us collect all the money and we will let you behave like a bunch of irresponsible clowns.Fairs,fair."

 

What Thailand really lacks is a relatively well educated,disinterested, bureaucratic class that can act as an honest broker between the two extremes and so the absolute chaos will continue..

[djayz]

4 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Laws Can't Solve Road Deaths:

So, so true but they can go a long way in reducing road deaths. See others countries... 

[Eligius]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Wow! An admission of failure. And he is completely wrong. Laws can and do stop the carnage, but ONLY when they are bloody well enforced, which clearly doesn't happen here.

I know, Darksidedog - it isn't exactly rocket science, is it  - this thing called 'law ENFORCEMENT'? But apparently it is beyond rocket science for Thailand and its brain-dead leaders! 

 

Just amazing - stupidity at the most stunningly AMAZING levels!

 

[MaxYakov]

If they really want to save lives, next Songkran they should forbid all motorbike use for the entire seven days. Maybe it will start a trend (or maybe not). I guess I should wake up now.

[smedly]

9 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

BANGKOK — Interior Minister Gen. Anupong Paochinda on Tuesday denied that this year’s apparent rise in road fatalities during Songkran were caused by a lack of police diligence at traffic checkpoints.

did any of the accidents/fatalities happen at checkpoints..................no,  did they catch a huge number of drunk drivers - well yes 

 

Can we please have people with an education in control of road safety, it is pretty obvious that the those involved right now have absolutely no clue

 

can we now have educated people take control

[selftaopath]

Unenforced laws won't accomplish anything. What a bunch of ignorant people. ENFORCE the laws and see the change!!!!!!!! Or SHUT UP!!!!

[Sonhia]

Rubbish!

 

I witnessed countless motorcyclists wearing no helmets with more than two on one bike plus pick up flat beds stuffed with people driving directly in front of the police with no action taken.

 

Lazy! Carefree!

 

The laws are good but not followed or policed.

 

Egg on the Ministers face.

 

Life is cheap.

[Stargeezr]

The police in Thailand are poorly paid, and  unlike the UK, Australia, NZ or Canada

there is no incentive for them to work any harder than they do. I have heard that the

deputy sherrifs in the USA are not that well trained or well paid as well. Only in the FBI

I guess, or secret service. Maybe the private security that guards area 51 or the new big

area where the secret fighters etc are being developed.  I just hope this is not a new

record year for deaths..

Geezer

[stanleycoin]

9 hours ago, JOC said:

Like being good role models....?

No helmet 

No plate

No problem

That just about sums up the disgraceful attitude that the police have to there jobs and duty in Thailand. The only thing missing in the pick,  is him using his phone, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Time to get rid of the plastic police,  and start a new a police force in Thailand. fire the lot and put the army in charge of this, until a new police force is hired.

Then Thailand can move forward into the 21 centery

 

 

 

[PatOngo]

5 hours ago, djayz said:

So, so true but they can go a long way in reducing road deaths. See others countries... 

Planet Thailand is totally disconnected with Planet Earth....it's in a parallel universe.

[starky]

10 hours ago, jvs said:

A lot more people this year again paid the ultimate price,until the attitude changes things will remain the same.

Death does not seem to scare the people here.

When you get reincarnated eternally why would death scare you. Up to Buddha.  Chok Dee Chart Na! 

[PatOngo]

56 minutes ago, smedly said:

did any of the accidents/fatalities happen at checkpoints..................no,  did they catch a huge number of drunk drivers - well yes 

 

Can we please have people with an education in control of road safety, it is pretty obvious that the those involved right now have absolutely no clue

 

can we now have educated people take control

 

To do that you need an education system!

[Lupatria]

Laws Can't Solve anything here but money can

[fxe1200]

The ministry needs more than ten years to come to this conclusion. Congratulations to this extraordinary intellectual achievement.

[dickjones2018]

everytime I see a car drive beyond a red light, I think... put a CCTV or a cop.... thailand will get much more rich cops

[chainarong]

Like all things Thai the game has been played to long,  you could introduce heavier fines but the crux of the matter is attitude and resposibility these go hand in hand when using a vehicle , education is a little to late except for the younger generation, as I said,  the game has been played for to long, this is the end result of not keeping up with International standards and a we know better attitude.............................................................

[wgdanson]

11 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

The most important change needed is a REAL driving test with draconian measures for officials selling a licence under the table

And of course, even more draconian measures for DRIVING without the aforesaid license. Confiscate the vehicle, monkey house. Fines are no good if the perp has no money. But then the missis will have to drive the 3 kids to school on the bike, or go to the market. What license?