Laws Can't Solve Road Deaths: Interior Minister

[terminatorchiangmai]

One word ; EDUCATION !

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

12 hours ago, coulson said:

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

 

The media????

 

 

Well, in fine Thai tradition they must blame someone.

Edited April 18, 2018 by HiSoLowSoNoSo

[AsiaHand]

With out correct ENFORCEMENT of the laws this is true. More BIB needed to patrole the highways for evforcement of the traffic laws or reasign those that are currently being used to collect the brown envelops by having the night club and illegal bar owners to jus m,ail them in every month.

[essox essox]

13 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.

and it never will....there are not enough cops to enforce laws

[transam]

Police to do what they are paid for and BIG fines will help..

 

Instead of a bloke going on tele telling how grass growth is doing he should point out the NEW road traffic fines loud and clear...

 

In LOS losing big cash is the only thing folk will think about...

[essox essox]

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

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?

are there no school buses to tek kids to school??

[Chris Lawrence]

Other countries have done well by introducing new laws or policies, followed up with public education.

[jvs]

15 minutes ago, essox essox said:

are there no school buses to tek kids to school??

Yes there are but they need to be payed and not everyone has the money for that.

[Chrisdoc]

I don't think it is a good idea letting 12 year olds ride motorbikes at high speeds. I also question whether driving at 120km an hour with no seatbelts, sitting in the front seat while holding a baby is a good idea but the government thinks limiting behaviour like this as not effective.

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[connda]

14 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.

If they could pull there heads out of the sand and look at First World traffic policing methods, they could reduce the carnage.  They choose instead to make excuses.  TIT.

[Tilacme]

13 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

There seems to be no system for learner drivers, no L plates, no professional instructors.  They go round the school grounds on the  weekend and then straight out onto the roads.  Then along to the test centre in the manner as you suggest.

[Sydebolle]

Khun Anupong Paochinda is right. Where he - like the entire rest of the flock - is missing out is that no law is effective ....... if it is not properly enforced. 

Take Drunk Driving; put very steep fines in place and, at the same time, confiscate the vehicle; repeaters get their car impounded for a longer period of time. 

No helmet; again steep fines, vehicle stays put for two weeks at the police station against an additional parking fee of say THB 200/day. 

Maybe not making Thailand accident-free but definitely a giant leap in the right direction. And, if you are at it, have a look at European driving schools and enforce basics prior to handing out the sought-after license. I had to learn how to put on snow chains (little use here, I know), replenish distilled water into the car battery, fill the washer water tank, check tyre pressure and the level/colour of engine oil. Where I come from it costs the equivalent of THB 1'000 if an indicator light does not function - go figure .......

This, Khun Anupong Paochinda is the issue and not the laws themselves :-) 

[Beats56]

They just are not afraid of getting caught drinking and driving. In my home county you are a fool if you did that. Some that take chance pay.heavily for their actions and regret it for a long time.

 

 

 

[Benmart]

13 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

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..

Corruption breeds a corrupt society. When it reaches into the very fabric of day to day life, lawless behavior becomes the status quo. When caught, repeat the corruption and continue the cycle.

[lvr181]

Idiot excuse maker! 

[Creasy]

Back to your barracks. You treasonous nincompoop

[phil2407]

Is that his defensive posture? 

Edited April 18, 2018 by phil2407
Duplicate

[phil2407]

That’s his defensive stance!!! 

[Sparkles]

If they got police on the road instead of sitting in marquees,as they did this last week, sipping cofffe and playing with their phones it might help as would the "tea money" road blocks for not wearing a helmet etc.

 

Of course learning  how other countries have reduced their road tolls by more high profile patrols using bikes and cars ,speed cameras ,mobile breathalysers and driving education would all help but they know best and to have to admit that educating themselves to reduce this horrendous yearly toll is a loss of face.

 

Third world mentality

[spidermike007]

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.

 

This absolute nitwit completely misses the point. It is not about checkpoints. All checkpoints do, is enrich the toy police and slow down traffic for a few minutes. It is about patrolling the highways, and catching people driving recklessly, you simple minded neophyte. If you had been appointed due to merit, you might have known that simple fact. It is known the world over, as a deterrent. That simply does not exist in the land of fatalities. 

 

Dumb, dumb and dumber. Continue sticking your head in the sand, you ignorant pencil pusher. 

[727Sky]

They made getting a license a two day ordeal so I know a few who are driving without a license especially motorcycles drivers. Underground network tells everyone where the cops are so avoid.. cops go home at 17:00 so off comes the helmets in town.

 

This is the time of year when many of the side roads have huge craters and pot holes.. Someone doing 5 KPH around a corner on the wrong side of the road... what could possibly go wrong... 

 

Minimum speeds would solve some of the problems along with realistic speed limits... Police need to be driving on the roads and checking traffic flow.

 

PARKING !! Since there is a scarcity of parking places some people just stop driving where ever they are no matter they block one lane on a busy road. Motorcycles are just as guilty as they can block 1/2 of an entire lane on a two lane road..

 

Again if the cops would issue tickets and fines for such behavior things might improve ?

 

Might as well face it.. Except for the major roads most roads were designed for motorcycles or water buffaloes.... That coupled with some making turns at a 45 degree angle instead of 90 degrees...again what could go wrong....

 

I would really hate to have to drive a tour bus in Thailand unless my run was from Bangkok to Pattaya or some other route that has a real highway..  

Edited April 18, 2018 by 727Sky
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[Golden Triangle]

The interior minister added that the law alone cannot solve fatal road accidents and more effort needs to be put on raising public awareness about safe driving.

 

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

 

Intelligent, educated & respected posters on this forum have been saying virtually the same thing for years, I don't blame mass media, education costs money, what should be happening is that the government/ministry of the day should be running awareness campaigns on TV, Radio and in the print media every hour of everyday of every week - month - Year, with an effective, properly trained & motivated police force to back it up, but they don't, every holiday time they trot out the same old platitudes, which we all know don't work.

[ZL1DD]

It is an established fact that the key to road crash reduction is enforcement. No other measure comes close. Enforcement must be at a level where people understand that there is a very high risk of being caught if they break the rules. This means road blocks where every driver is stopped, is breath tested, license checked etc.  Then all offenders are held and processed, vehicles impounded unless there is an alternative driver. Apprehension is the key. Impounding of vehicles for a while is effective and does not require offenders to pay cash fines. This program can be applied regionally and targeted at problem areas, plus random stopping and checks continuously. Experience, notably from the Australian state of Victoria shows that this is pretty much the only approach that works and has long lasting change in road user culture .

[Eligius]

4 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

The interior minister added that the law alone cannot solve fatal road accidents and more effort needs to be put on raising public awareness about safe driving.

 

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

 

Intelligent, educated & respected posters on this forum have been saying virtually the same thing for years, I don't blame mass media, education costs money, what should be happening is that the government/ministry of the day should be running awareness campaigns on TV, Radio and in the print media every hour of everyday of every week - month - Year, with an effective, properly trained & motivated police force to back it up, but they don't, every holiday time they trot out the same old platitudes, which we all know don't work.

It is quite obvious by now - after decades of this shameful mass killing on the roads - that the Thai Powers That Be really don't give a damn about the loss of human life. In fact, they probably rather like the idea of a few more peasants killing themselves and leaving more space for the Thai Hi-So's to ride roughshod over everybody else ...

 

 

Edited April 18, 2018 by Eligius

[FitnessHealthTravel]

16 hours ago, JOC said:

Like being good role models....?

No helmet 

No plate

No problem

No turn signal

[Cake Monster]

Mr. Minister,

 

You really need to get of your high horse and go visit some other Nations around the World that have low death rate figures and high conviction rates for Drink Driving.

 

In each of them, you will find ( without exception ) that the County has achieved this due to LAWS and the ENFORCEMENT of those LAWS.

 

Dont forget to publish the findings of your fact finding Tour

 

[Dap]

Absolutely correct!  BUT, enforcement of the existing laws could

certainly put a dent in those unfortunate numbers.

[fakename]

Thailands answer to record fatalities, RAISE the Speed Limit! 

[anon537687643]

He's right.
 
The only way to solve the problem is to go back to the buffalo. 

Go back? They are “buffalos”



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[Rockhopper]

OMG! Laws can prevent road deaths - if they are enforced 24/7/365 with appropriate punishment.