Public hearing on driving penalties

[wotsdermatter]

Been Skyping some friends in various countries about the driving habits in their locales and the points systems used.  Many are very similar and nearly all started some time ago.  Thailand is at least 35-40 years behind in this matter.  A friend in Arizona sent me the following:

 

Arizona uses a point system where a license will be suspended if 8 points are accumulated in one year. Offences that lead to this are the following:

 

DUI (blood alcohol concentration (BAC of 0.08% or higher): 8 points

Extreme DUI: 8 points

Reckless driving: 8 points

Aggressive driving: 8 points

Leaving the scene of an accident: 6 points

Running a stop sign or traffic signal or failing to yield, accident causing death: 6 points

Running a stop sign or traffic signal or failing to yield, accident causing serious injury: 4 points

Speeding: 3 points

Driving or parking over an area where one or more lanes diverge to go in different directions (gore area): 3 points

All other driving violations: 2 points.

 

Will Thailand ever reach this level?  Doubtful due to corruption by the local police authorities, the inability of Thais to maintain normal law and order, and their inability to conform to safe driving habits due to the lack of good and correct driving skills being attained because of the lack of driving schools, having proper driving tests, and being able to "obtain" a licence out of a Cracker Jack box.  On top of those facts, Thais do not believe themselves vulnerable and are impervious to being involved in car accidents often leading to death and or mutilation, due to their inability to drive correctly and their reliance on the "insurance" of medallions of dubious worth.  Most rarely believe they are at fault, ergo reckless riding of motorbikes, careless driving of any vehicle, and they never accept that they are in the wrong.  The police do not help in this syndrome as they often perform the same acts, such as not wearing crash helmets when riding motorbikes when off duty and riding with more than two, rider and pillion rider, when off duty.

 

While this may be Thailand, a lot more people would survive crashes if simple obedience to common sense prevailed.  (Some of this is, of course, not tongue in cheek.)

 

 

[connda]

1 hour ago, thailand49 said:

How are they going to know asap a driver license should be removed?  They announced hundred/thousand of radar guns?  anyone see one?

Yes.  They set up a radar gun/camera at the same place on Highway 11, at same time of day, on same days of the week.  I know exactly where to slow down and when just like everyone else who lives in the area and drives that road  ?  Yep.  Real deterrent. 

[akampa]

here`s a thought let those in charge work out the fines for different infractions and then give half to the police then see if things change ,well just a thought.

[Jimbo1964]

Just another law that won't be enforced, unless there money in it for them. 

[Artisi]

13 minutes ago, garzhe said:

Might be a good idea if first they ensured that everyone had a licence to revoke.

That would mean curtailing the back-handers at all traffic road blocks - so definitely a non starter. 

[Somchai Logic]

BiB: You will do your license for this...

SomChai: What License??? 

[Artisi]

5 minutes ago, akampa said:

here`s a thought let those in charge work out the fines for different infractions and then give half to the police then see if things change ,well just a thought.

Yep stiff penalties, with half to the police, yep - that will work until the police work out that asking for 75% of the penalty straight into their own pocket is better value all round. 

[Artisi]

2 hours ago, goldenbrwn1 said:

Technology and the realisation of how much money the RTP can make through the use of it will hopefully make the changes on Thai roads in the near future. I’m quite sure they will then soon motivate themselves on the collection of fines because of the sheer amount of money due. 

The BIB are already making enough money - do you really believe they want it going to the government instead of being shared locally? 

[Stoker58]

I remember Jeremy Clarkson once suggested banning seat belts and anti lock brakes, and making it mandatory for every vehicle to have a 12” long steel spike in the middle of the steering wheel. I thought that was a good idea. It would improve driving standards a lot.

[bluesofa]

15 minutes ago, Stoker58 said:

I remember Jeremy Clarkson once suggested banning seat belts and anti lock brakes, and making it mandatory for every vehicle to have a 12” long steel spike in the middle of the steering wheel. I thought that was a good idea. It would improve driving standards a lot.

Unless your name is 'Pierce' Brosnan...

 

[Borzandy]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

they would have their driver’s licence annulled and they would not be allowed to drive for a year, Ekkarak said.

Only buy a new driving licence 500 Baht.

[hotchilli]

Talk about a softly softly approach... points handed back after one year & at worst a 90 day ban..

this doesn't take anyone off the road !!!

[stud858]

17 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Time to fill up the glove box with brown enveloppes.

have you ever got away with handing over a sealed envelope with no money in it but a note in Thai saying your very very sorry. 

[Matthew2027]

New South Wales, Australia.....

Not stop at red light (aka a red light camera fine in NSW) - $433 (three demerit points). Interestingly it's the same amount for not stopping at a yellow light. Not indicate when changing lanes (or not indicate sufficiently early enough; as measured by a policeman's discretion) - $180 (two points)

Here in LOS, Car/Bike registered? Address current? Driver Lic. ? All probably NOT.....

[jossthaifarang]

14 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

 

And where's the  system to ensure all offenders are caught and are punished everytime and appropriately?

 

 

They could start by banning them from wearing that mask to disguise their face, that would stop at least some percentage of the bribes!

[alanratch]

My wife recently drove up north for a funeral and came back closely followed by two speeding tickets in the post.

[wvavin]

19 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

It always annoys me that the cops put up tea money stops all over the place, but not once have I ever seen them doing anything positive for road safety. I hate to think how many are killed and injured every year from people jumping the lights. Won't matter how many points that is worth, if no one ever bothers to stop people doing it.

They are most useless organization in this country!

[sammieuk1]

Easier to weed out the good ones and ban the rest.

[Jimbo in Thailand]

On 5/30/2018 at 4:32 PM, ThreeEyedRaven said:

It always annoys me that the cops put up tea money stops all over the place, but not once have I ever seen them doing anything positive for road safety.

^^^Absolutely this is the problem.  Folks, the checkpoints are there for only ONE reason, and it certainly ain't about safety.  Here's a little insight from my time as a volunteer 'Assistant Policeman' here in Isaan a few years ago.  One of my duties was to attend some of the "tea money stops" in our town.  I learned that if the cop gives you a ticket the money goes through the system and (all or most of it) ends up in the pocket of the local police chief.  In larger districts/cities,  the money works it way to the top of the police food chain.  That's just the way it is folks.

 

 

 

 

 

0.  Now then, if the checkpoint cop takes your money without giving you a ticket it goes directly into his pocket.

[manchega]

capital punishment is the only answer,

 

if you gonna drive a weapon like a tool well why not, let me into hearing

[cookieqw]

travelling in the back of trucks with no restraint

same same just a game

[cookieqw]

3 hours ago, wvavin said:

They are most useless organization in this country!

true but the plods on the ground can only do what the peeps at the top allow them to do

and if you shake the tree the money falls out

[JAS21]

Suppose one way to avoid the point drop is to say NO HAB ... wonder what the fine would be ...

[beowolf2012]

crazy law. Point system?

If the point system also make a high thicket i better understand. But to lose driving license if all 12 point is down and you make it 3 times inside for a period of 3 year. Then you will lose driving license for only 1 year..

Stupid law.

I´m better understand high thicket price maybe also prison time, and a system there ban drivings.

1 time 1 year. 2 time 3 year. 3 time 5 year. After that you will never have the chance to hold a driver license again. here i`m thinking in drunk driving. 

 

[FunkyDunky58]

Problem #1: Maybe half of all motorcycle riders don't have a licence, so what points are they going to deduct from?

Problem #2: So many cars and motorcycles driving around with no plates on the back, so how are they going to identify the violators?

Problems #3: Thailand already has plenty of laws, but very little law enforcement. The Police are very good at setting up checkpoints when they need tea money but outside of that there is little or no enforcement of road rules, and the Thai's know it. 

An empty gesture in my opinion designed to give the appearance of trying to reduce the world's highest road toll.

[owenm]

In theory sounds good to a degree. No helmuts on any public road, 3 points. If no license the bike or car will be impounded for min. of 3 mths. and big fine. Too much fairy floss, and not enough scare tactics.. The police need to police, and not ignore ignorant drivers of any type. Perhaps a rewarding scheme with incentives for police to do what they are paid to do..  25% of fines and point penalties as a bonus to RTP enforcing the law on the roads.. 

[oldenglish]

No licence. Crush the Bikes, Trucks, Busses, Vans,

No Excuses,!!

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

As normal this will only work if it is enforced,  not used by the corrupt police to make money...

[Mad mick]

won't change anything a lot of drivers dont have a licence to loose or one to lose points " if u dont have a licence, u lose nothing just cant obtain a licence for a certain period , just keep driving without one' only down side u dont have insurance " if u do have a licence ' easy slip 500 baht to the cop end of story? more ways for police kickback ' nothing changes

[Mad mick]

13 hours ago, oldenglish said:

No licence. Crush the Bikes, Trucks, Busses, Vans,

No Excuses,!!

well that will ease traffic congestion in the entire country by 50%