OPINION

Change Thailand’s helmet culture

By Legacy Phuket Gazette

by Patrick Mattimore

 

 

On a recent trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I was struck by an interesting phenomenon traveling from the airport to my hotel. I saw perhaps more than a thousand motorcycle riders and passengers, and only one person was not wearing a helmet. Yet, the entire two weeks I spent in that city, I didn’t see a single police officer giving out tickets enforcing a helmet law.

 

When I got back to Phuket I read many stories about the tragic deaths of various drivers and passengers (cars and motorcycles). The story emphasised several things.

 

First, at least two of the three motorcycle riders who were killed (in one story I was reading) were not wearing helmets (no mention as to whether the third rider was or was not). Second, the police spokesperson in the article pointed out that the police here are constantly giving tickets to riders who fail to wear helmets – Thais and farang. The fine for not wearing a helmet is still 500 baht.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/thai-life/on-mind-change-thailands-helmet-culture

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2018-06-25

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

Change Thailand’s helmet culture

Can we start with something easy, please?

The government and police are both fully culpable.

 

There was something last week about a police officer being praised on social media for making a young man do press ups at the roadside because he wasn't wearing a helmet.

 

Hang about, the copper should be doing his chuffing job and trying to enforce the law, not acting like a PE teacher. 

1 minute ago, BobbyL said:

The government and police are both fully culpable.

 

There was something last week about a police officer being praised on social media for making a young man do press ups at the roadside because he wasn't wearing a helmet.

 

Hang about, the copper should be doing his chuffing job and trying to enforce the law, not acting like a PE teacher. 

Ever think the rider may actually take the message on board by being publicly punished? Loss of face is bigger than loss of baht.

 

By stopping the guy and punishing him he DID do his job but better just to criticize, eh?

3 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

By stopping the guy and punishing him he DID do his job but better just to criticize, eh?

Erm, correct me if I am wrong but he didn't do his job. The rule is a fine for not wearing a helmet. He didn't enforce that rule.

 

With the state of Thailand's road safety they don't deserve anything but criticism until they begin to show they are at least trying to fix the problem. 

Soap operas are popular in Thailand. Introduce characters and situations on those programs in which helmets are prominently displayed, not just when characters are riding on their bikes, but also when they are transitioning from or to the motorcycles. 

 

Role models from a Thai soap opera?  Surely the average Thai person has higher standards than that!

 

No helmet?  An on the spot, well publicized 10,000 baht fine. Job done.

 

 

 

I think everyone should wear a helmet in a car here yet alone a motor cycle. 

Absolute joke.....start by fining 1000 baht and doubling it each time they offend....cannot pay.....take the bike off them,simple really

let them  do what they like with the proviso if they are  killed no one pays  them ie its solely their  fault, no helmet = lose all rights for compensation "if" the other party is  at  fault

6 minutes ago, petermik said:

Absolute joke.....start by fining 1000 baht and doubling it each time they offend....cannot pay.....take the bike off them,simple really

but if its on finance its  not so simple and many will be.

13 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Soap operas are popular in Thailand. Introduce characters and situations on those programs in which helmets are prominently displayed, not just when characters are riding on their bikes, but also when they are transitioning from or to the motorcycles. 

 

Role models from a Thai soap opera?  Surely the average Thai person has higher standards than that!

 

No helmet?  An on the spot, well publicized 10,000 baht fine. Job done.

 

 

 

What's the fine for riding a bike on the beach not wearing a helmet and smoking at the same time??

Might help to insist that the police wear properly fastened helmets for a start. I frequently see them riding around with helmets straps way too loose, or not fastened at all....... and not unusual to see the odd boy in brown not wearing a helmet at all.

 

Then there is education, which is all but non-existent beyond the odd billboard campaign, promoting 100% helmet use..... Yeah.

 

And there is the erratic enforcement, requiring miscreants to stop at occasional checkpoints..... After payment of a nominal fee riders get a document that lets them ride sans helmet for the rest of a day. Providing a new crash helmet in return for the fee would be more effective..... and could be a nice little earner for the enforcers as well. Booking helmet less riders anywhere they are observed would be even more effective still, and losing the bike up until the rider returns with a helmet to collect it.

 

Finally the helmets..... They seem to be marketed on a one size fits all basis, but they don't. A properly fitting helmet is comfortable to wear, and also much more effective than an ill-fitting one. I shopped around till I found a brand that fits, and replaced it with the same brand every three years or so. They stopped making that, and it was quite a while before I found another, which has now also been discontinued. Fortunately I bought another, so I am right for a few more years yet, but am on the look out for what I might replace it with eventually.

 

Have taken the odd reluctant to wear a helmet local shopping, and found one that does fit..... changes their attitude quite a bit. "Oh good, protection from the police, and also a peak and visor so protection from sun and wind". 

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by Aj Mick

Starting to think , maybe it's just better to encourage not wearing a Helmet.  Darwin and all that.

if someone is ok with smashing there head open on the  tarmac,  then that's ok with me.

Who are we to argue with the smart ones. 

 

 

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by stanleycoin

Anyone who has lived here for any period of time will have noticed that the take-up rate of riders wearing helmets has improved drastically, the picture today is far better than it was say 10 years ago. Two reasons for that include an increase in the fine for not wearing one and the number of checkpoints that catch people.

oops

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by stanleycoin

1 hour ago, webfact said:

the entire two weeks I spent in that city, I didn’t see a single police officer giving out tickets enforcing a helmet law.

I have spent a lot of time in Vietnam over the years. Believe me, the police are there. Checkpoints mainly on the arterial roads and streets of large cities and towns. Not so much in the narrow inner city lanes of the two big cities. It is a good source of income with the fine now the equivalent of about 400 baht. The Vietnamese motorcyclists cannot afford that sort of fine so they comply. 

When they introduced the law many years ago it had an immediate impact and it is pretty well ingrained now.

The difference with Thailand is that the lazy police can't be bothered with mickey mouse stuff like that. There are bigger fish to fry in their corrupt world.

Everyone who gets nicked for not wearing a helmet should watch some videos taken at traffic accidents of riders with no helmets who have had a crash. They will puke !  Next day should be spent in the road trauma unit in a hospital looking after some of the patients who had no helmet on.

'Change Thailand’s   lack of   helmet culture"

Can we start with something easy, please?

Lottery tickets maybe ?

"interesting phenomenon traveling from the airport to my hotel. I saw perhaps more than a thousand motorcycle riders and passengers, and only one person was not wearing a helmet..."

 

Its correct that virtually all wear helmets in Vietnam.

 

Other interesting phenomena  the writer didn't pick up is:

It's  highly unlikely to see fullface hemets being used there.

Not so many females side-riding like here - women tend to wear a 'wraparound skirt' to hide their legs.

Most accidents tend to be bike on bike crashes.

The further you go from HCMC the less cars on the road.

Speed limits in Vietnam are lower in municipal  areas than here and people  drive within those speed limits.

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by Bredbury Blue

At least start with vigorous enforcement of persons that fail to wear helmets but at the same time wear surgical masks. That has to be the ultimate oxymoron. Thais cant add:

1 - no helmet

plus 

2- crash with car/truck/wall/tree/pavement

plus

3- pain/amputation/coma/death

31 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

I think that is nonsense and I have been here longer than you (31 years now).

 

Vietnam managed to get EVERYONE wearing helmets in a matter of weeks back in 2001 IIRC.

 

Thailand has not managed even that in Bangkok. I see loads of people without helmets on a regular basis and I live very central. 

 

In the village upcountry it is still extremely rare to see Thais wearing helmets unless going long distances and even then...

 

Nothing has changed at all certainly in the last 15 years in Bangkok. 

I wouldn't know about Bangkok, my home is Chiang Mai and always has been, maybe Bangkokians are slow to catch on, they never were the smartest bunch.

 

And who cares about Vietnam, this is not a competition! And who cares that you might have been here longer than I have, from the sounds of things you appear to have been here too long!

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by simoh1490

39 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

Everyone who gets nicked for not wearing a helmet should watch some videos taken at traffic accidents of riders with no helmets who have had a crash. They will puke !  Next day should be spent in the road trauma unit in a hospital looking after some of the patients who had no helmet on.

No they wont. they will just laugh, just the same as when they see it on the news.

At the hospital , they would just play on there smart phones or fall asleep.

Welcome to Thai culture. 101.

 

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by stanleycoin

Handing out fines is the only way

But... its a lot of work and they dont see any of that money, plus its hot outside and the soapies are on in the police booth

2 hours ago, webfact said:

one person was not wearing a helmet. Yet, the entire two weeks I spent in that city, I didn’t see a single police officer giving out tickets enforcing a helmet law.

I suppose the reason you didn't see any police  giving out tickets is because of the reason you gave....they all wear the helmets.

     On the other hand...Thailand...my God, a long way to go here. When I see the lack of helmets been worn, not only by lone riders, but families. Some parents wear the helmet while the child sits up front in the"point" position with not the sign of a hat.

1 minute ago, dotpoom said:

I suppose the reason you didn't see any police  giving out tickets is because of the reason you gave....they all wear the helmets.

     On the other hand...Thailand...my God, a long way to go here. When I see the lack of helmets been worn, not only by lone riders, but families. Some parents wear the helmet while the child sits up front in the"point" position with not the sign of a hat.

Yet they are wearing surgical asks to avoid a trip to the hospital

its easy. explain that not wearing hemlets is thinning the heard. it means thainess will one day be eradicated unless thais start wearing helmets. 

4 hours ago, BobbyL said:

Erm, correct me if I am wrong but he didn't do his job. The rule is a fine for not wearing a helmet. He didn't enforce that rule.

 

With the state of Thailand's road safety they don't deserve anything but criticism until they begin to show they are at least trying to fix the problem. 

Quite right on both counts.

 

1. Does the law say that a policamen can make up his own penalty? If not, then sack him for not doing his job. Simple.

 

2. Indeed, all they do is self-aggrandisement. Swaggering around like John Wayne is not what they're paid to do, so get on and do what they're paid to do. Simple. Start doing the job they're paid to do and all will be well, but right now, they take money for doing a job and then they take money from other people not to do the job. What's wrong with this picture?

 

 

 

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by KiwiKiwi

Don't forget that as from next year, anyone caught riding without a helmet will have one penalty point imposed. Twelve times and they lose their licence for three months. 

 

Now there's a deterrent!????

Vietnam did it. 

http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/87/5/08-057109/en/