Chiang Mai still "Champion" of the north with 16 foreign deaths on the roads this year

 

Picture: Chiang Mai News

 

Chiang Mai News said that the province still had an unwanted accolade - that of being the "champ" of road accidents in the north.

 

They called on the media and social media to share accident black spots in an effort to reduce the death toll that has seen 16 foreign tourists die on the roads in the first nine months of the year. 

 

The media quoted official figures that are often well below the sad reality of the situation on Thai roads. 

 

They said that up to September the northern region had experience 65,599 accidents in which 483 people died and 64,854 were injured. 

 

Of this number Chiang Mai province recorded 12,456 accidents with 205 of the deaths. Sixteen of these were foreigners. 

 

Of this number in Chiang Mai 10,276 involved motorcycles.

 

Worst districts among the 25 in Chiang Mai were Muang with 4,597 accidents, Sansai 1,096 and Hang Dong 805. Om Koi with 28 accidents and just one death was the least. 

 

Thailand wide they said that 591,731 people had been injured in 599,084 accidents in the first nine months of the year.

 

This had resulted in 5,537 deaths and the crippling of 1,816 people. 

 

These figures are widely believed to be just a fraction of the dead. Most organisations put the death toll annually in Thailand around the 24,000 mark with perhaps one million people injured each year. 

 

These are widely regarded to be the worst per capita statistics on earth. 

 

Chiang Mai news called on the media and social media to help highlight the issue as the tourist season approaches by sharing news of accident black spots and the dangers on the Thai roads. 

 

Source: Chiang Mai News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-09-28

Show at least a modicum of respect for those that perished?  'Champ'? no respect

A lot of farangs wont adjust to the thai way of driving, and this coupled with the fact most of them cant read Thai road signs causes a lot of unnecessary accidents.

British Benz driver sought after fatal Chiang Mai smash - Chiang ...

https://www.thaivisa.com › ... › Chiang Mai News and Events

 

But if you are a Brit driving a Benz, you can get away with it apparently.

Lord have mercy,you would be safer in Syria.

Oh i wonder if city hall will get a plaque saying #1

1 hour ago, Pete1980 said:

A lot of farangs wont adjust to the thai way of driving, and this coupled with the fact most of them cant read Thai road signs causes a lot of unnecessary accidents.

Maybe they are not written in Thai, because no one here cares about street signs, let alone zebra crossings and lane separations.

8 hours ago, Pete1980 said:

A lot of farangs wont adjust to the thai way of driving, and this coupled with the fact most of them cant read Thai road signs causes a lot of unnecessary accidents.

    If faranges drove like thais, there would more chaos on the roads, and I think the problem with road signs is irrelevant, its what the drivers do without looking at other road users.

Excuse me nothing to do with road signs, reading Thai, or 100 excuses, they rent a scooter without the ability to ride the thing. I have stopped at least one couple from renting a scooter and riding loop. They were buying a map of the loop but theykept asking is it safe I ask the girl have you ever ridden a scooter at home no was the reply. I said then it isn't safe just getting out of town isn't safe and walked away. A few minutes later they walked out of the book shop without their map.

Do not blame it on the Thais for renting to fools, your safety is a personal responsibility not someone elses. I would like to know how many of those deaths happen to be Chinese they are the worst offenders who rent scooters without experience. Every time I ride around the moat I will see a couple on sccooters without a clue.

1 hour ago, grumpy 4680 said:

    If faranges drove like thais, there would more chaos on the roads, and I think the problem with road signs is irrelevant, its what the drivers do without looking at other road users.

Excuse me the inexperienced Farangs trying to ride around Chiang Mai are a accident waiting to happen and they are worst than the Thais. I ride a lot around Chiang Mai I known what the Thais are up to majority of the time but farangs and the chinese on the road you just do not know what they will do because of their lack of experience riding in Thailand.

7 hours ago, moe666 said:

Do not blame it on the Thais for renting to fools, your safety is a personal responsibility not someone else's.

Before renting a scooter from a Thai rental company you should  have a bike license  from your country, but the Thai rental company wants your money and to hell with the law so it is partially the responsibility of the rental company .The same as if you rent a car you wont get the car unless you produce a valid licence. 

29 minutes ago, akampa said:

Before renting a scooter from a Thai rental company you should  have a bike license  from your country, but the Thai rental company wants your money and to hell with the law so it is partially the responsibility of the rental company .The same as if you rent a car you wont get the car unless you produce a valid licence. 

 

This won't help if they have no experience with Thai traffic, it's

very different compared to western countries.

Don't forget our disgusting air quality in Thailand...  ''If the roads don't get you the air will''...but we can always hang out at the Mall

The only people who can change Thai driving behaviour are the police, who are doing nothing about it. While Thais are famous for being respectful to others, local government authorities, and the police in particular, show little concern for the safety of Thais, farang expats, or foreign tourists alike.

 

Until the central and provincial governments kick the police top brass in the ass and compel them to train, instruct, and monitor their foot soldiers, nothing will happen to reduce the appalling road carnage. Are the bureaucrats blind to this? Can't TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) see what harm this does to their efforts and exert some pressure? Aren't the Thais embarrassed about this loss of face?

Yesterday I returned from a trip to Prasat, Surin in a Thai friend's car, (he is unlicensed but risks driving locally around Bangkok) and carrying 4 passengers, solely relying on Google maps GPS.. A round trip from Bangkok, staying 2 nights and clocking up around 1100km.. The task wasn't to difficult but you need to be 100% vigilant.. Most of the major roads have 90kmh limits with visible speed camera signs everywhere.. 

 

I would drive at 90-100kmh to keep with the traffic flow but see drivers constantly flaunting the limits and overtake at 130-140-150kmh.. They couldn't care less and zigzag their way through traffic lanes, and so many near misses.. And while driving you try and keep a safe stopping distance between you and the car in front, but there are always tailgating cars that then try and squeeze in front, with your safe stopping distance now gone, so you need to backoff again.. 

 

Lane markings are sometimes non existant, fairly new roads with huge potholes that would damage a wheel in an instance.. So apart from many poor road conditions everywhere, and the idiot drivers speeding like they're on a racetrack, and an almost nil presence of police except for the occasional road checks.. 

 

I have a Thai DL and 40yrs driving exp in Australia, but find going from A to B not too difficult.. It's just the inexperienced, and many unlicensed lead foots on the roads that add to the dangers.. 

Statistics, statistics, but still no meaningful action. The problem is caused by incompetence and lassitude but where should the buck stop? Who is the main cause of the chaos, deaths and injuries on Chiang Mai's roads?

 

1. The bad drivers and riders who blatantly thumb their noses at the traffic rules, or

2. the traffic cops for not aggressively policing the countless infringements, or

3. the top cops for not properly training, instructing, and disciplining their foot soldiers, or

4. the politicians and bureaucrats for not holding the top cops to account?