60 deaths a day still a stain on improved Thai road toll ranking

[Srikcir]

58 minutes ago, wilcopops said:

“People recognise that road accidents pose big problems and demand urgent solutions from the government,”

Put into a different perspective.

What if the 60 deaths a day were soldiers?

Each month 1,800 soldiers killed in traffic accidents.

Would the military be tolerant about such mortality, be complacent about solutions, decide that more study must be done to find solutions? If instead Thailand was in military hostilities with another nation and suffering 60 soldier deaths a day, would it delay and ponder solutions?

Now for almost five years the government is the military. But the deaths are largely civilian. Are civilians just collateral damage?

[flyingtlger]

Artificial attrition.....

[wvavin]

60 deaths is not good enough, should try harder or else will loss face.

[Odysseus123]

It is 80 (not 60) deaths per day.

 

At least it was in 2015 before they got into their frenzied pursuit of total mendacity.

 

This figure was well recognized throughout Asia at that point.

 

And the Thai gov't never queried it.

[digger70]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

“People recognise that road accidents pose big problems and demand urgent solutions from the government,” he said.

Demand urgent solutions from the government,,,, so the people are doing the right thing yea, obeying all the road rules and it's up to the government to stop the road carnage, It's the People who Don't follow the road rules ,they have to smarten up It's up to the people to stop killing one an another. If the government does enforce the rules and fine people the dumb shits complain at the government ,,,the fines are to high ,we must carry people in the back of the ute, the kids got to ride to school under 16 no license, no helmet ,and so on and on and on.

[saltire1]

It seems Dr Wittaya Chartbunchachai may be based in Khon Kaen.

If so has he taken note of the pathetic state of that city's street lighting?

About 30% of the installed street lighting is either broken or has not been switched on

More lights seem to have been installed for cosmetic purposes with no thought to providing suitable levels of illumination.

 

Come on Doc give the Khon Kaen govt a push to help road safety

[JP USA]

Every time I ride my Triumph 1050 cc as a responsible 50+ year old there is always a young kid passing me doing 120 kph with no helmet, no shoes and usually shorts and t shirt.
Having to prove themselves.
Do a 3 strikes and your out and take the bikes from them!
That will send a message.

And for all those same Thai drivers that when in a car or truck that feel that its thier right to take over a lain from riders instead of falling in line because they also have to prove thier worth. Fine them.
The police should ride around to see this. Not just a road block that shows nothing of the drivers lack of skills that cause accidents

Sent from my SM-G610F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[MaxYakov]

60 deaths a day still a stain on improved road toll ranking

 

Still only a stain?!  Would that be a blood stain?

[Fex Bluse]

2 hours ago, wilcopops said:

"“People recognise that road accidents pose big problems and demand urgent solutions from the government,” he said."

 

The problems and the science are internationally recognized, but no-one in this or previous governments seem prepared to let go of their prejudices and address the problem in a scientific manner.

meanwhile TV members display their own lack of understanding of the complexities of this problem with single issue soundbites which are in a similar banal vein to that of the authorities.

 

Road deaths can be reduced - it will take years or even decades and their is no simple single solution. It requires a holistic approach and investment - the authorities have repeatedly failed to grasp this and the fact that in the long run, it will save the country trillions of baht.

They won't do it because they are too arrogant to learn from anyone else. 

 

They are almost like counter culture people, going against whatever outsiders have done just because they are outsiders. 

 

Everything, every idea, every success must be Thai and only Thai 

[Enoon]

3 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

I am sure that Thailand would still be top of the charts if all fatalities were recorded and not just those that die at the scene of the incident (I nearly wrote "accident", but most of them aren't).

 

The WHO estimates are adjusted for "peculiarities" in reporting from the individual nations.

 

Same methodology as previously had Thailand 2nd worst rate per 100,000 in the 2015 report..

In 2015 Thailand reported 14,059 fatalities but the WHO estimated 24,237.

 

However it seems that this year the WHO may have considered the reporting to have been more......."accurate" :

 

Reported 21,475, WHO estimated 22,491.

 

See:

Introduction/Methods

Global status report on road safety 2018 - World Health Organization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2018 by Enoon

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, MrMo said:

It may be disappointing that Thailand lost its top spot on this infamous global table.   But you must give them credit for effort.   They did manage to kill off even more each day than when they did hold the crown.

There is, however, even room for improvement as the motorcyclists were award 6 stars out of 10 for wearing crash-helmets.

 

Don't be disappointed. You missed this: “And if we remove countries with fewer than 500,000 residents, Thailand is No 1,” he said.

[DM07]

...wait...

60 death A DAY is already the IMPROVED number???

????

[toofarnorth]

3 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Very reassuring the figures are down as we enter the pinnacle that is the new year killing season????

Yes indeed , let the culling commence .

[Pattaya28]

Oh it's 9th now.

The road deaths are increasing and it's being played down. 

75 a day to 60 a day.

This is nonsense.

Statistics plucked from a monkeys bottom. 

[Zack61]

Does this include those who die after they are removed from the accident site?

[Odysseus123]

15 minutes ago, Pattaya28 said:

Oh it's 9th now.

The road deaths are increasing and it's being played down. 

75 a day to 60 a day.

This is nonsense.

Statistics plucked from a monkeys bottom. 

Spot on.

 

They are just lying because they woke up-quite belatedly- to the fact that the mass slaughter on Thailand's roads might not prove to be a major tourist attraction.

 

25,000 is nearer the mark.

 

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2015/03/thailand-road-deaths/#DgM1rh7whGvz5RZx.97

Edited December 21, 2018 by Odysseus123

[GarryP]

I ride my bike defensively, alert to all possible things that could happen in front of me. But you can only do so much. I can't prevent being taken out from the rear by careless drivers (unless I stop using my bike altogether), and this is what scares me - being taken out from the rear. 

 

While I see a lot of idiots on motorcycles on the road, especially younger riders, I am sure that an unfair number of the motorcycle deaths were not caused by the riders themselves but rather careless drivers. 

 

And simply replacing all u-turns (from fast lane to fast) with underpasses or u-turn bridges (from slow lane to slow lane) on major roads, should reduce deaths/accidents substantially.     

[Artisi]

5 hours ago, DavisH said:

So we have long known the problem. DO something about it....big fines and impounding or crushing or bikes for repeat offenders. The report the other day said it all. Police are not doing their job. But they will roll out the old chestnut....the offenders are poor, could not get to work without their bike....bla bla bla. I guess those won't be a problem when they are dead. 

Darwin takes care of many of the motor cyclists and is doing a reasonable job of removing some of the idiots. 

[GarryP]

Just now, Artisi said:

Darwin takes care of many of the motor cyclists and is doing a reasonable job of removing some of the idiots. 

Many young idiots will mature and become sensible citizens if given the chance so I believe they should be given that opportunity.  

[Vacuum]

21 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Darwin takes care of many of the motor cyclists and is doing a reasonable job of removing some of the idiots. 

 

17 minutes ago, GarryP said:

Many young idiots will mature and become sensible citizens if given the chance so I believe they should be given that opportunity.  

Yes, they'll have the money to buy cars, and get really dangerous on the roads. Eventually they'll change their habits, but not during our lifetime.

[helloagain]

7 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Maybe they should consider raising the speed limit to solve these problems 

Going by the 2 pictures i hope passenger ok but driver die slowly

[Daveyh]

Blaming the roads, blaming everyone else but yourself is never gonna stop this carnage .. fact. People do say that the "U turns" here are deadly & yes, they are, but the common denominator here is the people that reside here & their mind set. The lack of awareness is frightening to most visiting europeans, but accepted as part of life here. Sadly, long term expats have also adopted these bad habits & also break every law in the book. The whole concept of safe driving here is a bad joke as it will never exist here. People drive/ride here as if they are not even aware that you exist when they are in/on vehicles, only a "nod" is acknowledged as "you can go first" at junctions........... about the only awareness I've seen on my 17+ years of driving here. The peak hours are in my opinion the most dangerous times, hence "U turns" are a "no, no" as people are all on an "urgent mission" & will not give way .... fact. During these peak times driving is at it's most stressful as motorbikes will drive straight at you & swerve at the last minute or "cut you up" by overtaking in conjested traffic, from the side, rear or front ........ either way it's really scary if you are not used to it. At night it becomes even worse as most motorcycles lights are either faulty, not switched on, or .......... with the "homemade platforms" lighting ceases to exist. Never the less they still drive on the roads ....... those that drive without lights apparently can see at night quite well, but they do not even think about the fact that we can not see them. Again the mindset here is "inbred" ........ it'll never change or improve. The onus is on the individual ........ defensive driving is the only method in my book. It really is important here to ask yourself "is my journey really necessary"? If it's not stay home or walk ( but be careful as you will still be at risk). The sunshine is guaranteed each day & it will shine again tomorrow. Stay safe & enjoy life here, it really is an amazing place for retirees ........... fact.

[joecoolfrog]

Clearly there will be no practical effort to improve this problem so a large dose of Thainess is required.

They have already tried to hide the extent of the carnage by manipulating the numbers ( only counting those that die at the scene ), time methinks to up the ante.

Perhaps only those who die on a Thursday should be included in the statistics , or those whose names rhyme with aardvark , you get the drift.

I realise that this response may appear flippant but the situation is so incredibly pathetic that there is little left to say.

[Saladin]

The most common cause of road deaths and injuries in Thailand is blatant POLICE INACTION, which would be grounds for charges of Negligible Homicide in many countries.

[MuuKondiao]

I have read this article and some of the comments by farangs and I have to say that all of you are wrong.

No offense intended - but no one of the corrupt thai government and none of the thais who are driving on the thai roads and none of the farangs have a clue about the problem or the solution. I lived in Thailand for a few years and and plan to be back there in January and I saw first hand the terrible driving situation and read the reports by various agencies about the death rate on the roads.

Still it makes no sense to me to calculate the death rate based on the nation's population. This important statistic should be the number of deaths per 100,000 miles driven. 

The usual comments from farangs that they should raise the fines and crack down on speeding are childish.

The average thai man does not have the discrectionery money to buy a damn helmut. So face that reality. If he were to work harder, go to the city even earlier in the day with his farm produce and his wife and kids he is not going to suddenly get extra money to afford to buy a decent helmut. And a helmet for the wife? That is not even a dream. The kids? They have to take their chances in the hard world. 

So grow up and face this reality.

Thai people are not going to learn to look down the road for vehicles moving onto the road from intersections and will not think ahead and cover their brakes and proceed with caution though they know that truck drivers on speed will run stop lights and stop signs all day and all night long and they will have to dodge around them or break suddenly or they will be killed and their children too. These same people will continue to ignore lane markings and ignore stop signs at intersections - or stop at the intersection and - seeing a vehicle moving at speed along the road - will then move SLOWLYYY out onto the f**n' road forcing that drive to go slam on his breaks and make emergency moves to avoid the collision, if he is sober and paying any attention to the traffic.

ANd young thai men are going to continue to chase you down at risk to their own lives and the lives of the passengers on the back of their little motor by's because you scowl at them or flip them off - because they will not tolerate the loss of face. That is their culture and it is not going to change.

No. This situation is not going to change just because you farangs complain about their harmful cultural traits.

What has to happen is that the schools teach the children about mechanics - how motor vehicles run and how they are made and why they need to check the gas level and oil level and the tire pressure and why it needs to be at the required pressure; require them to learn how to drive sanely - or they do not get to pass the course and do not get a drivers license. They need the police to go to the schools and actually show them actual films of people getting killed and crippled because thai drivers drive with no regard to the world around them, discuss with the brainless kids how the accidents happened and how they could have been avoided - if the drivers would obey the traffic rules and pay attention to dangers out there on the roads all the time.

Or else! Or else they do not qualify to drive. Or else they will be killed and crippled and get their friends and family killed  - just as their older siblings and parents were doing in the films they watched. 

Make them understand that opening their car doors without looking for people riding or driving on the roads or drinking their Mekhong whiskey before driving or huffing glue before riding or eating ya ba brought people to the hospitals. 

We had to go through this in farang-land. 

Don't tell me there is no money to pay for this massive educational effort - Thailand cannot afford the horrendous cost of human lives lost and ruined because of not not driving like civilized people drive in more civilized countries.  

 

[steve73]

58 minutes ago, GarryP said:

I ride my bike defensively, alert to all possible things that could happen in front of me. But you can only do so much. I can't prevent being taken out from the rear by careless drivers (unless I stop using my bike altogether), and this is what scares me - being taken out from the rear. 

 

While I see a lot of idiots on motorcycles on the road, especially younger riders, I am sure that an unfair number of the motorcycle deaths were not caused by the riders themselves but rather careless drivers. 

 

And simply replacing all u-turns (from fast lane to fast) with underpasses or u-turn bridges (from slow lane to slow lane) on major roads, should reduce deaths/accidents substantially.     

I agree with you that many (probably most) of the accidents suffered by motorcyclists are probably not their fault, but of course when pitted up against an out-of-control articulated truck, or crazy in a pick-up truck "undertaking" at speed, then they will have little hope of survival... even if they were wearing a decent (i.e. not the cheap plastic) helmet.. in some cases you could even argue that not wearing a helmet actually improves the overall awareness of other traffic.

 

The self-caused accidents we hear about (undertaking a truck & trailer on a bend, head-on collisions when going the wrong way in the oncoming fast lane, shooting red-lights, or simply going too fast for the road conditions), are simply due to poor (i.e. nil) training, and this is where big improvement could be made.. probably best done by the schools, since they seem to start riding from about 10-12 years old... but of course "kids will be kids", (and I'm probably fortunate that I survived into my 20's).

 

As to the u-turns, most motorcyclists seem to do them wherever they want, (and often suffer the consequences).  The cost of upgrading all the center breaks to a "flyover" style would be horrendous.  But as traffic density or speed increases, the gaps between the cars become less and less frequent, drivers become frustrated, and take chances crossing.  Perhaps more traffic lights would help to stagger the traffic flow, and allow larger gaps for safer U-turns, but many people probably wouldn't agree.

 

Certainly, policing should be improved, but better training is the only thing that will help in the long run.  Until then there are a majority of drivers that had little (or more likely no) training for either car or motorcycle, and probably learnt to drive a buffalo carts.  

[MuuKondiao]

1 hour ago, Vacuum said:

 

Yes, they'll have the money to buy cars, and get really dangerous on the roads. Eventually they'll change their habits, but not during our lifetime.

 

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

Spot on.

 

They are just lying because they woke up-quite belatedly- to the fact that the mass slaughter on Thailand's roads might not prove to be a major tourist attraction.

 

25,000 is nearer the mark.

 

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2015/03/thailand-road-deaths/#DgM1rh7whGvz5RZx.97

Sorry, I cannot agree with you about the tourist thing. The crazy driving situation there did not stop me from moving to Thailand in 2009 and it is not going to keep me from there in 2019. 

This disgraceful slaughter is not making it to the youtube entries about reasons not to move to L.O.S. or the pros and cons - it is only me (I) who brings this up while commenting on the youtubers.

And the Tourist agency is not going to warn foreign visitors that driving in Thailand and walking across the streets is like going through a mine field.

[mike787]

YEP! here we go again...so unnecessary.  Is there really no other option???  Just sad and hard to believe.  Welcome to Thailand.  I tell everyone, if you're in any capacity near/in/on on a road in Thailand - EXPECT DEATH!

[PETERTHEEATER]

.........and failure to wear crash helmets are among the common causes of accidents

 

If the Thai authorities think this then there is no hope!

[RichardColeman]

Pft, it's only insigniicant voters