Drivers face blood tests for alcohol

[stanleycoin]

9 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

What protections exist to ensure the blood testing equipment is calibrated properly?

 

Same same.

Maybe they will use the same guy who does the Taxi meter calibrations. maybe a special red button under the desk.  

 

[whaleboneman]

3 hours ago, doremifasol said:

 

 

Blood test? What's wrong with a breathalyzer?

 

 

 

Not as much money available in breathalyzers which all advanced countries use.

[fakename]

So who is going to give the test? I cant imagine the police doing blood test, and will it be done on the road?

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, fakename said:

So who is going to give the test? I cant imagine the police doing blood test, and will it be done on the road?

They don't need blood, just give them their pound of flesh.

[SunsetT]

.....But as usual, announced just one week before the annual New Year carnage which means it will probably be implemented too late anyway.

[hotchilli]

Drink driving should mean of the road!!!

If prosecution amounts to a fine & carry on regardless then it will all be a waste of time

[Jiggo]

What festive period...….

[stanleycoin]

Its all Bs anyway.

Can anyone tell the difference between a sober or drunk rider driver in Thailand. They all drive and ride the same what ever.

That's why 25,000 are dead at the road side every year in Thailand.

Are they all pissed up ?   no.

so what's going on ?

The truth is to hard for Thailand to except, 

Carry on Thailand, Darwin is your friend. 

 

 

 

[evadgib]

13 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

You are confused.

 

The manufacturer's calibration instructions are only recommendations for any piece of testing equipment.

 

It would only be mandatory if it were a law or regulation, stating a requirement for periodic calibration of certain equipment. There may well be such a regulation in Thailand, however I am not familiar with it. If there is, it will apply not only to blood testing equipment but to breath alcohol testers too.

 

More likely they should be following their own procedures or work instructions that will adhere to an ISO standard, however given that this is Thailand that is hit or miss.

 

So you just answered your own question about breath alcohol testers aka breathalyzers.

I (thought I) was tactfully pointing out how easy it might be to fit up innocent parties for personal gain.

[boonrawdcnx]

Wow that should help a lot to reduce accidents - blood testing AFTER the accident.

 

I always find it absolutely stunning how many stupid people one meets on the roads here who should never be allowed to drive any kind of vehicle on any road - and that is the only thing that would make the roads here saver.

As well as the outdated road network that is 50 -100 years behind some other countries.

 

I always find it funny that whenever they try to copy things from other countries they forget why it is done there.

A blood test for the alcohol level is important in developed, civilized countries for the court case that usually follows an accident where people are injured or killed - and of course insurance.

When over the allowed limit kiss your insurance cover good bye blood tests are carried out because breathalyzers can be inaccurate.

 

Since a large percentage of people driving around here neither have a license or proper insurance what is the point of this exercise?

 

When the car of a friend of mine was hit by a drunk driver on a motorbike from behind it played out as follows.

Bike driver badly hurt as he was traveling absolutely drunk at high speed when he hit the car - he was taken to hospital my friend was later asked to come to the police station , family members of the bike rider sitting there crying he was told by the police that there was absolutely no fault on his side - BUT - he was told the poor family’s breadwinner would probably be in hospital for weeks without an income, It was not even sure if he could ever return to his job - he had no driving license nor insurance - So my friend was asked by the police in front of the crying family members if he would be so kind to shoulder the expenses for the repair of his car himself.

Absolute silence endured - with all eyes staring at him at the police station and the mother of the bike rider letting out a particularly loud sob at that moment - what could he have said? No ???

 

Blood tests or not as long as people in this country think the law is made for others but not for them - there is no point in this window dressing by the police.

 

The carnage will continue as usual.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

 

[DM07]

Oh, yeah...blood tests1

Great idea!

No seriously- I mean it!

Now just get all the actresses and Hi-So's to do it too, instead of claiming to be stressed out, go home first and rest for a day or two...

[Phaser]

60% of drivers exceed the legal blood alcohol limit? That seems very high...maybe after 2am leaving a bar? Also, not sure why blood test...at first blush I would imagine only after failing a breath test...?? Very poorly written article. 

[inThailand]

I'd rather be charged than let an untrained copper stick me with a needle. 

[Moonlover]

3 hours ago, oztaurus said:

I'm too lazy to look up the relevant posts but I am sure I have seen statistics that these "dangerous days" actually have a lower rate of fatalities per day than the normal daily average .... possibly due to the roads being so jam-packed that people can't travel fast enough to kill themselves (though total accident and non-fatal injury rates are probably higher)

Yes, you're quite. I've made the very same observation, twice a year for the last five.

 

It's become so, 'copy and paste' predictable now, that I won't even bother to follow the daily reports anymore. Thailand, do as you will. I'll stay well out of the way of it all and crawl out of my cave in the new year.

[boonrawdcnx]

Oh, yeah...blood tests1
Great idea!
No seriously- I mean it!
Now just get all the actresses and Hi-So's to do it too, instead of claiming to be stressed out, go home first and rest for a day or two...

Yes - or come up with the cunning plan to tell the police that my gardener drove my Ferrari tonight who then hit the unfortunate police man dragged him along and killed him before fleeing the scene of the accident.

Let the gardener go to prison.
I have just murdered another human being and instead of showing remorse or responsibility the first thing to think about is how to cover it up - because I have parties to attend!

Oh and didn’t the results of that test get lost somehow?



Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[connda]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

“If they refuse, they will be considered as driving drunk,” he said. 

Unless they are driving a Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or a tricked-out Fortuner, or if their name is preceded by Doctor, Your Honor, MP, Police Col or some other honorific - those they let go of with a wai. 

[ZAKY]

Imagine now what will happen when cannabis will be legalised! 

[meinphuket]

I believe only qualified medical personnel are authorized to take and analyze blood samples, not the dummies in nylon. As for alcohol, I intend to both gift and consume copious quantities, so stuff your own pious holier-than-thou messages

[Tweedle dee]

32 minutes ago, meinphuket said:

I believe only qualified medical personnel are authorized to take and analyze blood samples, not the dummies in nylon. As for alcohol, I intend to both gift and consume copious quantities, so stuff your own pious holier-than-thou messages

Wassail !! & a banging headache to you too.  TD.

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, doremifasol said:

 

 

Blood test? What's wrong with a breathalyzer?

 

 

 

Well that point is confusing.

 

Is it breathalyzer first, then if above the limit there's a blood test?

 

Or is it an immediate blood test for everybody where there's some indication of alcohol intake?

 

Is that's true, where? Will they have blood test facilities at every check point etc?

 

Is that's not true (probably not true) then they will need a giant force of 'administration' folks to take drivers to nearby hospitals.

 

Seems to be not very practical but anything that finds and punishes drunk drivers is good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Spidey]

1 hour ago, Phaser said:

60% of drivers exceed the legal blood alcohol limit? That seems very high...maybe after 2am leaving a bar? Also, not sure why blood test...at first blush I would imagine only after failing a breath test...?? Very poorly written article. 

2am, leaving a bar is the most likely time and place you are likely to get stopped and breathalysed. Targetting.

 

In the UK, you cannot be prosecuted for failing the breathalyser. If you fail, you are taken to a police station and asked to breathe into a more sophisticated and accurate machine. If you fail that, a blood sample is taken (by a doctor) which is sent away to an accredited lab for analysis. If this shows that you are over the limit, then you are prosecuted. 

 

Sounds like Thailand is heading in the same direction. Is that a bad thing?

 

[lamyai3]

4 hours ago, oztaurus said:

I'm too lazy to look up the relevant posts but I am sure I have seen statistics that these "dangerous days" actually have a lower rate of fatalities per day than the normal daily average .... possibly due to the roads being so jam-packed that people can't travel fast enough to kill themselves (though total accident and non-fatal injury rates are probably higher)

Yes, you're not mistaken here - it'd actually be technically accurate to describe them as the seven "least dangerous days"

[Pattaya28]

1 way or another, this will be a "money-spinner".

The reported stat of 60 deaths a day should be 75+ deaths a day.

And I guarantee the deaths over the 7 days will be reported as lower than 60, with smiles all round and a photoshoot for lowering the death rate.

 

 

[stanleycoin]

1 hour ago, ZAKY said:

Imagine now what will happen when cannabis will be legalised! 

Yes.

The police will still be asleep.

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, stanleycoin said:

1 hour ago, ZAKY said:

Imagine now what will happen when cannabis will be legalised! 

Yes.

The police will still be asleep.

Except in a deeper, drug induced state.

[stanleycoin]

29 minutes ago, Spidey said:

2am, leaving a bar is the most likely time and place you are likely to get stopped and breathalysed. Targetting.

 

In the UK, you cannot be prosecuted for failing the breathalyser. If you fail, you are taken to a police station and asked to breathe into a more sophisticated and accurate machine. If you fail that, a blood sample is taken (by a doctor) which is sent away to an accredited lab for analysis. If this shows that you are over the limit, then you are prosecuted. 

 

Sounds like Thailand is heading in the same direction. Is that a bad thing?

 

Thailand will do nothing of the sort.

they will bend the rules to fit the ATM withdrawal.

Try that in the uk and you will go to jail.

In Thailand you will just go home in or on the same vehicle with a smile and a Wai. 

 

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, Phaser said:

60% of drivers exceed the legal blood alcohol limit? That seems very high...maybe after 2am leaving a bar? Also, not sure why blood test...at first blush I would imagine only after failing a breath test...?? Very poorly written article. 

And typical of Thai reporters.

 

No check whatever whether the reporting they submit id logical. In reality just a paste of the handout given at a media briefing or specifically what was said. No checking, no attempt to get more details, or to clarify to avoid confusion etc. Doesn't happen.

 

 

[Spidey]

11 minutes ago, stanleycoin said:

Thailand will do nothing of the sort.

they will bend the rules to fit the ATM withdrawal.

Try that in the uk and you will go to jail.

In Thailand you will just go home in or on the same vehicle with a smile and a Wai. 

 

Yep, !0k baht at the roadside and on your way or 20k baht after a night in the cells and a court appearance.

 

First option is far less erroneous or expensive than the UK system. Works for me.

[stanleycoin]

1 minute ago, Spidey said:

Yep, !0k baht at the roadside and on your way or 20k baht after a night in the cells and a court appearance.

 

First option is far less erroneous or expensive than the UK system. Works for me.

Oh Matron.

Respect for telling the truth. 

[jmacken306]

6 hours ago, doremifasol said:

 

 

Blood test? What's wrong with a breathalyzer?

 

 

 

I was going to say the same, it's easier to carry a breathalyzer around and get instant results than it is a big machine or taking them to the hospital for testing and to answer bluesofa if they can't blow or refuse they are arrested on the spot and refusing a bigger fine.