Road deaths higher in first three of “seven dangerous days”

[DuiDui48]

1 hour ago, Lungstib said:

I have tried for years to understand what goes on in Thai drivers heads

...that's the problem...NOTHING or very little i would say.

 

Happy New Year to TV and it's readers..Greetings from Udon-Thani ????

[keemapoot]

12 minutes ago, toenail said:

The past two days traveling around Khon Kaen and Roi et area, the various province police headquarters have their tent and long table with a few police sitting inside. Banners and leaflets displayed. Sitting in a chair looking like you’re supporting “responsible drinking “ or increasing safety on the highways, are not going to help. The “PR” campaign with photographs will not work. You need police out on the highways on motorbikes and police cars chasing those who are speeding or driving recklessly.

I've always assumed the reason there are very few police highway patrol cruisers on the highway for enforcement was budgetary. But, if you look at the many vehicles the police have, it seems they could actually budget to have highway cruiser enforcement. Maybe someone could chime in who has law enforcement background, but I agree that patrolling cruisers are effective as proven in the US and other countries. This checkpoint and roadblock system just increases traffic congestion and bad guys already know where they will be anyway.

[bbbbooboo]

2 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

You can't fix stupid. 

+1

[PEE TEE]

It might help a little if they were told why mirrors are fitted to vehicles and indicators. But then i doubt it 

[Phuketshrew]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Millions of people hit the roads during the New Year holidays, raising the risk of road accidents. This year

Literally. I think something may have got lost in translation.

[fullcave]

1 hour ago, edwinchester said:

"......Colonel Sirichan Nga-thong said action had already been taken against 60,492 drunk drivers."

Drunken drivers face a 7,000-10,000 BAHT fine and loss of insurance for 6 months. Can still drive though, just not covered by insurance. 

 

I was waiting for a stop light behind a drunk who when the light turned green put it in reverse and backed into me. He literally could not walk! The cops tried to blame it on me. TIT

[meechai]

Thailand has a real conundrum with road safety

 

On the one hand the only fix is to have Police on the road in Police cars & Police motorcycles pulling over traffic offenders

 

On the other hand the police force is mostly corrupt so none want to give them that power to pull over vehicles on the open roads. As it stands now their road block type setups are many times nothing more than a fleecing & then allowing offenders to drive away anyway so nothing truly fixed.

 

Stay off the roads if possible during these times of even more than usual road danger.

It is really the only safe option

 

[chriscommander]

2 hours ago, missoura said:

A couple of days ago we saw numerous checkpoints traveling around Phitsanulok province and they do help. But the problem is still the stretch of road between the checkpoints...

 

How can you take over in a curve, or can you se around ?

 

[GinBoy2]

14 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

I've always assumed the reason there are very few police highway patrol cruisers on the highway for enforcement was budgetary. But, if you look at the many vehicles the police have, it seems they could actually budget to have highway cruiser enforcement. Maybe someone could chime in who has law enforcement background, but I agree that patrolling cruisers are effective as proven in the US and other countries. This checkpoint and roadblock system just increases traffic congestion and bad guys already know where they will be anyway.

Well as much as I hate to have to agree with you, since my pet troll(marcus....) will be along to blast me, but it's true.

 

When I first moved to Thailand, one of the revelations was that, you could actually speed past a cop car(truck) with impunity. Of course there are laws against speeding, but anyone with more than the minimum requirement of brain cells knows that Thai law, doesn't translate in to Thai enforcement.

 

You could rail endlessly about lack of enforcement, but it certainly isn't because of the lack of traffic laws...They seems to be able to pass laws ad nauseum!

[Wallander4]

Call it as it is : 365 days of danger

[Burma Bill]

Quote: "Khon Kaen was the deadliest province in terms of road fatalities, recording 11 deaths"

I would like to know if these victims were local or from the tens of thousands of vehicles from outside the Province passing through - especially on routes 2 and 12 in the last few days (as I have witnessed living in Isaan)  

[thequietman]

1 hour ago, Lungstib said:

I have tried for years to understand what goes on in Thai drivers heads but have failed to get any reasonable answers. How people think they are 'entitled' to drive without a licence, without training, at high speeds and with excessive alcohol remains beyond me. They could be in a war and losing less lives. Its a strange society where the politicians, police, fellow citizens, and worst of all themselves see no problem in this continued behaviour and encourage their children to do the same. 

This will answer your questions I think regarding the mentality of Thai drivers and Thai people in general.

[rwill]

So the road deaths are just at the normal rate now.  The first 2 days they were way below the normal rate.

[rott]

1 hour ago, stanleycoin said:

What about the sober ones, that Drive/Ride the same,  drunk or sober.

the drunk driving thing is a bit of smoke and mirror trick here.

Can anyone tell the difference who is drunk or sober on the roads here,  they drive the same

 

To Fast.

To Selfish.

To Stupid. 

 

 

 

 

 

Er, yes quite.

 

????

[Rawairat]

Get some budding movie maker to show the story of survivors and the people left behind. Put a face to the numbers, show it in between the nightly soaps and as ads on YouTube videos and FB. Get it out there that those statistics are/were real people just like us. Maybe this has been done? I remember years ago they would leave the car wrecks at intersections in Bangkok, but I guess that did not work, but it did slow them down a bit. 

While it is mostly Thais as this is Thailand, I see many foreigners doing the same stupid things.

 

[keemapoot]

4 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Well as much as I hate to have to agree with you, since my pet troll(marcus....) will be along to blast me, but it's true.

 

When I first moved to Thailand, one of the revelations was that, you could actually speed past a cop car(truck) with impunity. Of course there are laws against speeding, but anyone with more than the minimum requirement of brain cells knows that Thai law, doesn't translate in to Thai enforcement.

 

You could rail endlessly about lack of enforcement, but it certainly isn't because of the lack of traffic laws...They seems to be able to pass laws ad nauseum!

Yes, you can speed past any cop vehicle as you like, and even more amazingly, you can even speed past what appear to be "patrol vehicle cruisers," (usually Honda accords), and they don't even bat an eye either. Those cruisers appear to be really just personal transport for police VIPs or something.

 

Enforcement for speeding, though used to be just cops in a ditch with a speed camera radioing to their buddies at the checkpoint to pull you over, has been transforming nationwide to a massive CCTV camera program. Especially in Saraburi province, on highway 2 Mittrapap from where it begins north of Bangkok until Korat province, there are speed cameras installed at nearly every pedestrian bridge (you will see them on newly installed poles on either side of the stairways), and they are working. They send the speeding ticket to your home. 

 

Other provinces have been slower to adopt this program, but the huge revenues raised have allowed Saraburi to install even more measures. However, there still is no program for patrol cruisers, which is needed for everything else.

[kwonitoy]

2 hours ago, Lungstib said:

I have tried for years to understand what goes on in Thai drivers heads but have failed to get any reasonable answers. How people think they are 'entitled' to drive without a licence, without training, at high speeds and with excessive alcohol remains beyond me. They could be in a war and losing less lives. Its a strange society where the politicians, police, fellow citizens, and worst of all themselves see no problem in this continued behaviour and encourage their children to do the same. 

It's quite simple

When your driving, just imagine a cartoon thought bubble above every drivers head.

In the bubble is the line " I need to go THERE"

That's it, and nothing else.  Thai thinking and driving explained.

Been driving here, accident free for 24 years.

[rott]

2 hours ago, edwinchester said:

"......Colonel Sirichan Nga-thong said action had already been taken against 60,492 drunk drivers."

 

That is an absolutely astonishing figure in only three days and just goes to show a huge number of drivers here really don't give a shit.

What action though? Is he saying that they were arrested, and have been or will be prosecuted? Could do with clarifying what he said, if he is to maintain people's trust and confidence.

[lensta]

2 hours ago, edwinchester said:

"......Colonel Sirichan Nga-thong said action had already been taken against 60,492 drunk drivers."

 

That is an absolutely astonishing figure in only three days and just goes to show a huge number of drivers here really don't give a shit.

My question is, what was the action that was taken? If I had to guess, I would say 200 Baht and on your way.

Good money earner these seven days. If anyone doubts this you only have to look at the number of drunk drivers compared to the vehicles confiscated.

[HHTel]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

In a bid to minimise road accidents, officials have set up checkpoints to monitor motorists.

Which has never worked.  So get off your asses, get on the road and do some real police work!

 

Why do we call these 'accidents'.  An accident is unavoidable so these are not accidents.

[bristolgeoff]

not over yet wait till it is over and then give us the numbers.will they get the number spot back

[boonrawdcnx]

I've always assumed the reason there are very few police highway patrol cruisers on the highway for enforcement was budgetary. But, if you look at the many vehicles the police have, it seems they could actually budget to have highway cruiser enforcement. Maybe someone could chime in who has law enforcement background, but I agree that patrolling cruisers are effective as proven in the US and other countries. This checkpoint and roadblock system just increases traffic congestion and bad guys already know where they will be anyway.

Hardly any country in Europe uses “highway cruisers” that’s an American thing.
You drive recklessly or over the speed limit this is how it works in Europe: you will drive around a corner and will be stopped by police who tell you that you drove faster than allowed - surprise - you did not see the unmarked little van parked alongside the road earlier which measures the speed of each passing vehicle.

The second scenario you might encounter is an unmarked car with 2 civilians inside overtaking you signaling you to stop with a sign falling down from the rear window - saying POLICE - STOP. And surprise again - they have been following you a while already recording your reckless driving / speeding on police cam.

But of course Thailand has a different problem - any idiot can drive here. And once they get behind a wheel they become different people irresponsible, selfish idiots without any knowledge of traffic rules, driving skills or vehicle maintenance. Of course the outdated road network which is at least 50 years behind in this country does not help either - I could go on forever here what needs to be changed.

I don’t know how many times it happened to me that a vehicle pulled out from a side road without considering oncoming traffic - a car pulling out while you are being overtaken by another car -with nowhere to go - all you can do is hit the breaks and swear at the bastard who just pulled out in front of you.

In my country you not only have to go to a proper licensed driving school for 2 months - you also have to pass a very rigorous theoretical and practical examination by really mean inspectors who are well trained to decide in the end if they should let you on the road or not.

Very often it is not! You fail the examination 3 times a mandatory psychological evaluation will be ordered - and then it is very likely that you will never get a driving license in your lifetime.
Of course in Thailand you just buy a license or drive without one - responsibility or abiding by the law is a thing for foreigners not for Thais.


People here also seem to be unable to think ahead and anticipate potential dangers.

Driving yesterday in Chiang Mai was a nightmare - at least every second vehicle is from another province driving around like blind - I saw 3 accidents yesterday morning within 2 hours all caused by the stupidity of the drivers.



Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[RotBenz8888]

So when the "7 dangerous days" has passed, traffic is safe again????. get real and talk about the 365 dangerous days.

[bowerboy]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Colonel Sirichan Nga-thong said action had already been taken against 60,492

 

How can anyone believe anything that comes out of these people’s mouths? This is just utter BS.

 

The above statistic would mean action had been taken against 14 people per minute for every single minute of the last 3 days...utter nonsense.

 

On the drive from Pattaya to Koh Chang and back not a single police car or police presence was seen in either direction and so just right there is a huge swathe of population you can remove which makes the above stats even more absurd.

 

Also the roads were full of trucks as usual despite authorities saying they would be banned for the 7 days.

[NoBrainer]

It makes sense that road deaths will increase, as there are far more cars, and people, using the roads each year, and this increase in road use, also increases the degradation of the road surfaces, which also lead to accidental incidents.

 

If road use is up X% each year, then the accident rate should increase exponentially, as overcrowded roads also lead to frustrated drives, doing things they may not normally do.

[madmitch]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

On the same day, 13,638 automobile drivers, including those of public vehicles, were arrested on the charge of driving behaviour that threatened to cause accidents. A total of 535 driving licences were seized and 274 automobiles confiscated.

Does this mean that 12,829 drunk drivers were allowed to continue on their way?

[cardinalblue]

Police are monitoring drivers at checkpoints.....

 

think how how stupid that sounds...

[bowerboy]

1 hour ago, keemapoot said:

've always assumed the reason there are very few police highway patrol cruisers on the highway for enforcement was budgetary.

 

The money gets spent on some very nice patrol cars and motorcycles for organizing “VIP Convoys”. They always have the best cars and best motorbikes (all new and all matching). I saw such a motorcade last night that must of had 40 to 50 police cars and maybe 80 to 100 motorcycles involved when including all those waiting and blocking side roads...probably 300 to 400 police officers in total.

 

Probably could of saved a lot of lives if they were patrollling and serving the public (its all paid for by tax payers)....still though, Mai Pen Rai and all that.

[marko kok prong]

Seems the stickers didn't work then.

[neeray]

Says Daddy to young Thai son:

"What do you want to be when you grow up son"?

 

Answers son:

"I want to be a man and get a police franchise. I want to be rich daddy"