Half of Thai parents wear helmets - but only one in 14 bother to give them to their kids

[webfact]

Half of Thai parents wear helmets - but only one in 14 bother to give them to their kids

 

Picture: Daily News

 

It has been revealed that only one in fourteen children who ride motorcycles with their parents are given helmets to wear.

 

While parents on average wear helmets 46% of the time their kids are only kitted out 7% of the time. 

 

A leading safety expert has said that this behavior has to change if this aspect of the appalling death toll on Thailand's roads is to change. 

 

Daily News were following up on the case of a man near Bangkok who paid a fine of 200 baht after a rant at a police station over his three year old not wearing a helmet on the way to kindergarten last week. 

 

The father said he didn't know it was the law. 

 

Dr Withaya Chartbanchachai, who leads several groups trying to reduce deaths and injuries from road accidents, said that 80% of deaths on the roads involve motorbikes. And 15% of these are children under 15. 

 

He said this represented 2,500 deaths. (Thaivisa assumes that he meant this as the annual motorcycle death toll among this age group on the roads). 

 

He said that evidence shows that the head makes up more of a percentage of a young person's body so this means they are particularly vulnerable to death from head trauma in the event of an accident.

 

"It is not just about the terrible death toll and injuries that we see on the Thai roads," said Dr Withaya. "It is about showing young children and youth that helmets are good and developing skills and habits that they can take forward with them into their adult lives in the future." 

 

He said that helmets are available for young children in three sizes: 1-2 year old, 3 - 5 year old and for the 5-11 year old age range. 

 

He suggested that the state should have a scheme whereby parents could exchange helmets as their children grow in order to mitigate the cost factor. 

 

He said that a 2017 survey showed that only 46% of adults in Thailand wear helmets. This is down to just 18% when it comes to youth and a paltry 7% among little children with their parents on bikes. 

 

Thaivisa notes that the figures quoted by Dr Withaya suggest that motorcycle death among young people is rivaling that caused by drowning in Thailand. 

 

This was previously stated as around the 2,500 annual mark and said to be the leading cause of death of young people in the kingdom. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-01-28

[xylophone]

Was always surprised at the number of parents who would pick their children up from school and not give them a helmet to wear, whereas I always made my little un put one on, even though at first she was a little reluctant.

[sammieuk1]

Not sure if any helmet on sale here in the main stream outlets meet any safety standards to start with???? 

[stanleycoin]

Just goes to prove.

How selfish the parents are.

You would think they would take more care over there pension funds

[samsensam]

 

in bangkok the wearing of helmets, and decent quality helmets rather than the thin plastic type, seems to be increasing (though bizarrely many dont bother to fasten their helmet. duh). however it is noticeable the number of parents/adults who take children on their bike and provide no safety equipment for them.

 

you'd think the most valuable and precious thing in the world is the safety and life of a child, but here parents and the authorities have different priorities.

[darksidedog]

And the really sad situation is that kids think that a bloody helmet, just isn't "cool" so they don't like wearing one. Add to that that they think mirrors aren't cool either, and it really is no wonder so many of them get killed.

[CelticBhoy]

"Half of Thai Parents Wear Helmets"

 

A lot more than half are helmets  . . . .  ????

[lipflipper]

That's because if the children with no helmets die in an accident due to their parents stupidity the parents think, Oh we can make more kids. Typical Thai thinking.

Sent from my CMR-AL19 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[worgeordie]

Does this mean 50% of Thai parents with motorbikes,don't care about

their children's safety and welfare,or are just too stupid to to think its 

a serious problem,I think a big percentage just think they will never be

involved in an accident,but the facts tell a different story.

regards worgeordie

[RotBenz8888]

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said that helmets are available for young children in three sizes: 1-2 year old, 3 - 5 year old and for the 5-11 year old age range

Should they even be on a motorbike?

[xylophone]

55 minutes ago, samsensam said:

 

in bangkok the wearing of helmets, and decent quality helmets rather than the thin plastic type, seems to be increasing (though bizarrely many dont bother to fasten their helmet. duh). however it is noticeable the number of parents/adults who take children on their bike and provide no safety equipment for them.

 

you'd think the most valuable and precious thing in the world is the safety and life of a child, but here parents and the authorities have different priorities.

That's good to hear and I always made sure that I bought a good quality one for me, the g/f and daughter.

 

IMO no price is too expensive if it saves a child's life, or any life for that matter.

[SammyT]

Came here to watch bitter expats righteously put the boot into Thai people, including way outside the scope of what the article was about. Wasn't disappointed. 

 

One of the gardeners in my moobahn used to take her kid around without a helmet all the time. I bought her a helmet for the kid a while back, the kid still wears it and greets me excitedly whenever I'm out running. Given she probably earns 350B a day, I don't mind shelling out a few hundred baht to make sure her kid is safe if she is unable/unwilling to do so. 

[Bluespunk]

48 minutes ago, webfact said:

While parents on average wear helmets 46% of the time

That's not a good percentage in itself [as well as being less than half].

[Vacuum]

33 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

And the really sad situation is that kids think that a bloody helmet, just isn't "cool" so they don't like wearing one. Add to that that they think mirrors aren't cool either, and it really is no wonder so many of them get killed.

Using turn signals is very uncool.

[fruitman]

And because the Police also can't be bothered this is going on for decades..Well done Thailand!

[grego49]

In nsw Australia the fine for not wearing a helmet is$337 and if your passenger is not wearing one the rider gets fined double,so everyone wears one,here the fines should be tripled but the biggest problem is the cops that just sit and watch.

[stanleycoin]

28 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Should they even be on a motorbike?

No.

But it's the way it is here.  that will never change.

So they should at least try,  and protect the kids.

[Vacuum]

3 minutes ago, grego49 said:

In nsw Australia the fine for not wearing a helmet is$337

Odd number, why not 300 or 350?

[01322521959]

I often gesture to riders at traffic lights when I see mum and dad with helmets and the little one in front of dad peering over the bars ready to take the brunt of any unforeseen accident with no head protection.

 None of this is surprising with the BIB's attitude here. 

 Same old same old ..

[BobbyL]

Quite an apt article.

 

We were driving to my wife's family restaurant on Suksawat Road yesterday. As we were driving up a relatively busy soi I saw a bike coming towards us. The youngish man at the front was riding and had a helmet on, on his shoulders (yes, his shoulders) was a young girl who was being supported and held up from behind by who I assume was the mother. Neither had helmets on. 

 

Just incredible. 

[AhFarangJa]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Daily News were following up on the case of a man near Bangkok who paid a fine of 200 baht after a rant at a police station over his three year old not wearing a helmet on the way to kindergarten last week. 

 

The father said he didn't know it was the law. 

Here is one of the major problems, regardless of the law it is the responsibility as an adult to protect children, and children rely on adults for that protection as they are non the wiser.

[colinneil]

Most parents here are brain dead when it comes to childrens safety, whether on motorbikes or cars.

Recently wifes sister stops at our gate, coming home from school, had her nephew in the car, sil gets out of the car to speak with my wife, leaves engine running, nephews gets in the drivers seat and drives off.

Well i am shouting what the hell are you doing allowing a 13 year old to drive, and stupid woman says its ok he is a good driver.

Idiot gets to the corner about 60 meters away, young girl about 10/11 comes round the corner on a mc, hits the vios on the headlight, falls off the bike.

 Girls parents called, sil and parents each agree to pay for their own vehicle damage, everybody just carries on as if it is normal.

Only person concerned is me, every other person is laughing thinking its funny.

[Vacuum]

 

Looks good. And not only the kid wearing a helmet.

[wgdanson]

I find it funny/strange/annoying, that they will wear a face mask to stop polluted air being breathed in, but no helmet.

 

Off topic. I was once in my mate's coffee shop in Pattaya where a falang lady sitting near the outside/road was wearing a mask......with a packet of fags on the table !

[wgdanson]

10 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

 

Looks good. And not only the kid wearing a helmet.

And they are fastened!

[GeoMill]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Not sure if any helmet on sale here in the main stream outlets meet any safety standards to start with???? 

Picked up a 550 baht one at Tesco that seems pretty decent at least. Protection all around the head and the visor closes smooth and properly. The helmet I got with my bike however felt like a cheap piece of chinese plastic. Did not even fit properly on my head and during riding it just moved further and further to the back of my head.

[Vacuum]

33 minutes ago, 01322521959 said:

I often gesture to riders at traffic lights

I wouldn't recommend that.

[legend49]

2 hours ago, stanleycoin said:

Just goes to prove.

How selfish the parents are.

You would think they would take more care over there pension funds

You cant teach stupid. Stupid is stupid does

[CGW]

2 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Not sure if any helmet on sale here in the main stream outlets meet any safety standards to start with???? 

Exactly, yet folks like to rumble on how helmets will save lives, there not some magical entity 

The kids helmets does not fit, if they came off - so would the helmet, even a perfectly fitting helmet can come off in a accident.

The bottom line is kids should not be allowed on motorbikes, if they are at least get them a quality helmet that has some sort of approval stamp and that actually fits!

[mok199]

Ask any thai parent ,most are more worried about a fine than a fatality,so when the mind set is money not safety ...there lies the rub