Causes of Songcran Road Carnage.

[NoshowJones]

Every day of Songcran, we always read about about the fatalities on the roads, so much percentage cause by speeding, so much

percentage caused by drunk driving and riding.

What is never, and I mean never, reported is what percentage of fatalites is caused by scumbags throwing water at traveling motor cyclists.

In the thirteen years I have been here, I have never ever read of any motorcyclist killed or seriously injured caused by water been thrown at them.

Why is this? Does anyone really believe that no motorcyclist has ever been killed by water throwers in the last thirteen years?

 

[robblok]

I personally know of nobody who fell of a bike because of water, I have been treated to water in the face while driving. Not pleasant but I did not crash. 

 

How many people do you know that have crashed ? 

 

Im sure it happens just have no personal knowledge of it.

[gunderhill]

I  know of at least 37.5  people who have died????

[Vacuum]

6 minutes ago, gunderhill said:

I  know of at least 37.5  people who have died????

LOL. Where did you get that number from, the contents of a Sang Som ban?

[NoshowJones]

11 minutes ago, robblok said:

I personally know of nobody who fell of a bike because of water, I have been treated to water in the face while driving. Not pleasant but I did not crash. 

 

How many people do you know that have crashed ? 

 

Im sure it happens just have no personal knowledge of it.

About four years ago, one Thaivisa member said he was knocked of his bike by a water thrower and

landed on the road, cannot remember if he was hurt. I think I know his user name, but won't post it in case I am wrong.

[Moonlover]

This is my 5th Songkran here and I only know of one incident when a German visitor tried to 'outrun' the water throwers and ended on the pavement with a broken ankle. 

 

I'm sure that, unlike my German friend, residents here, both Thais and foreigners are aware of the danger and either slow right down or avoid the situation completely. The latter is my preferred option ever since I got a face full (on my visor) in my early days here. 

[wgdanson]

Collating all the posts I have read on this, the majority of fatalities are pissed up farmers driving their motorbikes too fast on open country roads in the afternoon.

[NoshowJones]

19 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Collating all the posts I have read on this, the majority of fatalities are pissed up farmers driving their motorbikes too fast on open country roads in the afternoon.

That's very true, but I refuse to believe that no motorcyclists have died because of people throwing water over them, even people in cars also.

I personally believe that this situation is deliberately kept quiet.

[cmarshall]

I am puzzled by the claim that the roads are more dangerous during Songkran.  From what I can find the tally of highway deaths during the seven days of Songkran 2018 was:

489 or ~60 per day

 

For the entire year of 2015 (most recent year for which I can find data) the total of highway fatalities in Thailand was:

24,237 or 66 per day

 

(I expect that fatalities were, if anything, even higher in 2018, but don't have the data.)

 

From which we can only draw the conclusion that Songkran is a particularly safe time of the year to be on the road in Thailand, which is, however, much more dangerous than other countries.

 

So, why do people believe the opposite is true?

 

 

http://www.richardbarrow.com/2018/04/full-road-accident-statistics-for-songkran-2018/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate