Rawai Mayor puts road safety in spotlight: Only 18% of Phuket motorcyclists wear helmets

By The Phuket News

 

Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos presided over the event that was held at Muang Phuket School in Rawai and was attended by 350 people including high school students, private sector employees and municipality officers on Monday (June 10). Photo: PR Dept

 

PHUKET:-- Rawai Municipality ran a training event on Monday (June 10) to educate people about the importance of wearing a helmet when riding a motorbike as statistics show that only 18% of Phuket motorcyclists wear a helmet at all times, compared with the national average of 56%.
 

Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos presided over the event that was held at Muang Phuket School in Rawai and was attended by 350 people including high school students, kindergarten students, private sector employees and municipality officers including Rawai Municipality Chief Administrative Officer, Preecha Jennarong.

Mr Preecha said at the event, “The government previously set the years 2002-2020 as a period of focus for road safety, having local authorities conduct measures and campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of safety helmets.

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/rawai-mayor-puts-road-safety-in-spotlight-only-18-of-phuket-motorcyclists-wear-helmets-71750.php#hIBrZ5pQOkmOVfCC.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2019-06-11

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Let's hope it are good helmets and not just a piece of plastic with a helmet shape.

24 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Rawai Municipality ran a training event on Monday (June 10) to educate people about the importance of wearing a helmet when riding a motorbike as statistics show that only 18% of Phuket motorcyclists wear a helmet at all times, compared with the national average of 56%.

It is good that they are getting the message across that a lid may save you're life but enforcing it is also part of the picture and the fact that only 1 in 2 nationally use them says they need to work on it at that level also .. 

36 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

Rawai Municipality ran a training event on Monday (June 10) to educate people about the importance of wearing a helmet when riding a motorbike as statistics show that only 18% of Phuket motorcyclists wear a helmet at all times, compared with the national average of 56%.

It is good that they are getting the message across that a lid may save you're life but enforcing it is also part of the picture and the fact that only 1 in 2 nationally use them says they need to work on it at that level also .. 

I don't know where the 56% comes from? It sounds like it might as well be a figure quoted by TAT.

 

All I can say is that here in Udon - outside of the city centre, being a pedantic a git I count the number of helmet wearers as I pass them, and I say it's more like 25%, not 56%.

 

As soon as motorcyclists cross over the ring road to the inside of the city, the helmet in the front basket goes on. That's only to avoid the 200B/400B fine, but absolutely nothing to do with safety - apart from protecting the safety of the contents of their wallet.

Next focus - motorbike tailights. Around Buriram about 1 in 3 are not working and obviously the police don't care.  Trying to spot them on a dark night in the rain is a lottery.

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Mr Preecha said at the event, “The government previously set the years 2002-2020 as a period of focus for road safety, having local authorities conduct measures and campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of safety helmets.

 

Pathetic.

They have been at this since 2002.....might want to hire some new people to take over. Don't think their "focus" got the job done. 

Just another 'look at me' job.  Only when Thailand sets a minimum international standard for helmets that riders must use will i applaud the likes of the above.  Ice cream buckets on ya head DON'T CUT IT!!  Sad but true!! 

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Rawai Municipality ran a training event on Monday (June 10) to educate people about the importance of wearing a helmet when riding a motorbike

They could show some nasty pictures from accidents where people didn't use helmets.

Just a show for the media. The cheap plastic helmets they use will not save them anyway.

A 3000 baht helmet will, but who's gonna pay for it when for most people it means 1 week salary. 

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

18% of Phuket motorcyclists wear a helmet at all times, compared with the national average of 56%.

In our village I estimate 1% (one) wear helmets.  56% is a huge stretch of imagination IMO!

34 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

They could show some nasty pictures from accidents where people didn't use helmets.

I'd agree with that.

Unfortunately I bet it won't happen as they don't want to 'upset' people looking at gruesome photos. No interest in reality, until it affects them.
 

IIRC there was a road safety advert in the UK years ago which showed a peach being hit by a hammer, with a voice-over saying that this would be your head if you had an accident without wearing a helmet.

Perhaps that might be more acceptable - especially as it has food in it?

Better late than never as the saying goes, however, the authorities have only themselves to blame as they have never really enforced this law......

2 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

Better late than never as the saying goes, however, the authorities have only themselves to blame as they have never really enforced this law......

'this law' - as opposed to all the others diligently being enforced.

'blame' - authorities - ha ha!

18% that's a high number! Is it another TAT dream statistic?  MaeJo University has a policy on students, no helmet on the head you cant come in to the premises; works well I observed yesterday.

Those guys at the front don't look old enough to have a driving licence anyway so should not be needing a helmet.

But that's another subject.

 

2 hours ago, Vacuum said:

They could show some nasty pictures from accidents where people didn't use helmets.

Every time there is a fatal mocy accident, they should show pictures of the morons that run the show, they are the ones who should be in the spotlight.

As Logic and commonsense are in short supply here, why bother to protect something that is deficient in any event . A logical solution to the problem. 

I have lost count the times I see riders not wear helmets, and police just standing by doing nothing. The law in Thailand is a convenient one, only when it suits the Police or when they are ordered by some big wig, will they enforce the law.

 

How many lives are lost every year, which are totally preventable ?

Phuket people do seem to care less about their safety than their wallets. If it is 18% a good portion of those are sitting on the back. Also amazed at how many wear helmets when taking their kids about but no helmet for the kids.

 

1 hour ago, the guest said:

I have lost count the times I see riders not wear helmets, and police just standing by doing nothing. The law in Thailand is a convenient one, only when it suits the Police or when they are ordered by some big wig, will they enforce the law.

 

How many lives are lost every year, which are totally preventable ?

Thai police do not multitask. They are given their duty and that is exactly what they do. At schools and markets police control traffic but you could have a family of six on a bike with no helmet, probably not a licence between them and nothing will be done.

 

I'm pretty sure you could commit an armed robbery in front of a cop on traffic control duty and get away with it!

Start  Confiscating bikes suctioning bikes and money to be used to buy helmets... until they get it thru their thick skulls

The problem is They have a law that you must wear a helmet but the cops are too lazy to enforce it Just carry on guys nothing will change because you know I know the cops are to dam lazy to enforce this law and any other law just a big joke for a photo shoot

On 6/11/2019 at 7:44 PM, bluesofa said:

All I can say is that here in Udon - outside of the city centre, being a pedantic a git I count the number of helmet wearers as I pass them, and I say it's more like 25%, not 56%.

What amazes me here is the number of farangs who do not wear a helmet, so it's not just the Thais who are at fault/being called out, it's a common thing no matter where one comes from apparently!