11 hours ago, CNXexpat said:

Wow! So many people with helmets on the pic. Usually only 50% of Thais and expats and 90% of the tourists wear helmets in Chiang Mai. 

Staged event.  They are all wearing the same helmets too.  Also police walking besides them.  And the people holding signs, the one you can read, says "Don't drive drunk"

Pattaya motorcycle drivers are starting to backslide again with their helmets. Most days 30% not wearing which rises to above 50% in the evening when there is less chance of being caught.

9 hours ago, nickstav said:

A friend's 15 year old son recently needed brain surgery for a motorbike accident. No helmet of course. He's alive, but his mental capacity will never be the same. Such a shame.

There must be enforcement of helmet laws by the police, whatever it takes. 

Don't let children drive! I was cut off on my motorbike by a kid who couldn't have been older than 12 and in his school uniform. If a kid is driving the police should impound the bike and the parents have to go claim it and pay a hefty fine to have it released. Let that happen a couple of times and they won't let the kid drive.

I agree with you, stand outside any school any day of the week with police directing traffic outside then it ani't going to happen

9 hours ago, nickstav said:

A friend's 15 year old son recently needed brain surgery for a motorbike accident. No helmet of course. He's alive, but his mental capacity will never be the same. Such a shame.

There must be enforcement of helmet laws by the police, whatever it takes. 

Don't let children drive! I was cut off on my motorbike by a kid who couldn't have been older than 12 and in his school uniform. If a kid is driving the police should impound the bike and the parents have to go claim it and pay a hefty fine to have it released. Let that happen a couple of times and they won't let the kid drive.

I've just been sitting at the traffic lights next to PC Plod with a helmet on but with the strap swinging in the wind, there by negating its effectiveness in an emergency.

 

Talking to a young farang couple the other day, twice in one day the got fined for not wearing a helmet I mean how stupid is that?

Just now, ChipButty said:

Talking to a young farang couple the other day, twice in one day the got fined for not wearing a helmet I mean how stupid is that?

Just extortion

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

2018 Thailand road safety situation survey

Why is it called that? Given the appalling circumstances, shouldn't the report be more aptly titled as "2018 Thailand Road Hazard Situation Survey"?

 

And while Withaya urges government agencies to "push for a road-safety strategy direction" and "push for strict traffic law enforcement enforcement" he fails to "push for" the single most important factor, the one that can effectively prevent traffic deaths from the onset: proper driver training.

 

 

Don't tell me they are waiting for traffic lights to turn green, if yes, we can expect snow falls shortly.

Most of them find their license when opening a packet of Mama Instant Noodles.  

Why are they all wearing the same HELMET? Have a look at the picture ...you will see all the Police marshalling them standing at the back. Phoney picture I think

The saddest part of the article is in the picture caption...most of the deaths are students and youths. I am dumbfounded when I see somebody riding and they're wearing a helmet, but their kid(s) are not. I asked a young mother I know, who rides around wearing a helmet, with her 1 year old with no helmet, what about if you get in an accident. Her reply...oh, I would cover my baby's head with my hands before we hit the ground. Really?

10 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Talking to a young farang couple the other day, twice in one day the got fined for not wearing a helmet I mean how stupid is that?

Red meat to the police.

Roald carnage has been bad in Europe in the early days of motoring (20s and 30s).The cost of human suffering tjen became intolerable  and laws and regulation of traffic started to develop.Somehow this process has not begun yet in Thailand.Personally It puts my relationship with my family members under great strain Refusing all suggestions to travel in minivans ( and even reluctant to accept being driven by familie members).Feel that I am in mortal danger.Worst og all that my daughter should end her days in a twisted car wreck.

Law enforcement, what's that ?????????

The police have no time left in the day for booking people with no helmets, and come to think of it, pretty well nothing much else neither.

Lets look at one day of an officer.

8 am.   Start work 

8-9      Briefing and photo op 

9-10     School lollie pop man.

10-12    Sit at police hut and check cell phone messages facebook, or bank security.

12-1      Lunch

1-3       Conduct licence/ registration check for motor bike and car.

3-4      School lollie pop man.

4-5      Debrief for day and photo op.

5 pm   Go home.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, malt25 said:

Another look will reveal all helmets are the same.

Think you'll find that it was free helmet promotion day a while back

old age, cancer, alcoholism, lung problems ?

 

 

Tell us something that’s not obvious The Nation


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18 minutes ago, DUNROAMIN said:

Law enforcement, what's that ?????????

The police have no time left in the day for booking people with no helmets, and come to think of it, pretty well nothing much else neither.

Lets look at one day of an officer.

8 am.   Start work 

8-9      Briefing and photo op 

9-10     School lollie pop man.

10-12    Sit at police hut and check cell phone messages facebook, or bank security.

12-1      Lunch

1-3       Conduct licence/ registration check for motor bike and car.

3-4      School lollie pop man.

4-5      Debrief for day and photo op.

5 pm   Go home.

 

 

 

You have to incentivize them. Give them a cut out of the summonses they write (or increase the cut they already get). Of course, in reality, they're not going to enforce anything, but we can dream.

10 hours ago, nickstav said:

A friend's 15 year old son recently needed brain surgery for a motorbike accident. No helmet of course. He's alive, but his mental capacity will never be the same. Such a shame.

There must be enforcement of helmet laws by the police, whatever it takes. 

Don't let children drive! I was cut off on my motorbike by a kid who couldn't have been older than 12 and in his school uniform. If a kid is driving the police should impound the bike and the parents have to go claim it and pay a hefty fine to have it released. Let that happen a couple of times and they won't let the kid drive.

 

No-one cares, neither the police who ignore the law they are paid to enforce, nor the parents who allow their kids who are too young to drive and/or don't make them wear a helmet. No-one cares. If someone dies or is seriously injured it was just meant to be. And they never learn from what they read or hear of the accidents. Across the road from me, a young lad ripped his face off by driving drunk into a roadside pole. The very next day I saw his brother roaring off down the road, wrong side of the road and no helmet. They are beyond help. It's their country, let them kill themselves and just hope they don't take us with them. You cannot fix stupid.

24 minutes ago, DUNROAMIN said:

Law enforcement, what's that ?????????

The police have no time left in the day for booking people with no helmets, and come to think of it, pretty well nothing much else neither.

Lets look at one day of an officer.

8 am.   Start work 

8-9      Briefing and photo op 

9-10     School lollie pop man.

10-12    Sit at police hut and check cell phone messages facebook, or bank security.

12-1      Lunch

1-3       Conduct licence/ registration check for motor bike and car.

3-4      School lollie pop man.

4-5      Debrief for day and photo op.

5 pm   Go home.

 

 

 

 

My wife's brother is a police colonel. I asked her what he actually does and she had no idea.

Natural selection. 

Thailand has a population of ~69,000,000 with a life expectancy ~75 years. Allowing for normal pop growth, I would expect 800,000 to die each year.

 

Cancer, stroke, heart disease all outrank MVA deaths. 

13 hours ago, surangw said:

not old age ?

 

pretty sure alcohol and smoking each kill more than 20,000 people per year as well. 

3 hours ago, geoffbezoz said:

When you have a culture where corruption is the norm from the top to the bottom, law enforcement in line with laws will never happen. Thai culture is solely  based on ar$e licking and bribery and nothing else matters to them.

 

Yes some Thais say they are not corrupt and it is wrong - that is until they jump a red light or some other traffic infringement and when BIB try to extort money from then, Guess what ? those holier than though hypocrites are the first to give them a bribe to make it go away.

 

An old Nigerian work colleague of mine who still keeps in touch often tells me that Thais make Nigerians look like saints yet the world over Nigerians are lambasted yet Thais appear to roam the globe untouched.  I have to admit he has a point and until that changes minor things like road accident prevention will never ever change unfortunately, more so because those that control Thailand consider it is only low lifes that get killed or injured on the roads so hence have no concern for them or those they leave behind.

 

Hmmm. I think Nigerians are lambasted due to the high number of Nigerian nationals involved in various assorted criminal activities, including drug dealing and computer crime. Not for their driving abilities.

2 hours ago, cerox said:

Why is everyone wearing a helmet on that pic???

Good photo.

I thought it was Vietnam, at first.  Must be photoshoped.

2 hours ago, cerox said:

Why is everyone wearing a helmet on that pic???

Good photo.

see the red stickers on the uniform model black helmets ?
seems there has been a hand-out!

There have been statistical analyses of Thailand road incidents for many many years. They are only useful in determining if progress has been made and who to fire when progress is too slow. We all know how that will never happen. It is also of no surprise to anyone that there is variance in distribution of incidents in a country with variance in socio-demographics and land use. Can we have some actionable recommendations please? Can we have a government that will act on those recommendations? Can we have a government that will admit that after 30 years of failing to make anything better in any measurable way, a new approach is needed?

 

What is needed is concrete action, and that has never happened. More committees will not solve the problem. What is needed is total overhauls of

 

• The structure and hierarchy of all agencies that 'touch' the road systems
  • Police, tesakhit/tesabahn, highways department, water works and more
• How fines are applied and processed, how the funds are collected and distributed
• How all agencies are incentivised to do their jobs
• Rider and driver training
• Vehicle insurance law
• Pre driving-age training, i.e., get to them early

I know, dream on, it will never happen, they don't care... Doesn't mean it should not be said.

 

Safe riding/driving y'all.

Rubbish!.  the major cause of death in Thailand is cardiovascular disease.

12 hours ago, CNXexpat said:

Wow! So many people with helmets on the pic. Usually only 50% of Thais and expats and 90% of the tourists wear helmets in Chiang Mai. 

Have a close look! - Note the brand of helmets.  This photo is a P.R. set-up! - nothing like the real truth!

A main problem is that a driver's license can be acquired within hours and after insufficient training. Even licensed and experienced bus drivers do not keep enough distance, for example, or overtake in curves. They simply haven't digested or internalized the most basic rules and physical facts.

52 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

My wife's brother is a police colonel. I asked her what he actually does and she had no idea.

She didn't want to lie to you and say "nothing".