Study shows fewer than half of Thailand’s motorcycle users wear helmets

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post and the inflammatory reply has been removed.

 

Some off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

[drbeach]

5 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Almost 100% in Vietnam. Except in the back streets of the cities where the police are not lurking with their road side inspections. 

Yes it's close to everyone in Vietnam, but over the years riders have either become a little more complacent or enforcement has become a little lax because in my estimation around 5-10% of riders, in some places more, choose not to wear helmets. Whereas 5-10 years ago it was probably 99% in the cities. Out in the sticks, it's a lot lower due to less police presence but anywhere in Vietnam the rate of people wearing helmets is much higher than in Thailand.

 

Only in Bangkok is helmet wearing pretty high, perhaps around 70-80% or up to 90% of riders in downtown areas. Elsewhere it's as low as 10-20%.

 

What Thai police need to do is follow the example of Vietnam. Confiscate motorcycles of riders who choose not to wear helmets. Problem solved.

 

I scratch my head wondering why this hasn't happened already?

[drbeach]

5 hours ago, dotpoom said:

I believe it's either Vietnam or Cambodia where 100% of motorcyclists wear helmets....why...because if they are found not wearing one...their bike is confiscated... End of problem.

As a number of other posters have stated, it's Vietnam.

 

Cambodia is even worse than Thailand in this regard. Which of course is not surprising.

[DUNROAMIN]

I didn't know they made helmets for babies. Or is it that because the rider is wearing one everybody else on the bike is safe!!!

[CGW]

Must be a slow news-day?

Great that those from who have had the opportunity to obtain an education in a developed country are able to vent about the stupidity of the masses that have little education and exist in a third world country close to the poverty line, well done chaps! ???? 

 

[Percy P]

5 hours ago, dotpoom said:

I believe it's either Vietnam or Cambodia where 100% of motorcyclists wear helmets....why...because if they are found not wearing one...their bike is confiscated... End of problem.

Only ever seen one motorcyclist in Malaysia not wearing one.

In UK unless the rider/driver confirmed the the highways act the insurance becomes mild and void. And their is a system 100% which will make a MC wear a helmet.

Edited July 31, 2019 by Percy P
Addition

[Bangkok Barry]

38 minutes ago, Jonah Tenner said:

Police don't stop Thais, because they have no money to pay fines...

 

Please don't bring up the old chestnut that all Thais are poor. If they were poor they wouldn't have the money to buy bikes, even on finance. If they can afford their monthly payments they can afford their 500 baht fine. The police don't stop Thais because they are lazy and get paid anyway, so why bother.

[Burma Bill]

7 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Of course they don't, it messes with their hair. 

and the ability to pick at their faces whilst looking in the rear view mirror!

[Thaifriends]

Minivans drivers and passengers must wear helmet along with steel body cover. This stats next year to monitor after Songkran????????????????

[kentrot]

 

[Dionigi]

You don't make a study by asking people if they wear helmets you stand at the side of the road with two counters one for wearing and one for not wearing. That is what students are for because they will stand there to collect data.

[Dionigi]

Why show a photo that is not even Thailand. Can't you even go outside with a phone to take a relevant picture?

[Nowisee]

6 hours ago, dotpoom said:

I believe it's either Vietnam or Cambodia where 100% of motorcyclists wear helmets....why...because if they are found not wearing one...their bike is confiscated... End of problem.

They are more serious there about no helmet and going the wrong way.  They have small trucks with lift gate, take your bike on the spot. 
 

[Jane Dough]

6 hours ago, dotpoom said:

I believe it's either Vietnam or Cambodia where 100% of motorcyclists wear helmets....why...because if they are found not wearing one...their bike is confiscated... End of problem.

Do you have any evidence for the assertion about bikes being confiscated in either of those countries?

 

Rooster

[DJ54]

Does no helmet % and fine paid % equate...

[cornishcarlos]

4 hours ago, sjbrownderby said:

Sitting at a junction and watching for 30 minutes would actually be a study.

 

I know, realised that after I posted !! 

Blonde moment ????

[Seldomseen]

Whilst my wife and I wait at traffic lights 

we average each stop 100 plus traffic infringements 

all committed whilst 4 police sit in their box watching 

so how serious do we take their efforts to stop all the people from braking the law

[johnarth]

7 hours ago, MaxYakov said:

Not to mention they can't hear approaching vehicles.

 

BTW, The excuse I've gotten from Thai bicyclists is that they don't need rear view mirrors because they can simply hear approaching vehicles.

 

 

I can vouch for their hearing it is exceptional but how they can tell what side the bike, car, truck or buss is going to pass on is another thing

[kohmakmaxx]

Hmmm... What is a Helmet??? 

????

[johnarth]

a lot of cops do not wear helmets so why should they?

[PETERTHEEATER]

8 hours ago, SanookTeufel said:

Helmets are like condoms... Nobody likes them.

 

I tried a condom once. It made my head look stupid.

[Chongalulu]

6 hours ago, fxe1200 said:

I would not wear those 200THB helmets either. There might be enough to protect a coconut, but helmets with a DOT or EC 22-05 safety standard should be mandatory.

Cheap helmets for cheap heads.

[Chongalulu]

2 hours ago, CGW said:

Must be a slow news-day?

Great that those from who have had the opportunity to obtain an education in a developed country are able to vent about the stupidity of the masses that have little education and exist in a third world country close to the poverty line, well done chaps! ???? 

 

Just how retarded would you have to be not to understand the benefits of a helmet,and do you really need a sophisticated education to grasp that? You wouldn’t even have to be literate to understand that basic. There are plenty of poorer countries with better statistics and if you can afford a motorcycle you can understand the essential nature of a helmet. Thailand is not a 3rd world country- it ranks around 32nd for GDP. It is a cultural attitude and disregard for the law and safety that is the issue.

[MaxYakov]

35 minutes ago, johnarth said:

I can vouch for their hearing it is exceptional but how they can tell what side the bike, car, truck or buss is going to pass on is another thing

That's assuming the vehicle passes and doesn't run you down. New York City is freaking out these days because their eighteenth cyclist of this year has been killed on a dangerous street.

 

I personally wear heavy-duty, ear-muff-type ear safety sound insulators these days when cycling and, like aircraft pilots, rely mainly on VCR (Visual Cycling Rules), similar to aviation's VFR (Visual Flight Rules). I have strict rules regarding vehicles approaching from the rear (actually, in reality, from any direction). I wear a high-vis vest. The critical idea is to both "see and be seen".

 

I go out of my way these days to avoid having to share the road with motor vehicles as well so I don't have to be as concerned about being run down by one (the primary urban cycling survival rule of mine).

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2019 by MaxYakov

[CGW]

11 minutes ago, nchuckle said:

Just how retarded would you have to be not to understand the benefits of a helmet,and do you really need a sophisticated education to grasp that? You wouldn’t even have to be literate to understand that basic. There are plenty of poorer countries with better statistics and if you can afford a motorcycle you can understand the essential nature of a helmet. Thailand is not a 3rd world country- it ranks around 32nd for GDP. It is a cultural attitude and disregard for the law and safety that is the issue.

"Retarded"? strong words! sure there are benefits to wearing a 'crash helmet" wearing a plastic bucket on your head affords no protection!

"Disregard for the law & safety" now your just having a laugh, what "law", the one for the rich or the poor?

32nd in the world for GDP, you state - you fail to state Thailand is also 3rd in the world for social divide.

[fresher]

9 hours ago, dotpoom said:

I believe it's either Vietnam or Cambodia where 100% of motorcyclists wear helmets....why...because if they are found not wearing one...their bike is confiscated... End of problem.

Plus a big fine to recover their bike. But just wearing a helmet is not enough. Many riders and passengers don't tighten or even attach their strap. Videos of crashes show helmets flying off on impact. 

[Jumbo1968]

4 hours ago, CGW said:

Must be a slow news-day?

Great that those from who have had the opportunity to obtain an education in a developed country are able to vent about the stupidity of the masses that have little education and exist in a third world country close to the poverty line, well done chaps! ???? 

 

Common sense tells you the road surface is so much tougher than the human skull, nothing to do with education, it’s the Thai attitude it won’t happen too them that is the problem.

[Jumbo1968]

4 hours ago, Percy P said:

Only ever seen one motorcyclist in Malaysia not wearing one.

In UK unless the rider/driver confirmed the the highways act the insurance becomes mild and void. And their is a system 100% which will make a MC wear a helmet.

How Scooter riders have insurance or even past the test, I think that could be less than 50%

[Grusa]

8 hours ago, rwill said:

I would say the same percentage have burnt out lights on their motorbikes.  And a bulb only costs 10 baht.

You miss the point! Using lights wears out the batterri!...... and that costs lots more!

[mlmcleod]

Is it any surprise?  In the non-urban areas it is hard to find anyone wearing a helmet.  Of course, whenever they are stopped at the roadblocks, they are given a free pass since they are Thai and too poor to pay fines.  The farangs are all lined up with cash paying the officers.  Another double standard in Thailand.