General Prawit admits 20,000 Thais die on roads annually - motorcycle death worst in world

[webfact]

General Prawit admits 20,000 Thais die on roads annually - motorcycle death worst in world

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Thailand's deputy prime minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan admitted to a seminar on road safety that the annual death toll in the kingdom was in excess of 20,000 people. 

 

He said that the stats were particularly bad for motorcyclists with a death rate that was the worst in the world at 24.3 per 100,000 of the population. 

 

The carnage on the Thai roads causes losses to the Thai economy of 50 billion baht a year, he noted.

 

Many of the victims are children and child support groups have called for education in schools from primary level up about the hazards on the roads.

 

Gen Prawit was speaking at the "Thailand Road Safety" seminar at BITEC Bang Na as Thai authorities and foreign groups gathered to discuss the issue. 

 

It was conducted under a banner explained in English as "Play Your Part and Share the Road".

 

The general said that worldwide deaths from motorcycles, pedestrians and cyclists made up 49% of all fatalities on average. 

 

But in Thailand it was almost twice as bad, he said as quoted by Daily News. He said the government had been enacting measures to deal with this since 2011 and these would continue through to 2030. 

 

What these measures were exactly was not specified. 

 

The general mentioned 6,000 "new" cases of people being handicapped. 

 

Dr Thanapong Winawong of a road safety group said that in the six years from 2011 to 2017 46,656 deaths were attributed to motorcycles with 5,375 pedestrians and 659 cyclists perishing. 

 

Thaivisa notes that these figures appear to be very conservative given that most observers including international agencies put the annual death toll at around 25,000 people with motorcyclists making up 70% of the total. 

 

Gen Prawit's claim of 20,000 deaths annually could almost account for motorcyclists and their passengers though this was not clear from the Daily News report. 

 

Child protection groups stated that in 2017 2,609 children aged 15-19 died on the roads up 30% from five years before. And 727 10 - 14 year olds also died.

 

They want this damning statistic to form a focus of government and social development policy. They are calling for safety awareness programs in schools nationwide from the primary level up. 

 

Thaivisa notes that in a long article police enforcement was not mentioned once. 

 

A policeman was one of the participants on the stage for a photo shoot. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-08-08

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[Lungstib]

3 years of Thai road deaths totals more then the number of US servicemen killed in 10 years of war in Vietnam. It was the high death total that eventually led to their withdrawal but no sign yet that Thai authorities are embarrassed by their high numbers.  No shame or sense of responsibility.

[Thaiwrath]

15 minutes ago, webfact said:

A policeman was one of the participants on the stage for a photo shoot.

So was a clown...........................the one in the centre !

[brokenbone]

the theory these days are good enough,
and its mostly the case where car drivers think they have the right of way
cutting motorcyclists that causes lethal accidents,
i think a practical test on not just the dlt driving range, but on the roads,
should be made obligatory for car driving license,
i wouldnt enforce anyone to ride with a fresh motorcyclist

[ianezy0]

Why does it take so long for this Country to realise what the rest of the folk have known for a long long time.

 

[RotBenz8888]

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thaivisa notes that in a long article police enforcement was not mentioned once. 

 

It's because there isn't any and will never be.

[geoffbezoz]

Deaths of people, albeit on the roads or gunned down by his own military does not bear on the conscience  of him, the Thai Elite and others controlling them.  Words hurt no one and achieve nothing in Thailand. Bullets and no government support to improve the "lot" of the poor are the order of the day under this regime and many others before them.

[Justgrazing]

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand's deputy prime minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan admitted to a seminar on road safety that the annual death toll in the kingdom was in excess of 20,000 people

He should be utterly ashamed to have to concede this .. And despite his wormy words about measures an' stuff being done to bring these quite catastrophic figures down .. It will continue we all know that .. You can have this debate in a yr from now and the casualty figures will still not look out of place in a warzone .. 

[colinneil]

Ole fatty is supposed to be responsible for the police.

So what is he doing about getting them off their fat lazy a+++s and policing the roads, to try and bring that staggering number of road deaths down?

Answer... Same is always bugger all, but opening his mouth spouting cr+p.

[FarFlungFalang]

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

The carnage on the Thai roads causes losses to the Thai economy of 50 billion baht a year, he noted.

He noted this because he could be putting this money to better use like buying watches,not because so many are losing their lives about which he couldn't care less.

[JAG]

18 minutes ago, ianezy0 said:

Why does it take so long for this Country to realise what the rest of the folk have known for a long long time.

 

It has been said before, but let's say it again. The death toll on the roads, (along with so many other things which blight the lives of so many in this country) does not impact upon the lives of the wealthy and influential "elite" which the government and perhaps more importantly and effectively various agencies of state are subverted to serve. It is not their children or parents/breadwinners who are dying; if they are involved in an accident their wealth and influence mean that almost invariably they walk away, maybe a bit lighter in the wallet but basically untouched. They are untouchable. It is only when such matters produce sustained adverse comment, especially internationally, that anything appears to be done and as this performance demonstrates, appearances and actions are two different things.

Edited August 8, 2019 by JAG

[faraday]

 

Often when I see these young lads on their motorcycles driving like lunatics, it makes me grieve for their parents upcoming loss. Dreadfully sad.

 

And what is Prawit going to do.....?

For your answer, look at the space under this sentence.

[ianezy0]

6 minutes ago, JAG said:

It has been said before, but let's say it again. The death toll on the roads, (along with so many other things which blight the lives of so many in this country) does not impact upon the lives of the wealthy and influential "elite" which the government and perhaps more importantly and effectively various agencies of state are subverted to serve. It is not their children or parents/breadwinners who are dying; if they are involved in an accident their wealth and influence mean that almost invariably they walk away, maybe a bit lighter in the wallet but basically untouched. They are untouchable. It is only when such matters produce sustained adverse comment, especially internationally, that anything appears to be done and as this performance demonstrates, appearances and actions are two different things.

Whoa I think you mis interpreted my post. I was referring to news publishing obvious information that we already know about. Cheers

Edited August 8, 2019 by ianezy0

[GalaxyMan]

34 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

3 years of Thai road deaths totals more then the number of US servicemen killed in 10 years of war in Vietnam. It was the high death total that eventually led to their withdrawal but no sign yet that Thai authorities are embarrassed by their high numbers.  No shame or sense of responsibility.

During the period from 1966 (50,894) to 1973 (54,052), the number of annual traffic deaths almost exceeded the total number of dead service members the US lost in the Vietnam war (57,939). It's never been below 40,000 since.

Edited August 8, 2019 by GalaxyMan

[Handsome Gardener]

A well advertised policy of crushing every bike ridden by someone without a helmet to start. No ifs no buts its gone. Then crush them anyway if they've taken the bafflers off in order to make an absurd noise. Then an MOT system to ensure they are all roadworthy - I have seen some tyres that haven't had tread in years !

 

Not difficult to get this sorted though like the drink drive thing in the west in can take a decade of two to sink in that's some things are not acceptable.

 

I saw a uniformed policeman yesterday taking his two kids to school both without a helmet !

[CNXexpat]

23 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

He noted this because he could be putting this money to better use like buying watches,not because so many are losing their lives about which he couldn't care less.

Or submarines. They are important too.

[lust]

8 minutes ago, Handsome Gardener said:

A well advertised policy of crushing every bike ridden by someone without a helmet to start. No ifs no buts its gone. Then crush them anyway if they've taken the bafflers off in order to make an absurd noise. Then an MOT system to ensure they are all roadworthy - I have seen some tyres that haven't had tread in years !

 

Not difficult to get this sorted though like the drink drive thing in the west in can take a decade of two to sink in that's some things are not acceptable.

 

I saw a uniformed policeman yesterday taking his two kids to school both without a helmet !

I don’t want to live in your Utopia. 

[RichardColeman]

First thing I thought of after looking at that photo was .....

[Radar501]

Circle the correct answer.

 

The Royal Thai Police Force is:

 

a. incompetent

b. Lazy

c. Corrupt

d. All of the above

[CNXexpat]

57 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thaivisa notes that in a long article police enforcement was not mentioned once. 

Exactly THIS is the problem. I have never been in a country with nearly no police on the streets. If there is a VIP (you know what I mean) driving through a street, you see every couple of meters a policeman. I wonder where they are if there is no VIP driving around. 

 

I watched some "instant karma" videos from USA, Russia and other countries. You see that one driver do something wrong and after some seconds a police car is stopping him. In Thailand there is no police on the streets so the people do what they want. If the people in Europe, USA, Australia and so on would know that the risk is very low to become fined, they would drive like Thais for sure. 

[JASON THAI]

Child protection groups stated that in 2017 2,609 children aged 15-19 died on the roads up 30% from five years before. And 727 10 - 14 year olds also died. 

 

Too many children riding motorbikes under the legal age of 15 ? with no helmets & just want to show off speeding around I have seen 2 kids do this on a bike with a policeman just standing there & doing nothing, parents are not educated & think buddha will save them, parents need to be fined for allowing their children to ride motorbikes & the bikes need to be taken away by the police for good then the parents will understand once they see they have lost the bike for good & cannot get it back    

[jany123]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

General Prawit admits 20,000 Thais die on roads annually - motorcycle death worst in world

Whilst everyone who watches these numbers, knows this, the Thai government haven’t acknowledged it, releasing figures at 50% of its real rate.... so, whilst a staggeringly horrible number, actually coming out and admitting it like this, might be a real positive, moving forward.

[geoffbezoz]

1 minute ago, CNXexpat said:

Exactly THIS is the problem. I have never been in a country with nearly no police on the streets. If there is a VIP (you know what I mean) driving through a street, you see every couple of meters a policeman. I wonder where they are if there is no VIP driving around. 

 

I watched some "instant karma" videos from USA, Russia and other countries. You see that one driver do something wrong and after some seconds a police car is stopping him. In Thailand there is no police on the streets so the people do what they want. If the people in Europe, USA, Australia and so on would know that the risk is very low to become fined, they would drive like Thais for sure. 

The RTP are a state sponsored institution to maintain corruption and the positions of the Elite and it suits others to maintain this corrupt society for their own benefit.

[Isaanbiker]

Gen Prawit was speaking at the "Thailand Road Safety" seminar at BITEC Bang Na as Thai authorities and foreign groups gathered to discuss the issue

 

 The "new government" still consists of soldiers who aren't even real soldiers.

 

   I doubt that P, or P could use a Kalashnikov, when will that have an end?

 

   Hopefully not when almost all foreigners are gone and they realize that they were the ones who made Thailand to what it is.( Was?) 

[faraday]

19 minutes ago, Handsome Gardener said:

A well advertised policy of crushing every bike ridden by someone without a helmet to start. No ifs no buts its gone. Then crush them anyway if they've taken the bafflers off in order to make an absurd noise. Then an MOT system to ensure they are all roadworthy - I have seen some tyres that haven't had tread in years !

 

Not difficult to get this sorted though like the drink drive thing in the west in can take a decade of two to sink in that's some things are not acceptable.

 

I saw a uniformed policeman yesterday taking his two kids to school both without a helmet !

I completely agree with you.

9 minutes ago, lust said:

I don’t want to live in your Utopia. 

What's wrong with HG's suggestions?

[Vacuum]

12 minutes ago, Radar501 said:

Circle the correct answer.

 

The Royal Thai Police Force is:

 

a. incompetent

b. Lazy

c. Corrupt

d. All of the above

Thai drivers could circle 'a'

[Phuketshrew]

1 hour ago, FarFlungFalang said:

He noted this because he could be putting this money to better use like buying watches,not because so many are losing their lives about which he couldn't care less.

He doesn't buy watches, he borrows them from dead motorcyclists friends.

[mok199]

Today in Pattayaya the corrupt police have launched a huge blitz ,stopping every scooter at checkpoints everywhere throught the city...and yes they will find something to fine you with...a pathetic knee jerk reaction to their incompetence . a disgrace to real law enforcement

[lust]

55 minutes ago, faraday said:

I completely agree with you.

What's wrong with HG's suggestions?

Let me answer your question with another question. Why did you move to Thailand?

[Assurancetourix]

5 minutes ago, lust said:

Let me answer your question with another question. Why did you move to Thailand?

 

As I did...Because ...