Thailand road carnage: A big problem that is only getting worse

[webfact]

Thailand road carnage: A big problem that is only getting worse

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

A leading Thai government national insurance figure has said that the carnage on Thailand's roads is a "big problem for Thai society" and it is only getting worse despite campaigns to address the issue. 

 

Dr Sakchai Kanchanawatana - the secretary of the National Health Security Office -  presented damning statistics for victims of road accidents using funds from the government's social security scheme.

 

Thai visa cautions that these are only a fraction of the actual number of people killed, maimed and injured on the nation's roads. 

 

Dr Sakchai acknowledged that the country was one of the worst in the world when it comes to road accidents and that the World Health Organization has said it is one of the kingdom's biggest problems. 

 

He presented statistics for in-patient care using state insurance for 2015 to 2018.

 

In this period 13,861 were reported dead. Injured amounted to 265,243. Costs to the insurance scheme ran to 6 billion baht. 

 

The figures broke down as follows:

 

2015: Injured: 62,773 Dead: 3,509 Cost 1.3 billion baht

2016:   Injured: 63,981 Dead: 3,486 Cost 1.5 billion baht

2017:  Injured: 67,517 Dead: 3,440 Cost 1.5 billion baht

2018:  Injured: 70,972 Dead: 3,426 Cost 1.6 billion baht

 

In these four years the number of pedestrians injured was 10,672 with 916 being killed. This represents 8.6% of those injured that is the highest for all the stats. 

 

Pedestrians aged 65+ were in the highest fatality bracket with the figure dropping for younger members of society who were involved in collisions. 

 

Of the dead and injured the majority involved motorcyclists. 

 

Of the 265,243 injured 210,963 were motorcyclists. The death toll of 13,861 included 11,177 bikers. 

 

Bicycle deaths were 608 with 28,728 injured. 

 

Most motorcycle deaths and injuries did not involve collisions. Some 135,980 injuries and 4,899 deaths were bikers who came off. 

 

Collisions with other vehicles, trucks and vans caused 63,692 injuries and 4,348 deaths. 

 

Thus coming off a motorcycle represented a 3.6% chance of a fatality while a collision resulted in 6.8% chance of death. 

 

Injuries from those in collisions with trains was 333 - of these 35 died or 10.5%.

 

Provinces that showed a 20% rise during the time period were Bung Kan, Chaiyaphum, Prachinburi, Petchaburi, Trang, Phatthalung, Satun, Patani and Naratiwas. 

 

Showing a 5% down trend were Ubon Ratchathani, Suphanburi and Chainat. 

 

Dr Sakchai told Naew Na that the figures showed that problems on the nation's roads were a big problem for society and were just getting worse. He urged campaigns aimed at encouraging road safety to continue.

 

Thaivisa notes that leading figures in the government such as DPM Prawit Wongsuwan,  have admitted this year that the death toll on Thailand's roads is in excess of 20,000 annually. 

 

Many organisations and activists put the toll at 24,000 to 26,000 per year.

 

Source: Naew Na

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-11-11

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[Thaiwrath]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

"big problem for Thai society" and it is only getting worse despite campaigns to address the issue. 

Maybe it is time to devise a more comprehensive campaign, that would address the issue, and, hopefully, save people's lives. Bring in advisers from more advanced countries, where driving is a lot safer, or would asking other people for advice be seen as 'losing face'  ?

[Snuller21]

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

[ezzra]

As long as the government is willing to contain the numbers and 'live with it' and hoping that will not get worse, nothing concrete will be done other than lip service from bobbing heads to show that the deserve their payday at the government's halls of doing nothing...

[overherebc]

3 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

Maybe it is time to devise a more comprehensive campaign, that would address the issue, and, hopefully, save people's lives. Bring in advisers from more advanced countries, where driving is a lot safer, or would asking other people for advice be seen as 'losing face'  ?

Well, there is an orgination that could/should be able to do a lot to make a big difference.

[keith101]

In Aus you have to get a learners permit and then log 50 hours of supervised driving do a hazard perception test before you can even try to get your license and once you have then there is 2 yrs as a probationary driver before a full license is issued ,could you imagine something like that here will never happen but would result in properly trained drivers .

[4MyEgo]

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

The figures broke down as follows:

 

2015: Injured: 62,773 Dead: 3,509 Cost 1.3 billion baht

2016:   Injured: 63,981 Dead: 3,486 Cost 1.5 billion baht

2017:  Injured: 67,517 Dead: 3,440 Cost 1.5 billion baht

2018:  Injured: 70,972 Dead: 3,426 Cost 1.6 billion baht

This stats look awfully low as I have always read it was around 20,000 plus dead annually.

[taichiplanet]

23 minutes ago, webfact said:

despite campaigns to address the issue.

the only thing they haven't tried is to get the police to enforce the laws. Need more cop cars and bikes on the road pulling people over rather than sitting on their ar-ses at checkpoints. Even at the checkpoints it wold be a simple task for the cops to walk around each car/bike and quickly see if it street legal

[leeneeds]

Infinity has no end with no will,  and no common sense to reduce the road carnage,

education and in a lot of cases re education, 

a campaign of tv clips showing what not to do on the roads, every day with the amount of videos on dashes showing numb nut situations that with thought could be avoided,

if the government does not want to re test  all licence holders, 

then have police hi way patrols that actual stop blatant disregard  of road rules, 

 

My village had a campaign that lasted a couple of weeks about wearing helmets, that very quickly evaporated, now myself included wear no helmet around the streets of the village, but I know if they keep up the pressure on fines on  not wearing of helmets this would change, persistence and application combined with a true dedication to reducing the road deaths,

 

In the end a lot of indignation a lot of hot air and nothing is really done about it , how terrible,

as I go to the local coffee store shortly wearing no helmet.

 

[isaanistical]

22 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

Bring in advisers from more advanced countries, where driving is a lot safer, or would asking other people for advice be seen as 'losing face'  ?

Pointless to get outside help to state the obvious. It's a UN problem – very large numbers of Thais on the roads are

 

UNlicensed

UNinsured

UNprotected (helmets, seatbelts)

UNaware (no proper scheme of tuition for driving – but see above: if you don't have a licence, you won't have had the tuition…)

and

UNable to stay off the booze just till they get home.

 

Farang advisers will not help in this situation because the laws already exist and are generally similar to international standards. The problem is with law enforcement, which is at the core of almost all non-political (as well as most political) problems in the soi-disant LoS. Farang advisers would be a waste of consultancy fees; Thai authorities would never accept their recommendations (the most obvious being to ban motorcycles…….).

Note also, as the OP says, that the real numbers are far greater than stated – DOAs, uninsureds, and many many others just don't even get recorded.

[RotBenz8888]

If someone breaks the law, there's no one to catch them, what can one expect?

[pokerface1]

20 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

This stats look awfully low as I have always read it was around 20,000 plus dead annually.

Yes your right it’s always around 20,000 pa. I think they go the categories around the wrong way. Perhaps it’s a lot worse if you include those that die in hospital not just at the scene. 

[steve187]

3 minutes ago, pokerface1 said:

Yes your right it’s always around 20,000 pa. I think they go the categories around the wrong way. Perhaps it’s a lot worse if you include those that die in hospital not just at the scene. 

i think you will find the figures are only for people using Thai social security

[PatOngo]

For some, progress is difficult!

[noosard]

Dr Sakchai Kanchanawatana - the secretary of the National Health Security Office -  presented damning statistics for victims of road accidents using funds from the government's social security scheme.

 

Thai visa cautions that these are only a fraction of the actual number of people killed, maimed and injured on the nation's roads. 

 

He has used the NHSO for stats

[mauGR1]

It will take some time before it gets better.

My impression is that Thailand has developed too quickly, suddenly there are too many cars on the road, without much driving education.

[petermik]

Changing the mentality and mindset of people here is well nigh impossible....I want to be first and I know best.....these will never change 

[dcnx]

Many of the problems in Thailand can be blamed on the police. They are useless and an embarrassment to real police around the world.

 

[RotBenz8888]

5 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

It will take some time before it gets better.

My impression is that Thailand has developed too quickly, suddenly there are too many cars on the road, without much driving education.

Economy among other things has certainly developed, but their mindset regarding safety hasn't.

[sammieuk1]

When your good at something you just cant stop literally ???? 

[toofarnorth]

7 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

It will take some time before it gets better.

My impression is that Thailand has developed too quickly, suddenly there are too many cars on the road, without much driving education.

I think you might well be right. I have an expression ' How do they learn to drive so badly '. When I was taking to the roads in the mid '60s , I used common sense eg a bend with a double line down the middle of the road was there for a reason , here, ' I doubt if anything is coming , it is quiet on the roads today '  .  ' Stop on a red light , me , what and sit and wait 45 secs '.

My TW has a licence and she is welcome to borrow the car but if I have to sit in the passenger seat I close my eyes lest I criticise her driving too mut.  Really all comes down to no police out there , not that they know how to drive.

[harada]

Exercise extreme caution under adverse conditions (wet roads), arai ?????

[overherebc]

55 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

This stats look awfully low as I have always read it was around 20,000 plus dead annually.

Those are related to pay outs from insurance companies after accident claims.

[neeray]

Where I come from, far, far west of Thailand, police are highly proactive; marked cars, unmarked cars, foot patrol, red light cameras ($350, first hand knowledge), radar, CCTV and more. We don't get away with didley. Plus, traffic violations are directly and assuredly connected to insurance rates.

Pay for the infraction and pay a premium on insurance as well.

With this in place, the nations death rate is a far cry from Thailand's (per capita).

 

Put these measures in place and watch 20,000 become 15,000 and then 10,000 and then .........

[mauGR1]

1 minute ago, toofarnorth said:

I think you might well be right. I have an expression ' How do they learn to drive so badly '. When I was taking to the roads in the mid '60s , I used common sense eg a bend with a double line down the middle of the road was there for a reason , here, ' I doubt if anything is coming , it is quiet on the roads today '  .  ' Stop on a red light , me , what and sit and wait 45 secs '.

My TW has a licence and she is welcome to borrow the car but if I have to sit in the passenger seat I close my eyes lest I criticise her driving too mut.  Really all comes down to no police out there , not that they know how to drive.

Well, i guess driving skills in Thailand were not better 20 years ago.

Yet the cars were around 5/10 % of the ones i see now.

More cars on the road, more chances of accidents.

[overherebc]

1 minute ago, neeray said:

Where I come from, far, far west of Thailand, police are highly proactive; marked cars, unmarked cars, foot patrol, red light cameras ($350, first hand knowledge), radar, CCTV and more. We don't get away with didley. Plus, traffic violations are directly and assuredly connected to insurance rates.

Pay for the infraction and pay a premium on insurance as well.

With this in place, the nations death rate is a far cry from Thailand's (per capita).

 

Put these measures in place and watch 20,000 become 15,000 and then 10,000 and then .........

Last UK holiday my wife said that she got the impression the police had so many cars you couldn't count them during 6 hours on the motorway. ????

[BobbyL]

17 minutes ago, dcnx said:

Many of the problems in Thailand can be blamed on the police. They are useless and an embarrassment to real police around the world.

 

Exactly right. The roads are completely lawless. 

[Youlike]

1 hour ago, keith101 said:

In Aus you have to get a learners permit and then log 50 hours of supervised driving do a hazard perception test before you can even try to get your license and once you have then there is 2 yrs as a probationary driver before a full license is issued ,could you imagine something like that here will never happen but would result in properly trained drivers .

Good for Australia, in Thailand they even don't have a driverlicense or licenseplate ....and the police does nothing to stop that.

[NanLaew]

With the highest percentage of these deaths being motorbike riders with most of them during the night or in pre-dawn darkness and either drunk, under the influence or half asleep, I don't see how the police, even if they were permitted an epiphany and started 'doing their jobs' properly., would manage to put a stop to the greater part of it. Properly policing the highways would appear to be an easy fix but that's not where most of Thailand's road traffic fatalities happen. They are just the ones that the media gets to quickest and easiest.

[mok199]

I refer to the headline yesterday as chief announced '' satisfied with road racing crackdown results of 80000 bikes''...SATISFIED r u kidding me!!!!!! ....this SHOULD BE a zero tolerance issue and he is satisfied with a 3 mnth crackdown....SOS