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

[brianthainess]

out of 10 m/c last night i counted only 2 with a rear light. this is every night they just do not understand. when their headlamp packs up they wear a torch on their head and sidecars with no lights at all not even an old CD stuck on for a reflector DOH !  holding a baby and texting is what a young girl does here Every time she goes anywhere. 

[White Christmas13]

8 hours 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 .........

And then you wake up

[Europeanguy]

I was a road engineer in the UK, now retired. Safety Audits were my bread and butter.
So I would like to step outside bashing the drivers and the police and look at other aspects.

 

Safe roads design: actually not that bad in Thailand. Perhaps a few things we would not build like that in the UK. I am thinking for example of the little retaining walls near bridges (stripped black and white about 30cm high) which calls for a car to take off if it passes on top of it ????

 

Safe road maintenance: for example warning of roadworks 1 km ahead, not 10 m.

 

Use of the road side: for example letting vendors use red and blue flashing lights which make you think there is an hazard, an ambulance or police ahead.

 

Visibility: have you ever been on a crossroad where anybody put posters obstructing it?

 

My little grain of salt. 

Edited November 11, 2019 by Europeanguy
Forgot something

[Mingomania]

12 minutes ago, White Christmas13 said:

And then you wake up

Yes, handing out heavy traffic fines is seriously big business in the western world and acts as a deterrent for most drivers...

[Almer]

Blah blah blah

[trainman34014]

11 minutes ago, Europeanguy said:

I was a road engineer in the UK, now retired. Safety Audits were my bread and butter.
So I would like to step outside bashing the drivers and the police and look at other aspects.

 

Safe roads design: actually not that bad in Thailand. Perhaps a few things we would not build like that in the UK. I am thinking for example of the little retaining walls near bridges (stripped black and white about 30cm high) which calls for a car to take off if it passes on top of it ????

 

Safe road maintenance: for example warning of roadworks 1 km ahead, not 10 m.

 

Use of the road side: for example letting vendors use red and blue flashing lights which make you think there is an hazard, an ambulance or police ahead.

 

My little grain of salt. 

Surprised you're not concerned about 'U' Turns and the lack of Roundabouts !

[Europeanguy]

Yes, U turns are a concern to me, especially when I have to do one. I don't like but it is like that because U turns are a cheap alternative to roundabouts. In the UK, design of a roundabout takes a year. That includes specialist analysis to determine the right angle of vehicles entry in the roundabout to keep it flowing the best. Using major traffic flows analysis. 

I live in Udon Thani where they have 4 major roundabouts. Actually not badly designed until the police think they should be in there and control the traffic. 

Edited November 11, 2019 by Europeanguy

[Captain 776]

Approximately 65 a day die on Thai roads and 85% of that number are on motorbikes with no helmets.

Helmet enforcement.......would help.

 

Most of The rest is attributable to drunk driving.

[overherebc]

10 hours ago, overherebc said:

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

Got my glasses on now.

Organisation  ????????

[Ceruhe]

youdontsay.jpg

[cardinalblue]

Law and Order practices do not work in a lawless society....

 

Thai society is driven by cultural compliance not regulatory compliance 

 

there is little respect for authority like teachers...taught to wai but totally insincere  (going thru the motions). the next minute cheating like crazy on tests...how does that show respect?

 

No Accountability no punishment = no fear for their actions or bad behavior

Edited November 11, 2019 by cardinalblue

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, Europeanguy said:

I was a road engineer in the UK, now retired. Safety Audits were my bread and butter.
So I would like to step outside bashing the drivers and the police and look at other aspects.

 

Safe roads design: actually not that bad in Thailand. Perhaps a few things we would not build like that in the UK. I am thinking for example of the little retaining walls near bridges (stripped black and white about 30cm high) which calls for a car to take off if it passes on top of it ????

 

Safe road maintenance: for example warning of roadworks 1 km ahead, not 10 m.

 

Use of the road side: for example letting vendors use red and blue flashing lights which make you think there is an hazard, an ambulance or police ahead.

 

Visibility: have you ever been on a crossroad where anybody put posters obstructing it?

 

My little grain of salt. 

But but but, if there isn't an accident then what does all that matter????

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Europeanguy said:

I was a road engineer in the UK, now retired. Safety Audits were my bread and butter.
So I would like to step outside bashing the drivers and the police and look at other aspects.

 

Safe roads design: actually not that bad in Thailand. Perhaps a few things we would not build like that in the UK. I am thinking for example of the little retaining walls near bridges (stripped black and white about 30cm high) which calls for a car to take off if it passes on top of it ????

 

Safe road maintenance: for example warning of roadworks 1 km ahead, not 10 m.

 

Use of the road side: for example letting vendors use red and blue flashing lights which make you think there is an hazard, an ambulance or police ahead.

 

Visibility: have you ever been on a crossroad where anybody put posters obstructing it?

 

My little grain of salt. 

I've done a lot of driving on dirt roads. Fairly simple to drive within the limitations of the infrastructure. Scandinavians have to learn to drive in ice and snow, and the road toll in those countries is one-tenth of Thailand's.

I used to do industrial safety audits. The biggest challenge in getting accident statistics down is changing behaviors.

Accidents are caused when people take risks, and Thais are Olympic gold medallists at risk-taking.

 

[nong38]

How many were farangs who ran off without paying the hospital bill that's what I want to know!

[mickey rat]

10 hours ago, taichiplanet said:

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

If the pick up truck is overloaded by 2 tons or so the standard fee is 40 baht. I noticed a truck did not even fully stop, just held out the money as he was driving past. Safety first. ????????????

[Tops]

As I already wrote on last Friday's post about motorcyles meeting Euro 4 standards....

 

I had a discussion about this last weekend with a Thai. He told me to get myself a other exhaust system on my high powered bike. I could gain about 1 HP more with a complete new exhaust system and my bike would make some noise. I told him that 1 HP more would only mean less than 2% extra power and that I don't like having more noise when riding. He said that my bike should make a lot of noise and that people would hear me coming so they would notice me and that should be safer.

 

I told him that a Somchai in a pickup wouldn't care if there was a bike with a lot of noise coming. I told him driving safe has to everything with anticipation and using brains. He asked me antisiption, what is antisiption ?? He never heard the word or phrase anticipation. I told him that is was looking further than the smart phone in your hand while driving a.nd predict what might be coming or happening further down the road. Ohh, he said. We have Bhudda for that.

 

Summary :

1. Educate people.

2. Let them forget Buddha.

3. Enforce law !!!

[berrec]

Unfortunately we will all be discussing the same statistics this time next year as we did last year.

 

Nothing of any significance will ever change in Thailand in regards to road safety as the simple facts are that Thai drivers have no insight into the consequences of their foolish road actions and basically don't give a rat's ass about any others road users or pedestrians.

 

Many are unlicensed and many of those that have a license (illegally purchased or passed the basic requirements) have no common road sense or defensive driving skills.

 

i just hope myself or my family don't become just another Thailand road fatality statistic in the coming year.

[rascalman]

Anytime I am forced to a road trip I am afraid. The Thai's seem to have little regard for life. Sad.. 

Edited November 11, 2019 by rascalman

[neeray]

7 hours ago, Chang_paarp said:

Now the rich and powerful are noticing and complaining, there may be some real action. When insurance companies start to complain, there is something significantly out of whack. All the powers that be have to do is work out how to change things, starting from the police inaction all the way through to community attitudes. It can be done, it just takes the will.

"All the powers that be have to do is work out how to change things...."

You're asking an awful lot here (sarcasm). All I ever here is talk, talk, talk. Announce plans, enjoy a photo op and then back to bed.

This is what happens when a position is bought instead of earned.

[neeray]

5 hours ago, nchuckle said:

Look,the population don’t care,the police don’t care,so why should the politicians?

The politicians should care because they claim to be looking out for the happiness of the people.

They sure blow enough hot air about it.

But as we all know, they really only care about their foreign bank accounts.

[moe666]

Yes they need to show the driver in England who rear ended one car which hit another total of 3 cars and a truck rear ended. The captioned was people need to pay attention. I think they could buy into a safty program from england 

[Nkpjed]

It will never change without enforcement of the existing laws and education, both of which seem highly unlikely.

example: I had a gf who’s mother decided she wanted to drive a car. In her mid 40’s never been behind the wheel of a car. Her son buys her a used car and away she goes. No license, no instructions, no training, no insurance... she was told the pedal on the right makes the car go, the one on the left will stop it and that round thing in front of you turns the car from side to side. 2 weeks later decides maybe I should get a license?  Drives to the local amphur. Comes out about 10 minutes later with a license. No driving test, no written test, no vision test. Only requirement was do you have the fee?  Unfortunately this is not an isolated case.  This happens everywhere in this country on a daily basis. It’s no mystery why the road carnage here is out of control.

[neeray]

4 hours ago, gerry1953 said:

In the civilized west we went thru years where a drunk driving culture and tolerance killed and injured far too many innocents and it was really only the campaigning of groups like MADD (mothers against drunk driving) that caused politicians to listen and then the majority of the general public to change their attitude. I think that change, better safety equipment, steeper penalties etc. has been successful because people in the west had the will.  So far IMO the Thai's collectively show no desire for change only farangs do and it means nothing.

As a fellow Canadian, you and I both know that we would be at high risk of a stiff violation if we attempted to even drive one km down the road with a non-plated/uninsured vehicle. Or a vehicle that had blatant defects, unsafe load, occupant over-capacity, or if we drove on the wrong side of the road.

I once failed to renew my drivers licence on due date (2 days late). Cop in car ahead of me read my plate even though "reverse vision", he entered my number in his computer and it showed owner of the vehicle driving with an invalid licence (but vehicle was ok).

That turned into a very expensive day for me as I was not allowed to drive the vehicle one foot further. Hello Mr Tow Truck.

And that is how proactive police work should happen in Thailand !

[mike787]

So FUNNY!  Getting worse. Compared to WHAT?  If you're dead can you die again....you mean there is worse than Thailand's amazing ridiculous road fatality?  Really?  Where?  In hell.  Welcome to the BEST place to live.  Love this country.

[NanLaew]

9 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

If you talk to any Senior Policeman he will tell you they don't have the money or the resources to carry our proper traffic patrols. 

Would this Senior Policeman be the one in charge of the highway police division? You know, the ones with always new Camry's that curb crawl, pulling over trucks and trailers between escorting fleets of buses full of boy scouts off to the jamboree or blocking traffic while certain entities pop out for lunch? Or is it the mythical ones in the following wiki? (my emphasis)

 

"Traffic Police Division

The Traffic Police Division (TPD) got its start in 1927 as the "Registration Division". TPD officers now are responsible for patrolling the roads throughout their areas of responsibility. In addition to their general road policing duties, they work to improve road safety, and deal with vehicle crimes and the criminal use of the road network. They back up other units as they are constantly roaming as part of their patrolling duties."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Thai_Police#Traffic_Police_Division

[Damrongsak]

10 hours ago, overherebc said:

Doesn't an explosion require something to actually cause an explosion. That material seems to be left outside the vehicle by a lot of them.

In a vacuum, implosion is more likely.

 

 

Awhile back in downtown Loei, a woman made a 90 degree left turn and continued to turn.  She hopped the curb, drove up three steps and onto the porch of a shop.  She hit a guy sweeping the steps and took out two concrete benches on the porch.  This was at low speed, right in town.  She either didn't have a license or had just gotten it. 

 

 

"Cruising" around town using Google street view, I was amused by the number of motorcyclists not wearing helmets.  Saw a cop in the traffic circle appadently directing non-existent traffic.  People without helmets were riding past him only meters away.  Closer to the market, there were two guys on a saleng without helmets and no license plate.

 

In another "street" view, it appears that the camera guy must have walked or ridden on the sidewalk for about two blocks!  Google Sidewalk View. 

 

[Damrongsak]

2 hours ago, Tops said:

As I already wrote on last Friday's post about motorcyles meeting Euro 4 standards....

 

I had a discussion about this last weekend with a Thai. He told me to get myself a other exhaust system on my high powered bike. I could gain about 1 HP more with a complete new exhaust system and my bike would make some noise. I told him that 1 HP more would only mean less than 2% extra power and that I don't like having more noise when riding. He said that my bike should make a lot of noise and that people would hear me coming so they would notice me and that should be safer.

 

I told him that a Somchai in a pickup wouldn't care if there was a bike with a lot of noise coming. I told him driving safe has to everything with anticipation and using brains. He asked me antisiption, what is antisiption ?? He never heard the word or phrase anticipation. I told him that is was looking further than the smart phone in your hand while driving a.nd predict what might be coming or happening further down the road. Ohh, he said. We have Bhudda for that.

 

Summary :

1. Educate people.

2. Let them forget Buddha.

3. Enforce law !!!

When riding a motorbike, I always wear protective gear.  I've got my back covered.

 

[aussiebrian]

13 hours ago, isaanistical said:

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.

And ban cars, trucks, pickups and pedestrians too would help also with a ban on idiotic suggestions from some Thai visa posters..

I worked in road safety in Victoria for over 20 years with cars and motorcycles. 

I knew the minister of the interior. I made a PowerPoint presentation and he gave it to people in charge of road safety. I stressed I would like to help them to drastically reduce the road toll for free.

They weren't interested.

I have steam coming out my ears most days when I see up to 6 police booking motorcycles using the Chalong underpass instead of going through the roundabout. There were 5 police directing traffic at the roundabout a couple of weeks ago and a motorcycle was still hit.

Yes, I know it is illegal to use the underpass on a motorcycle, or travelling on a tollway, expressway,  riding over some bridges, not riding in the left lane etc, but reforming some laws would go a long way to saving lives, just for a start. 

Maybe the police could suppliment their income by booking motorcycles without tail lights or headlights instead, or pickups with huge loads traveling in the right lane on highways. 

I know there are so many things that could be done, but I don't have a few months to write them all down here.

[rwill]

1 hour ago, mike787 said:

So FUNNY!  Getting worse. Compared to WHAT?  If you're dead can you die again....

that is part of the Buddhist belief system.

[mindfulness]

1,  Ignorance

2, Arrogance

3, Incompetence

4, Lack of Awareness

5, Selfish

why ? !!!