Road carnage: Less deaths on the Thai roads but let them drink alcohol again and it'll be back to a "new normal"

[webfact]

Road carnage: Less deaths on the Thai roads but let them drink alcohol again and it'll be back to a "new normal"

 

Picture: Manager

 

An expert doctor speaking at a forum revealed what everyone suspects about Thailand's appalling accident statistics. 

 

That death, injury and financial loss has plummeted during the coronavirus pandemic. And that things will probably just go back to normal when restrictions are eased. 

 

The doctor said that easing restrictions in the sale of alcohol will lead to more death and destruction. Combined with the rainy season and the return of schools it looks like the "new normal" will just be a repeat version of the old normal.

 

Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, a disease control expert, was speaking at the DDC forum entitled "Road Accidents in the New Normal Era".

 

The doctor revealed figures for the period of January to March when the pandemic was in its early stages and compared them to last year, reported Manager.

 

There were around 55 deaths a day and in the three month period there were 595 less fatalities, a drop of 10.78%.

 

There were still 4,924 dead this year, though. 

 

There were 277,141 injuries with 44,774 requiring a hospital stay and 2,060 resulting in permanent handicap.

 

This was down 94,626 on 2019, a drop of 25.46%. 

 

In addition there was a staggering decline in financial loss due to road accidents - down 17 billion baht. 

 

The figures for April and May are expected to show an even more sharp decline in death, injury and financial loss as curfew, travel restrictions and widespread bans on the sale of alcohol were introduced, notes Thaivisa. 

 

Dr Suwannachai told the forum that alcohol consumption coupled with the rainy season and the return of schools would likely see the figures go back up again.

 

School children on motorcycles are being urged to wear both helmets and facemasks when they go back to class, expected to be on July 1st.

 

Source: Manager

 

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[Thaiwrath]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The doctor said that easing restrictions in the sale of alcohol will lead to more death and destruction.

They are slowly getting close to their objective of a police state !

 

[transam]

Then Mrs.., Get the police out on the streets to control it, after all, you are controlling mask wearing, stopping folk coming to Thailand, so why can't you get the police to do the road carnage job.....?  ????

[BobbyL]

Educate and enforce the rules then. Get the people in authority to actually do their job. 

[ChipButty]

School children on motorcycles are being urged to wear both helmets

 

To start with they are to young to ride a bike and how about the police that usually stand outside the gates start by stopping them leaving school, how many times has that been said on here?

[colinneil]

5 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

School children on motorcycles are being urged to wear both helmets

 

To start with they are to young to ride a bike and how about the police that usually stand outside the gates start by stopping them leaving school, how many times has that been said on here?

School children should not be on motorbikes at any time.

Why do the police not do anything?

Easy answer, there is no money to be made out of enforcing children to obey the laws of the road.

[George Bowman]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

That death, injury and financial loss has plummeted during the coronavirus pandemic. And that things will probably just go back to normal when restrictions are eased.

While it appears that Thailand has been successful (so far) in flattening the Covid-19 curve, one important curve yet remains. As demonstrated by the photo below, many Thais (and a few tourists) are often confused about the differences between a curve and a safe passing zone.

 

This is a common occurrence that I have seen way too many times and the only thing that gets flattened on these curves are people. Eventually Thailand will reopen for business and when that occurs, expect this curve to peak once again…

[smedly]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Less deaths on the Thai roads but let them drink alcohol again and it'll be back to a "new normal"

well how about doing something about it - like getting the police to do their jobs 

 

idiot

[OneMoreFarang]

I wonder how many Thais really care if 50 or 100 fellow Thais die every day in traffic accidents. 

It seems many Thais somehow "think" that is just something random. I.e. a family member dies on a bike crashing into a truck, probably there was dirt on the road and he couldn't brake. Fate, bad luck, certainly it had nothing to do with his driving skills, alcohol, no helmet, ...

 

[Wiggy]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

An expert doctor

Then I must be a genius as I’d worked this out years ago. 

[quake]

22 minutes ago, missoura said:

 

totally normal somchai behavior in Thailand.

[nahkit]

41 minutes ago, missoura said:

While it appears that Thailand has been successful (so far) in flattening the Covid-19 curve, one important curve yet remains. As demonstrated by the photo below, many Thais (and a few tourists) are often confused about the differences between a curve and a safe passing zone.

 

This is a common occurrence that I have seen way too many times and the only thing that gets flattened on these curves are people. Eventually Thailand will reopen for business and when that occurs, expect this curve to peak once again…

 

Broken yellow centre lines so overtaking is allowed according to the highway code.

 

Obviously depends on what sort of view the driver has but I personally wouldn't be taking the chance.

[holy cow cm]

Looks more and more like they are trying to take freedoms away bit by bit.

[Laza 45]

...the alcohol ban didn't appear to slow down my neighbours drinking.. but they partied all night because as my wife said.. they couldn't go home because of the curfew..  Maybe the curfew has a lot to do with the drop in road trauma..  just guessing.. 

[RichardColeman]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

There were still 4,924 dead this year, though. 

Whats that , about 4,850 more than died from Covid in the same period ? 

[PETERTHEEATER]

1 hour ago, missoura said:

While it appears that Thailand has been successful (so far) in flattening the Covid-19 curve, one important curve yet remains. As demonstrated by the photo below, many Thais (and a few tourists) are often confused about the differences between a curve and a safe passing zone.

 

This is a common occurrence that I have seen way too many times and the only thing that gets flattened on these curves are people. Eventually Thailand will reopen for business and when that occurs, expect this curve to peak once again…

Amazing Thailand. A pickup being driven in reverse on a main road. Are the forward gears jammed? ????

[dinsdale]

Once again the empty heads just show how smart they are. As for back to a new normal well really. Surely it's back to the old normal. Don't try and be tricky with your your silly bait headlines. Just shows you up.

[JCP108]

Yesterday a motorcycle rider almost ran over me while I was walking on a separated sidewalk/pathway directly next to a giant (2-meter tall) sign that said not to ride motorcycles on the sidewalk. If I'd had my camera out at the time, could've gotten a nice juxtaposition of sign and rider. 

 

I have a Thai friend here who is a police officer. I mentioned this issue to him the other day and he said Thai police are not given any authority to enforce that law (or many others). I explained that in the U.S., driving a motorcycle on a sidewalk or the wrong way down a one-way street, or in between cars in traffic could result in a hefty fine. He was surprised. 

[Deli]

I came here coz I liked the old normal, with all pros and cons. Just adopt and accept and your life is less miserable

[Jane Dough]

2 hours ago, missoura said:

While it appears that Thailand has been successful (so far) in flattening the Covid-19 curve, one important curve yet remains. As demonstrated by the photo below, many Thais (and a few tourists) are often confused about the differences between a curve and a safe passing zone.

 

This is a common occurrence that I have seen way too many times and the only thing that gets flattened on these curves are people. Eventually Thailand will reopen for business and when that occurs, expect this curve to peak once again…

Try as I might I am struggling with the problem in that picture. Do the trees need to be cut down or something?

 

Rooster

[Grumpy one]

2 hours ago, transam said:

Then Mrs.., Get the police out on the streets to control it, after all, you are controlling mask wearing, stopping folk coming to Thailand, so why can't you get the police to do the road carnage job.....?  ????

Surely you jest The police actually doing their job  ????

In a parallel universe  maybe

[Misterwhisper]

2 hours ago, Wiggy said:

Then I must be a genius as I’d worked this out years ago. 

You are an "expert citizen". With a little exam cheating and bit of a brown-envelope dispensing your chances of soon advancing to the "expert doctor" level are indeed excellent.

[natway09]

Well, yes, they do need proper alcohol control.

No public drinking, licence bottle shops, restaurants, bars only & stop selling at convenienc shops (it is just  too convenient for them). Indonesia had great success with this.(Mr CP did not like though & picked up his ball & came home) 

The boys in blue will never work for this Government & will do as little as required to stay employed

[Emdog]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

Once again the empty heads just show how smart they are. As for back to a new normal well really. Surely it's back to the old normal. Don't try and be tricky with your your silly bait headlines. Just shows you up.

"Meet the new normal

Same as the old normal"

to paraphrase the Who song

[JonnyF]

Perhaps the good Doctor would prefer that all civil liberties are permanently removed from the population in order to reduce accidents? In which case, he should keep his mouth shut.

 

 

 

[Burma Bill]

3 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

They are slowly getting close to their objective of a police state !

 

Yes indeed. The "hidden agenda" (under the disguise of covid-19) keep the ban on bars, pubs, restaurants, night clubs and karaoke bars from selling alcohol!!

[Traubert]

21 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Yes indeed. The "hidden agenda" (under the disguise of covid-19) keep the ban on bars, pubs, restaurants, night clubs and karaoke bars from selling alcohol!!

Stay put then and it wont trouble you.

[Burma Bill]

17 minutes ago, Traubert said:

Stay put then and it wont trouble you.

I am staying put - here in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and enjoying my retirement with "business as usual"!

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The doctor said that easing restrictions in the sale of alcohol will lead to more death and destruction.

So bring in or actually use the law...

DUI you get a year in the slammer, injure or kill someone you get 5 years, mandatory !

[cardinalblue]

55 per day now....I really thought it would be much less from the normal 66 a day given the volume decrease over 2 months....

 

actually quite disappointing the dip was only 10%....tells you driving behavior remains the same even though less drivers and vehicles on the roads...