Thai road carnage: Year death toll to date tops 6,000

[Geoffggi]

Why bother everyone knows the answer.......LOL

[prakhonchai nick]

I was parked up this morning -off the road -near the bus station and a busy intersection, waiting for my son to complete his dental treatment. It was a long wait.

 

During that time I saw hundreds, probably a thousand or more, motorcycles, where I estimate 80% of the drivers did not have helmets. Rather bizaarely, the vast majority of those without helmets were wearing masks!

 

Do they not understand that only 58 people have died since March from Covid 19, whereas a similar number, [predominantly motorcyclists) die EVERY DAY on Thailand's roads.

 

People with totally messed up minds!!!

 

[Road Warrior]

Thais will never learn ,life seems to be so cheap ???  very sad 

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, Pilotman said:

I wonder how many are motorbike deaths of underage, unlicenced kids. 

That's a thing that always seems to get kept quiet for some reason, their parents should be charged with manslaughter.

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

In my opinion, there are two things that have to change if things are to improve. Firstly, the rules of the road have to be actually applied to the super rich and those in positions of authority. No one should be above the law. And secondly the rest of the general public have abandon their 'sabai sabai' mindset.  

Brown envelopes always rule.

[Ireland32]

8 hours ago, connda said:

58 deaths due to a type of flu and the country shuts down destroying their economy and the livelihoods of millions of Thais.
Approximately 1 death every 2.5 days.

6000 deaths this year in road death during a time when the country has been locked down due to a type of flu.
Approximately 37 deaths per day (lower than average).

Which one would you think that the government should address with the full force of the law and the power of the government as it poses greatest threat to the security of the state and to the people of Thailand? 


 

Another Flu BIrd 

[mok199]

The only thing rising faster than the death toll , is the Baht...

Edited June 13, 2020 by mok199

[SamJohn]

Nothing changed!! and still people drive themselves and others to death.

[AgentSmith]

Thailand's enormously high death toll is a direct effect of a total lack of both driver education and proper road design. I've seen first hand what traffic 'lessons' mean in Thailand. They choose to show everything that can go wrong, pictures of the results included, in a 2 hour long video at the traffic department. But what they fail to do is teach 'future' drivers how to drive properly. They still have to find out here that teaching only works by setting a good example. And of course practical driving lessons don't exist in this country. So it makes total sense that people here drive the way they do: no one was ever taught anything, and all they do is copy each other's bad habits.

 

The worst example of these bad habits is speeding. After more than 10 years in Thailand I still wonder why so many drivers think it's OK to go over 60 kph on their bikes and never even let go of the throttle let alone brake in a dense urban area with busy intersections every 200 meters. And I believe they honestly think that's OK. At least in western countries the speedsters know they're doing something wrong and basically all of them are real butt holes. But in Thailand it's ignorance rather than attitude. The result is just as bad though.

 

Another common habit I find really annoying is the constant cutting of corners when taking a right turn. So many times I've experienced a near hit just because some lunatic thinks he or she needs to drive on the right after taking a right turn. I just don't get why people do it.

 

Thais also really love to use the full width of the road when overtaking another vehicle, even if it's only a motorbike they're passing. And boy do they do the maneuver slowly. So slow I often have to hit the break just because they haven't learned to leave 'my' side of the road ASAP.

 

Bad road design doesn't help either. The very worst mistake of them all is to make roads ever wider, even in places where that's not necessary at all. Most countries adopt some form of traffic calming but Thailand seems to do the opposite and just sticks with its ever straight multi-lane airliner take-off capable tarmac cutting right through villages and towns. 50 or 60 is the speed limit but 100-120 usually is the norm. And of course to make a U-turn you go from the fast lane to the other fast lane. How insightful.. You see it everywhere now, roads being widened from 2 to 4 lanes. With even more accidents just waiting to happen as a result.

 

4 lanes transitioning abruptly into 2 lanes after a bump in the road, unlit U-turns consequently covered in total darkness at night, express ways with sharp bends that aren't even allowed in provincial roads in other countries, total absence of lights and reflectors on major traffic arteries, I could go on and on. Thai roads are full of nasty surprises.

 

Uneducated drivers on the world's worst designed roads makes a combination that's going to push this country to even higher death tolls. There are no signs whatsoever of changes in traffic policy. And then people worry about covid-19 here. No need for a helmet, as long as you wear a mask!

Edited June 13, 2020 by AgentSmith

[Skeptic7]

But but but...we've got the real killer pandemic "pom-pem" totally under control! 

Edited June 13, 2020 by Skeptic7

[shdmn]

So using the same logic they are applying to the pandemic, all roads should be shut down immediately.

Edited June 13, 2020 by shdmn

[daveAustin]

9 hours ago, SkyFax said:

According to this graph from the linked NYTimes article, other than the 4% / 1800 increase for March, the other first 6 months of 2020 show deaths and anticipated deaths at normal or below normal.

Guessing the lockdown after March has lowered road deaths.

[bangkokfrog]

17 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I have never, in over a decade seen someone pulled over for speeding or reckless driving

I have been here long enough to have seen it, but then money changed hands and all was "forgiven".

[bodga]

14 hours ago, sevenhills said:

Better close the roads to all, as this is more fatal than the Scamdemic.

After that ensure that all drivers have their licences and medical insurance including a "see if I got a brain test" and sign in on the unintrusive Compulsory Thai drivers App, this then should stop this carnage from spreading throughout the country. 

All Thai drivers should be given a 10 year probationary period whee they can only fit square wheels to their vehicles.

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Covid 19 deaths 56 ,deaths on the roads 6000 +

if only they would put as much effort into curbing

road deaths,as they have put into the Covid 19 virus.

 

Just watch the road deaths rocket when they open up

the supply of alcohol again.back to the new normal ????

regards Worgeordie

Maybe the PM will make an emergency decree... no speeding, no DUI, social distancing on roads... no stupidity + training before licences can be purchased?

 

[Don Mega]

Not to bad at all.

 

All the naysayers that don't want the Songkran national holidays re-instated will say the death for those 3 days will be 10's of 1,000's so thats why they should remain postponed !!

[Boomer6969]

20 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Two bodies were under cloth by the roadside as foundation rescue officials arranged the possessions of the dead. 

Does this mean what I fear? 

[Boomer6969]

11 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Not to bad at all.

 

All the naysayers that don't want the Songkran national holidays re-instated will say the death for those 3 days will be 10's of 1,000's so thats why they should remain postponed !!

Yes, let's keep in mind that, in Thailand, Songkran is 10 to 20 times more deadly than Covid.

[Don Mega]

4 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

Yes, let's keep in mind that, in Thailand, Songkran is 10 to 20 times more deadly than Covid.

and right on cue !!

[cracker1]

"Thailand's death toll is believed to be much higher than these figures suggest with even government leaders accepting it surpasses 20,000 per year."

Seems strange that the Thai Government does not have accurate figures for National road fatalities ? Perhaps these numbers are of little importance to the Government ?

[mikebell]

20 hours ago, Youlike said:

This is the result of not having ANY police down the roads....

There's plenty of police on the road but they are grouped in highway robbery gangs pulling over slow moving vehicles.  Speed kills yet they are doing nothing to address that.  

[Don Mega]

3 minutes ago, mikebell said:

There's plenty of police on the road but they are grouped in highway robbery gangs pulling over slow moving vehicles.  Speed kills yet they are doing nothing to address that.  

Sick of having a speeding fine arrive in the mailbox every other day I now slow down when I go past the camera.

 

Policing works!!

 

[akampa]

8 hours ago, AgentSmith said:

Thailand's enormously high death toll is a direct effect of a total lack of both driver education and proper road design. I've seen first hand what traffic 'lessons' mean in Thailand. They choose to show everything that can go wrong, pictures of the results included, in a 2 hour long video at the traffic department. But what they fail to do is teach 'future' drivers how to drive properly. They still have to find out here that teaching only works by setting a good example. And of course practical driving lessons don't exist in this country. So it makes total sense that people here drive the way they do: no one was ever taught anything, and all they do is copy each other's bad habits.

 

The worst example of these bad habits is speeding. After more than 10 years in Thailand I still wonder why so many drivers think it's OK to go over 60 kph on their bikes and never even let go of the throttle let alone brake in a dense urban area with busy intersections every 200 meters. And I believe they honestly think that's OK. At least in western countries the speedsters know they're doing something wrong and basically all of them are real butt holes. But in Thailand it's ignorance rather than attitude. The result is just as bad though.

 

Another common habit I find really annoying is the constant cutting of corners when taking a right turn. So many times I've experienced a near hit just because some lunatic thinks he or she needs to drive on the right after taking a right turn. I just don't get why people do it.

 

Thais also really love to use the full width of the road when overtaking another vehicle, even if it's only a motorbike they're passing. And boy do they do the maneuver slowly. So slow I often have to hit the break just because they haven't learned to leave 'my' side of the road ASAP.

 

Bad road design doesn't help either. The very worst mistake of them all is to make roads ever wider, even in places where that's not necessary at all. Most countries adopt some form of traffic calming but Thailand seems to do the opposite and just sticks with its ever straight multi-lane airliner take-off capable tarmac cutting right through villages and towns. 50 or 60 is the speed limit but 100-120 usually is the norm. And of course to make a U-turn you go from the fast lane to the other fast lane. How insightful.. You see it everywhere now, roads being widened from 2 to 4 lanes. With even more accidents just waiting to happen as a result.

 

4 lanes transitioning abruptly into 2 lanes after a bump in the road, unlit U-turns consequently covered in total darkness at night, express ways with sharp bends that aren't even allowed in provincial roads in other countries, total absence of lights and reflectors on major traffic arteries, I could go on and on. Thai roads are full of nasty surprises.

 

Uneducated drivers on the world's worst designed roads makes a combination that's going to push this country to even higher death tolls. There are no signs whatsoever of changes in traffic policy. And then people worry about covid-19 here. No need for a helmet, as long as you wear a mask!

1) Do not forget roundabouts they are clueless, they build them but forget to explain how to use them.

 

2) Driving in the car with masks on really!

[MJKT2014]

21 hours ago, connda said:

Which one

Why only two choices? Many ways of dying.

Edited June 14, 2020 by MJKT2014

[Sydebolle]

Thank you Covid-19; without that frenzy there would be no curfew, lots of alcohol and law-ignoring. Many more would roam the Kingdom's roads and the figure would be, regretfully, much higher than "only" six thousand in the first 5 ½ months of the year - how sad! 

[NoshowJones]

15 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Brown envelopes always rule.

They sure do.

[nong38]

It is an acceptable loss apparently.

[Don Mega]

49 minutes ago, nong38 said:

It is an acceptable loss apparently.

Whilst zero road fatalities is a nice target it certainly is not achievable so,  yes it is an acceptable loss !!

[CraigInBangkok]

4 hours ago, akampa said:

1) Do not forget roundabouts they are clueless, they build them but forget to explain how to use them.

 

This was a new one for me .... nearly got wiped out the other day on the roundabout in my moo ban. Mr Ever So Important Porsche SUV doesnt slow down or even look to his right when joining the roundabout . He did however, get called a c...t though !

[connda]

18 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

During that time I saw hundreds, probably a thousand or more, motorcycles, where I estimate 80% of the drivers did not have helmets. Rather bizaarely, the vast majority of those without helmets were wearing masks!

Bizarre nails it.  It is bizarre.  But it tells you exactly what fear stimulus that the Thai populace has latched on to.

Fear:  Covid deaths 58 -  "Covid Will Kill Us All Eeeeek!!!"
No Fear:  6000 road deaths (untold permanent injuries) - <shrugs, throws helmet in basket, pulls mask over nose and mouth, turns on to the main road without looking for oncoming traffic>