Thailand road carnage: 7,414 dead at the scene this year - 38 yesterday, 560 so far in July

[lks7689]

1 hour ago, connda said:

58 die this year of Corona and the country gets shut down the the economy is destroyed.  In the meantime they kill 37 people a day on the roads and nobody really give a rip.

Talk about mixed priorities.

So you are suggesting they stop all covid related precautions? 

[RichardColeman]

Mad thing is that when put in perspective, Thai road deaths is near DOUBLE China's pandemic death rate so far

[herwin1234]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

In the States up until one year after the accident if someone dies of complications from those injuries then the accident is reclassified as a fatality and goes into the stats as such, same as if they died enroute to the hospital or after arrival. Thais have a strange way of looking at accidents with vehicles.  I asked my former BIL who is a RTP PLtCol, why they do not do full investigations in order to determine cause and fault, and he indicated that the insurance companies just look at it and settle things.  It is also why Trials here do not give the family closure, only a Wai and money from the offending party can. Yes I know it is utterly ridiculous.

interesting observation to share but why do you feel the need to end with your opinion that it is "utterly ridiculous" ? different country different culture different values different way of doing things, why just not accept that without always that arrogant "we are better" attitude.

[PatOngo]

Handy that they are good at something!

[Shaqabak]

The fun thing is that everyone drives drunk in Thailand, in Chiang mai around ZOE area there are always packed with cars at the start of the evening when the bars closed everyone drives home. How hard can it be to setup checkpoints and getting these reckless people.

 

Also if they made stricter rules against driving without a license maybe change would happen, it seems like most thai's really dont care to much. 

[Greg O]

May the Jousting continue followed by the feast and I still see many foreigners riding without a helmet or with a helmet but the strap not secured and only slippers on their feet. The foot injuries alone even in a simple crash are horrific. If you come off your hands and feet will scrape the floor, and that big pendulum ( your head) will hit the floor...y'all be careful 

[GAZZPA]

3 hours ago, Henryford said:

If the Government put 5% of the effort into road safety that they have into Covid it would save far more Thai lives.

Very good point. That will only happen with a complete overhaul of license system, the testing system and the actual enforcement that does not function purely at "tea money time". Perhaps put the COVID boys onto this as their next project, or hire a load of foreign coppers to teach the police how to enforce the law consistently. ????

[ThailandRyan]

30 minutes ago, american2 said:

Active mobile police patrols, Radar guns. Traffic lights where needed.  Changes to U Turns.   Respect for others on the road instead of the current push your way through mentality.  Real penalties for the responsible.  A Government that truly cares to ake a difference.  Input from the insurance carriers.

And when that time comes you will wake up from your dream only to realize your back home like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Thailand is for those strong souls who look over such things as laws like they have in there home countries. As a retired Traffic cop from the US, its hard for me to look at it any other way then this statement.  "Its not the same as where I come from and I must accept it for what it is, as I can never change the system here and never will", "If I want it to be the way I think it should be, then it would not be the Thailand we know, and I would be better served to just leave and go back to where I came from". So at the end of the day, I stop complaining about traffic deaths, cruddy drivers, the system as it is, and i go on with life. You never will be able to understand the place you live now and accept it for what it is, and unfortunately become jaded just like Thais have.  I know I will not he reborn or reincarnated after death, but Thais believe life is easy come easy go and they will return in one form or another. 

 

If you cannot accept it for what it is, then it just gives way to frustration and stress in your life. Thais have a macabre way of looking at death and for some reason relish looking at grisly scenes.  I saw enough during my time working in traffic that unfortunately it became just a job and I became not uncaring, but jaded and unemotional, as it was like playing with toys instead of real vehicles and people.

[Greg O]

Yes if they simply enforced existing traffic laws with penalties and consistently. The word would travel fast and the revenues would increase exponentially. They just don't seem to be concerned with raising revenues for the department one bit. 

[natway09]

The cost to the country due to bad driving & the mai penrai attitude of traffic enforcement officers

astounds me even after having driven on the roads for 30 years & clocked up over 1 million km

[Benmart]

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Ok I will open up the can or worms for those who like to compare....Why are the Covid Deaths not in comparison here...because they have shut down the country from those infected, at least that's what they say.  However, they can never save the Thai's from there poor driving habits and a lack of true road enforcement of laws and drunk driving.  Almost got run over today by a Kerry Express deliver driver while I was walking on the sidewalk.  Guess the sidewalk is now a motorway once again, The Thai police officer standing in the intersection just looked away..

No worms. You told the truth.

[Benmart]

2 hours ago, kenk24 said:

is there a country on earth where it does? 

This is not about any other country. It is about Thailand.

[Pawpcorn]

This is a difficult topic to discuss without sounding like we're Thai-bashing...

 

It really is baked into the culture, on so many numerous levels... perhaps impossible we'll ever see this change, in our lifetimes. ????

[ThailandRyan]

19 minutes ago, herwin1234 said:

interesting observation to share but why do you feel the need to end with your opinion that it is "utterly ridiculous" ? different country different culture different values different way of doing things, why just not accept that without always that arrogant "we are better" attitude.

never claimed I was better. It was a comparison and if i wanted it like it is where i come from, well then thats where I should be. Read my last post and you might get an insight from my true perspective.

[Benmart]

There is no national lockdown of the roadways, no quaranteen of "felonious drivers", no task force to isolate the cause of the staggering death toll. A pathetic response by government to address this preventable, "manmade epidemic" of roadway carnage. The vaccine is before the governments eyes, but alas, no one willing to administer it.

[transam]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

I have always wondered why deaths that occur later in hospitals or even on the way to hospital are not included. 

Is there some strange reason for this?

Just a convenient way to reduce the death numbers on paper....It must be embarrassing for a few in Gov..????

[ThailandRyan]

15 minutes ago, GAZZPA said:

Very good point. That will only happen with a complete overhaul of license system, the testing system and the actual enforcement that does not function purely at "tea money time". Perhaps put the COVID boys onto this as their next project, or hire a load of foreign coppers to teach the police how to enforce the law consistently. ????

We tried to teach them as a group from the US when i was working as a traffic cop. They listened and said they understood, but then the end results are the same. Nothing critical in my post or aggravation on my part.  You just have to accept that which most can not. You can not change people, they must want to change. You can not fix people, as they have to fix themselves. Women try to change men and it never works, the same vice versa as well.

[Jester69]

Unfortunately, it seems that the Government and the authorities see this as a legal way to reduce the number of Nationals under their care, hence why unemployment benefits etc are not as we would expect in more civilised countries. It is a sad thing to see the lack of true transperancy of a Government that shows proper cause of protecting the people who live in this country.  

[SymS]

Week-ends and holidays are quite safer, that's not what I would have expected.

[1FinickyOne]

21 minutes ago, Benmart said:

This is not about any other country. It is about Thailand.

Wow. Correct!!

 

And people get killed on the road in all of them... Thailand too... 

[Grumpy01]

Simple really you only count 7k it looks bad, but looks so much better than the truth which is at least double.... 

[mberbae]

It's disgustingly apparent, the 58 dead from COVID needs attention because it's the perfect

opportunity to control the Country.

23,000 ANNUAL deaths on Thailand's roads ( and sidewalks ) as well as

Hundreds dead from the Annual Bad Air Quality - those just get weak lip service.

 

[barney42bb]

Shock Horror... Despite the relentless Driving Campaigns.... Police Crackdowns on Schoolkids 3 up on a bike... Babies carried pinion style. This is very disappointing.

 

Perhaps it's because it's not worthwhile until the faring Road Blocks return and provide a cash incentive to fund the issue.???

[bodga]

3 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

I have always wondered why deaths that occur later in hospitals or even on the way to hospital are not included. 

Is there some strange reason for this?

only 8  fingers on each hand!

[rumak]

37 minutes ago, Benmart said:

There is no national lockdown of the roadways, no quaranteen of "felonious drivers", no task force to isolate the cause of the staggering death toll. A pathetic response by government to address this preventable, "manmade epidemic" of roadway carnage. The vaccine is before the governments eyes, but alas, no one willing to administer it.

its pisses me off when i am driving, get hungry,  and can't find a quaranteen anywhere to buy a snack.

 

other than that....   i agree with the sentiment of most here.  why isn't traffic control of any importance here ?    but i am also equally baffled how spooked the average Thai is of being attacked by some invisible virus.   (yes, i know that some countries have many cases,  along with a long list of preventable diseases.)      

 

Gee, those stay at home internet stocks are sure doing well .     

[rumak]

14 minutes ago, bbbbooboo said:

Hmm.... this unmitigated slaughter of people on Thai “roads” has been going on for years , which tends to support a thought that stupid is what stupid does? Tell me that I’m wrong I dare you!

uh oh .      road rage 

[Yinn]

Here...

 

 

[Pancho]

Puts Covid in perspective.

Thank you.

[Leatherneck]

Time to quarantine all drivers in Thailand.

[Surasak]

1 hour ago, lee b said:

Forgot Licence not needed

Also forgot that correct and proper means of driving lessons and a test are not needed.