Why are Thailand's roads so deadly? - Sky News UK

[Captor]

I have hear that this numbers, 62/day, are only they who dies on the roads. On the accident scene. Not the ones who dies at the hospitals or in the ambulances as a result of the accidents. Is that correct? In that case I wonder how many people die in total as the result on all accidents. That could be a lot more!

[SteveK]

35 minutes ago, Captor said:

I have hear that this numbers, 62/day, are only they who dies on the roads. On the accident scene. Not the ones who dies at the hospitals or in the ambulances as a result of the accidents. Is that correct? In that case I wonder how many people die in total as the result on all accidents. That could be a lot more!

Assume that all the figures are a lie and you'll be on the right track.

[RocketDog]

On 8/21/2020 at 2:14 PM, SteveK said:

To be honest, I can count on one hand the times I've seen a Thai wearing a Shoei or Arai helmet around here. They use the 200 baht ones from Big C which are about as much use an an ice cream tub on your head. Last helmet I bought in the UK cost me £350.

True. I bought a new Bell helmet and brought it with me when I came here. The ones they sell here are a joke. A little better than nothing I suppose. 

What stupifies me is seeing riders with helmets not using the straps. 

It always serms to come back to "What are they thinking?" 

[SteveK]

I've seen Thai people riding motorcycles without a helmet but they are carrying a helmet in one hand. It's laughable and quite ridiculous some of the stuff that goes on here. Each to their own, I suppose. 

[Humpy]

Clearly the police are not on top of the job. They never have a road check point at school time. Will quickly give you a ticket for parking the wrong way as dozens of school kids drive by on motorbikes with 2 riding pillion, all without helmets, most under age.  The headteachers seem to accept this lawless practice of travel to school . Police can be seen riding about town wearing their peak caps , often passing the 'Wear a helmet 100%'' poster.  Surely its time for the local police chiefs to start getting their men to do the job they get paid for.

[LeoCesar]

On 8/21/2020 at 7:53 AM, pgrahmm said:

High motorcycle count .....Untrained mc riders that graduate to untrained drivers, using the same judgements, maneuvers, and skill set....

 

Narrow roads with minimal maintenance & few guard rails and poor lighting....Open range.... No mobile law enforcement .....Children riding mc's early - like 9 - coupled with free range parenting.....Alcohol.....

To mame a few....

The idiotic U-turns

[Chongalulu]

On 8/21/2020 at 8:14 AM, SteveK said:

To be honest, I can count on one hand the times I've seen a Thai wearing a Shoei or Arai helmet around here. They use the 200 baht ones from Big C which are about as much use an an ice cream tub on your head. Last helmet I bought in the UK cost me £350.

Cheap helmets for cheap heads

[Chongalulu]

On 8/21/2020 at 8:26 AM, Pilotman said:

last one I bought, that I brought with me was in the same ball park, around £500, a good, if not to say vital investment 

It’s only ever got to work once to be worth thousands of times the value of the investment- and if it never has to work that’s an even better result! 
Cheap helmets are for cheap heads

[Jeffro008]

On 8/21/2020 at 1:22 PM, worgeordie said:

The roads are perfectly safe, it's the majority of idiots that

drive on them that's the problem.don't blame the roads.

regards Worgeordie

 

roads not perfect but if everybody here could drive and follow internation road laws/common sense and Locals here have stronger driving tests then things might change. BUT forget mate it will not happen here ok

 

[spidermike007]

One of the primary reasons for the horrendous fatality numbers is the toy police force. Nobody, and I mean nobody takes these guys seriously. There is absolutely nothing in the way of a deterrent here, and both the local governments, the central government and the police do not take traffic safety seriously. Not even one iota. The safety of the public means less than zero to the small men in charge here. Nothing. They show that on a daily basis.

They will not do a thing. Why? They do not care about the people one iota. Not the common people. Not the average pleb. No way. Never have cared, and may never care in the future. It is all about protecting the elite, the super wealthy, those that are connected, and those in power. The rest of the population? They do not matter. The ex-pat community does not matter. And the police, and especially the highly useless highway patrol will not get involved unless an accident has already occurred. There is no prevention. None. The idea of getting the police more involved, is an interesting one, and it would be an effective one. But, the issue is money. They are grossly underpaid, and until the government steps up, and spends the trillion baht on updating the police equipment, and paying each cop a living wage, it is not going to happen. Until then, they will just work the franchise.

 

Chances are, the other guy does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, nor enforcement of the law.

 

When I was growing up, we took drivers education courses. They showed us horrendous films, or semi trucks plowing into cars, and literally obliterating everything in their path. They also showed us graphic images of head on collisions. 120mph impacts. Even as a young kid, it made quite an impression. It was horrific, and it was hard to get those images out of your head afterwards. But, it left a lasting impression, and when I started driving, I understood it was serious business, and that it was a very dangerous thing to do.

 

I see people driving here, with their families in the car, and doing things, and taking the kinds of risks no rational or sane person with common sense would do. What for? To gain one minute? Why take those risks? What is the logic? Often, when I am cruising along at 100kph, someone cuts right in front of me. Or someone comes out from the side road, right in front of me. I have to slam on my brakes, or change lanes to avoid him. I look in my rearview mirror, and there is nobody behind me. So, if he had waited two seconds, he would have had completely safe passage onto the highway. What gives? Where is the intelligence, caution, and prudence? Where is the common sense? What about just the survival instinct?

 

All the checkpoints do is clog traffic on the highways, and put alot of cash into the pockets of the toy police. It is all about catching people performing moving violations. That is what causes most accidents. And herein lies the deterrent. As long as everyone is allowed to get away with extremely reckless driving, entering the highway in front of an oncoming vehicle that is only 100 meters away, going 100kph, cutting in front of vehicles within one meter at high speeds, swerving like crazy idiots all over the highway, trucks and 40 year old cars occupying the fast lane doing 40kph, when other vehicles are approaching doing 120kph, drunk driving, etc, accidents, major injuries and deaths will continue to happen, and no amount of rhetoric and platitudes by the fabulously incompetent and insincere authorities are going to make any difference.

 

The police are not here to protect you. They do not care one iota about your well being, your safety, or traffic safety. Expect that. Do not employ them, unless absolutely necessary.

 

If driving, especially on a motorbike, treat the activity as an act of war, in a sense that you may be mowed down or killed at any moment. Maintain eyes in the back of your head. Watch everyone. Expect craziness, insanity, lack of reason, and a complete lack of courtesy and respect on the roads, at all times.

 

Expect cars and trucks to be coming at you in the wrong lane. Expect people to overtake you with the slimmest of margins.

Expect trucks to be driving very slowly in the fast lane of a highway.

 

If riding a motorbike, only do so if you have many years of experience. Especially on the southern islands, where huge numbers of foreigners leave Thailand in a wooden box. Wear the best helmet you can afford. And drive like a grandmother. This applies to ex-pats too. Bring along an international drivers license. This helps you to avoid being fleeced by the local police franchisee.

[mrfill]

Just look at Vietnam which had terrible figures 20 years ago but they had a 10 year campaign to increase driving standards, make helmets compulsory and to enforce traffic rules properly. Figures halved in 10 years and, although it looks way more chaotic, the riding standard is pretty good and you don't see anyone without a helmet. Break the rules and you'll get a fine. Breathtakingly simple.

 

The infrastructure is there in Thailand for a similar project. The will isn't.

[Pilotman]

sitting outside a coffee shop yesterday, by the  side of a dueled road, but in a built up area, some young ( I presume) idiot rode past us doing at least 120kph, looked more than that, on a smallish bike, maybe a 300cc.  No protective  clothing that I could see has he flashed by and no helmet. He is a dead man riding, as anyone could have pulled out in front of him, as they do all the time on that stretch of a busy road.  A total idiot.  The friends and I sitting with me never even mentioned it, just looked at each other and shook our heads.  We were all on an outing on big bikes, all 600 cc+,  and all well protected, but still not invulnerable to injury, as all real  bikers know, except this nob head and so many like him.  

[VocalNeal]

^ and when you were young and stupid there were some old guys in your town/village/neighbourhood who complained about your behaviour.