Thai road carnage: A motorcyclist is killed every 30 minutes in Thailand

[KhunBENQ]

With or without license.

Don't overestimate the difference.

I went through the complete procedure for the motorcycle license.

A complete joke.

Absolutely horrifying that people can walk in without additional practice/experience and then let go off to the road.

 

A little episode: wanted to take a granddaughters scooter (Fino) to the yearly inspection and pay tax/insurance (it had not been done since 2.5 years after it became 5 yr old).

The brakelight was defunct.

So went to the village motorcycle tinkerer asking to replace it.

Returning after half a day I had to learn that he doesn't have a brand new lamp.

Seems such hightech parts are rarely asked for

Edited February 4, 2021 by KhunBENQ

[ChipButty]

1 minute ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Let us no forget the car/truck drivers in flip-lops. Just as bad. 

Hmm. I wonder why driving with bare feet is illegal in many countries.

And, High Heels

[Artisi]

3 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

saw policeman on motorbike today, no helmet.  I smiled, of course!!!!  

 

here are the 1000 things we can do to solve all the problems....

 

ok, thanks for reading.

 

i feel better.....did i help things?  no?   ok....   

 

ZERO people will leave Thailand because of this.......  dwell on that for a moment

The dead ones have already left. 

[VocalNeal]

6 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Returning after half a day I had to learn that he doesn't have a brand new lamp.

 

You wanted a normal one? He probably has a wall full of LED lamps?

[2 is 1]

Reason to everything what "western" people to be so horrifield is: nobody really don't give a <deleted>! And everybody think its not happen to me coz i have this huge "buddha" necklace ! And also many farang here dont understand! How can kids and people move if they not drive motorbike! Out of town town Bangkok don't have  public transport! So take your hed out of place where sun not shine and try live normal people's life! Out off from your box! Yeah things should make better in traffic but its not only thing what is f ed up in this "coundry"or life in ceneral!

[KhunBENQ]

4 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

You wanted a normal one? He probably has a wall full of LED lamps?

Love your humor

If he would have had a x times more expensive one he would have sold it.

Edited February 4, 2021 by KhunBENQ

[dlclark97]

Have to agree with everything said.  Particularly, 'on the road' enforcement is virtually non-existent.  Speed cameras may catch a few offenders but action must be taken to curtail the offenders before they cause or are involved in an accident.  The answer (one of them) is police (not lazy) and not too scared of making a driver lose 'face' when they are stopped for having been driving in some manner that could result in an accident.  Skills!  Although I have no first hand experience, what I have heard about driving schools hear is not good.  A very few hours on the road and learning how to pass the driving test.  Potential drivers of anything must be taught 'The Rules of the Road'.  They also need to know what to do safely when a tire fails and how to properly slow down and get out of traffic, when brakes fail, when it's raining and so much more.  What is needed is two-three days in a classroom teaching safety along with graphic images of what can happen when you do not obey the rules.  Stop signs, red lights, double yellow or white lines and much more seems to have no meaning for many drivers.  The practice of allowing children without any formal training is just an accident or death possibly of 3-4 people waiting to happen.  Learning to ride from family members in most cases only passes poor driving habits on to the children.  The concept of having a driver with no fault driver in an accident paying compensation to an injured party must be done away with.  What more can I say.  Have driven in many countries for 64+ years and have never seen anything like it is here.   

[Surasak]

3 hours ago, polpott said:

I once pointed out to a Thai that his rear light was out. His reply, "No problem, I don't use it".

 

I also admonished a Thai for flying down a notoriously dangerous road at night with no lights on. His reply, "It uses less fuel".

 

You really can't teach stupid.

 

 

Have you ever been into a Thai school?

[ChrisKC]

What proportion of motorcycle riders are actually killed in accidents where no crash helmet was worn?

When I read these reports I am distressed at not only the accidents themselves but their consequences involving death and or being crippled for life and the loved ones that will miss them or have to live with an incredibly changed life.

 

I arrived in Thailand in early January 2003 when countless drivers and riders today weren't even born. From whom do they learn the culture of Thai driving? Their parents and the law that has scant regard for enforcement.

 

This very serious matter has nothing to do with the vehicles or the power ratio of them. When I am biking I see children coming home from school on waves and dreams speeding like crazy down both sides of the road (obviously no helmets) in which there are two traffic police stations (no, not boxes) within 10 kms of each other. Never are there anything like any patrol cars or Officers of any kind around to make the observations I see every day that contribute greatly to the "carnage" mentioned in the OP.

 

I want to be angry about the needless death and suffering but so do many others in this forum but sadly not so many Thai people and those in charge who's job it is to actually do something!

Edited February 4, 2021 by ChrisKC
typo

[tandor]

3 hours ago, polpott said:

Not to worry, there seems to be an endless supply of young Thais with an aversion to helmets and a delusion that they are Valentino Rossi riding unroadworthy junk with skinny bald tyres and no brakes. The carnage will continue.

....RIP....they say, one death per 30 minutes...seems that 30 are replaced; and i can't pick which ones they are!

[PETERTHEEATER]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Heavier vehicles have more stability but are not favored by Thais who want to zig-zag everywhere.

Like through busy pedestrian produce markets and public pavements often wearing brown uniforms......

[Tony125]

3 hours ago, KannikaP said:

And the alcohol/YaBa consumed by many of the deceased riders.

 

The statistics after every holiday usually say that 80% of those killed were motorcyclists, mainly men between 40 & 60, on straight roads between 4pm & 8pm.

I don't think that is correct plus when I am driving  in Pattaya at night I have been passed by maybe 4 or 5 teen cyclists doing wheelies at high speed on either side of me. In BKK there was a nice neighbor kid 14 who liked to speed around on his bike. Died whe he and his rider hit a pole at night trying to do a wheelie.

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Tony125

[tandor]

7 minutes ago, Surasak said:

Have you ever been into a Thai school?

..i see and speak with a lot of young riders, who have obviously had falls off their machines and bashed their heads on the road..and really they are pretty hard to pick from the ones who haven't hit their heads!

[ChrisKC]

Not a bad figure really! Every 30 minutes you have 29 minutes when you won't be killed!

[Histavia]

Just another load of cliches form media and "experts" - whoever they are.

 

unless Thailand has a major sea-change and adopts the "safe system" for road safety, there will be no significant change in road deaths and injuries.

 

These cost the economy trillions even year, but the authorities are just too stupid to do anything effective about it.

There are plenty of organisations - national, ASEAN and international that have plans, but successive Thai governments have refused PROVEN advice time and again.

[Moonlover]

5 minutes ago, dlclark97 said:

The practice of allowing children without any formal training is just an accident or death possibly of 3-4 people waiting to happen.  Learning to ride from family members in most cases only passes poor driving habits on to the children.

This is a very valid point. Kids here are often beginning to ride motorcycles as young as 10 years old. Children learn by observing and copying their parents/guardians. If what they see is wrong, then that's the way they'll do it. And here in Thailand, what they see is invariably is wrong.

 

It is far more difficult teach people to do things the right way, once they've learned to do it wrong way. Those bad habits have been ingrained  for life.

 

Teaching kids to do ride the right way has to start when they're very young.

[tingtongfarang]

I have noticed that police dont stop kids on motorbikes as they have no money, i call them police in this post but infact its difficult to describe them as a police force...law enforcement is not part of their job

[Parsve]

4 hours ago, bigupandchill said:

From where I live to where I drive at night is a fast 4 lane road with many bikes with no rear lights. What is it about these riders that they want to endanger themselves and me for the cost of a rear bulb?

It is usually not about the bulb, but just as many thai car drivers they believe that they save a lot of gasoline by this.

[Superlight]

3 hours ago, polpott said:

I once pointed out to a Thai that his rear light was out. His reply, "No problem, I don't use it".

 

I also admonished a Thai for flying down a notoriously dangerous road at night with no lights on. His reply, "It uses less fuel".

 

You really can't teach stupid.

 

 

No it gets worse, I once asked why many had no rear light, "Take out bulb"  <deleted> would you do that? "Because demon see red light and follow me home...."  No thought for the demon that's going to run up his <deleted> at 70mph

[Surasak]

14 minutes ago, Histavia said:

Just another load of cliches form media and "experts" - whoever they are.

 

unless Thailand has a major sea-change and adopts the "safe system" for road safety, there will be no significant change in road deaths and injuries.

 

These cost the economy trillions even year, but the authorities are just too stupid to do anything effective about it.

There are plenty of organisations - national, ASEAN and international that have plans, but successive Thai governments have refused PROVEN advice time and again.

Nothing new in that. They will not tolerate outside interference.

[findlay13]

I have seen a motorcycle using RED headlights in a rain storm.

[jvs]

2 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Maybe someone who follows this sort of stuff can come up with the locations of the 17,000 so we can get an idea or where?

Maybe not a bad idea,like in France and Italy.

[jvs]

2 minutes ago, findlay13 said:

I have seen a motorcycle using RED headlights in a rain storm.

Yes i saw him also,coming towards me against traffic!

[Mops59]

When they would enforce the law on motorbike driving, helmet and drunk driving like they do with Covid the death toll would be much lower. But this is Thailand. Your need a police force for the police perform police duties.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai road carnage: A motorcyclist is killed every 30 minutes in Thailand

Have no fear the new points system will clear it all up.

[KannikaP]

42 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

I don't think that is correct plus when I am driving  in Pattaya at night I have been passed by maybe 4 or 5 teen cyclists doing wheelies at high speed on either side of me. In BKK there was a nice neighbor kid 14 who liked to speed around on his bike. Died whe he and his rider hit a pole at night trying to do a wheelie.

 

Tony, read again what I posted. 4,5,6 teenagers in Bangkok are not 80% of those killed during the holiday periods.

[ThailandRyan]

19 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Have no fear the new points system will clear it all up.

100 points deducted for a deceased motorcycle rider, but hey the license will still be valid.

[Boedog]

I remember pulling up to set of lights in Hua Hin with a policeman on bike next to me light was red 2 scooters come up didn't even stop at red light policeman didn't even blink an eye 

[Bangkok Barry]

The Thais don't care - motorcycle drivers and everyone else - so why should we? Their problem, not ours. Most of the time they only kill themselves. A young lad in the house opposite mine followed the usual Thai desire to ride into a roadside pole and tore half his head off. The next day at the gathering of mourners his brother went roaring off down the road, wrong side and at high speed and with no helmet. You simply cannot educate these people. They are completely beyond any help.

[Chongalulu]

3 hours ago, Suua said:

This is an eye opener to the level of education here......

Most of the motorbikes without rear lights are deliberate. 

They remove the bulb so that 'ghosts don't follow them'....Seriously.

Says an awful lot about the mindset here.

We refer to examples (of which there are many) like this as the Thai thick gene.