As the number of motorcycles being purchased and used in Thailand has exploded so has the number of people riding them without a licence and dying on the roads.

 

Thailand has one of the worst per capita death tolls in the world - maybe 24,000 to 26,000 per annum -  and 70-80% of that is from motorcyclists, notes Thaivisa. 

 

Now damning statistics have come from a leading advocate of road safety with calls to the prime minister of Thailand to follow a six point plan to avoid nearly 4,000 deaths a year to young people.

 

There is also a call to designate a "Big Bike" as only 249 cc not the current 400cc, a recent change in itself. 

 

Dr Chaimaiphan Santikan - former WHO advisor in Asia on injuries and the handicapped and now working on motorcycle safety - was speaking at the Amari Airport Hotel as reported by New TV.

 

She said that one million more motorcycles were appearing on Thailand's roads per year and the figure was now 21 million vehicles (more than double that of cars).

 

Eighteen years ago 1 motorcyclist died per hour.

 

Now nearly two are dying every hour - one per 35 minutes. 

 

She said that between 2011 and 2019 26,126 children and young people died.

 

In the next eleven years the death toll among youth could be expected to be 40,000 if nothing is done.

 

Drowning used to be the number one death toll for under 15s - now it is on a par with bike deaths. 

 

Of particular concern are the lack of safety specs for bikes in Thailand, lack of graduated driver licensing, poor training for newbies, poor rules about who can ride what kind of bikes and roads lacking motorcycle lanes.

 

She said that motorcyclists are forced by the law to inhabit the same space on the roads as large trucks and buses resulting in the unwary being sucked under the wheels of the larger vehicles due to aerodynamics, drafting and slipstreaming. 

 

Dr Chamaiphan has sent a six point plan to Thai PMPrayuth Chan-ocha to address the issue of motorcycle safety as a matter of priority.

 

She is calling for the changing of laws and regulations, better helmet use and changes to bike specs and limits on their speed to discourage easy adaption and street racing.

 

She also proposes that the "Big Bike" designation be changed to make it those with engine sizes of 249cc up. 

 

She also proposes an "L" category for bikes in which the rider is limited to going 50 kmph and changes to the issuing of licences so they relate to the age and experience of the rider. 

 

Nowhere in the New TV article were the police mentioned. 

 

Critics of the RTP say that lack of enforcement of road rules has been a major part of the problem and until this is adequately addressed other moves to limit the appalling carnage on Thai roads are destined to fail, notes Thaivisa.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-03-27

 

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I'm not sure that having a licence makes very much difference when it's the mind-set that is in need of adjustment!

The problem here is that owning a license makes you legal.

However, it by no means makes you a competent rider/driver.

The licenses aren't really worth the plastic they are printed on. 

Nothing new here, but here is an idea, once Songran is over, deploy the same 80,000 cops you had policing Songran traffic to deal with this issue, good idea eh?...

10 minutes ago, doctormann said:

I'm not sure that having a licence makes very much difference when it's the mind-set that is in need of adjustment!

I agree.  You don't need a license to know that  you stop at a red light and road markings are purely for decoration.  After 30 odd years here it is  getting worse, certainly more selfish.  It should start in schools but the Police and teachers generally know no better.

If they want to die let them - just don't hit my car when doing so ????

8 minutes ago, JoePai said:

If they want to die let them - just don't hit my car when doing so ????

... or any innocent party that just happens to be in the way!

Just now, Dellboy218 said:

the Police and teachers generally know no better.

 

Yup. That really sums up the Thai enigma very nicely. They just don't know any better. After copying so much from westerners for decades (centuries?), they still hate foreigners, they still love foreigner's money, and they haven't learned very much at all.

 

Learning does appear to be a problem for Thais. just look at the STEM and SAT scores... learning just isn't what they do best.

• What do you expect here in Thailand. They drive a motorcycle with a mask for covid and no helmets.. If the police doesn't enforce the laws, the kids will learn the wrong way to drive a motorcycle. Look near the school how many on a motorcycle with no helmets and at what age?? and the police busy with the traffic. Yes teachers MUST teach the kids NOT to ride a motorcycle. No license... no insurance... not allowed to drive. The police must confiscate the motorcycle in these cases. Start with checking everybody 24 hours a day for 1 year and with big fines maybe you can change this

1 minute ago, ikke1959 said:

Yes teachers MUST teach the kids NOT to ride a motorcycle. No license... no insurance... not allowed to drive. The police must confiscate the motorcycle in these cases. Start with checking everybody 24 hours a day for 1 year and with big fines maybe you can change this

Dreamer!

Nowhere in the New TV article were the police mentioned. 

 

She already knows thats a waste of time

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

She said that one million more motorcycles were appearing on Thailand's roads per year and the figure was now 21 million vehicles

I would think more than that, but perhaps that is the number of registered motorcycles. My father in law hasn't registered the bike he bought second hand from a neighbor years ago. Not sure about his drivers license, he has one of those licenses for life but it may not cover motorbikes.

1 hour ago, doctormann said:

I'm not sure that having a licence makes very much difference when it's the mind-set that is in need of adjustment!

Yes but riding without a licence is a part of that mindset.

Thee government already knows about this, it's what departmental statistics are supposed to tell them. They do nothing effective, not because they don't know, but because they don't care.

1 minute ago, Blue Muton said:

Yes but riding without a licence is a part of that mindset.

Agreed.  So the mind-set needs to be changed.  Not much sign of that happening though!

 

 

Just now, doctormann said:

Agreed.  So the mind-set needs to be changed.  Not much sign of that happening though!

 

 

Maybe the powers that be are working on ways to tell someone their mindset needs adjustment without bruising their egos. Could be a long wait!

Nothing will ever change Thai mindset when driving cars or riding motorcycles. 

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

• What do you expect here in Thailand. They drive a motorcycle with a mask for covid and no helmets.. If the police doesn't enforce the laws, the kids will learn the wrong way to drive a motorcycle. Look near the school how many on a motorcycle with no helmets and at what age?? and the police busy with the traffic. Yes teachers MUST teach the kids NOT to ride a motorcycle. No license... no insurance... not allowed to drive. The police must confiscate the motorcycle in these cases. Start with checking everybody 24 hours a day for 1 year and with big fines maybe you can change this

Add in no helmet then any insurance is invalid to cover them and their bike ( 3rd party only ) plus any accident they are in is their fault.

License or no license is irrelevant as the only requirement to achieve a license is that you don't actually fall off.

 

There is no education of how to ride safely or what the rules of the road are........ so it is pointless.

Whilst so ever the Police let schoolgirls ride three up with no helmets, training, insurance, licence etc then you are on a loser.

1 hour ago, Dellboy218 said:

I agree.  You don't need a license to know that  you stop at a red light and road markings are purely for decoration.  After 30 odd years here it is  getting worse, certainly more selfish.  It should start in schools but the Police and teachers generally know no better.

Education begins at home and many Thai parents are guilty of ignorance also. The legal age for a motorbike license up to 110cc is 15. How many very young school kids are allowed by their parents to even go out on a bike let alone take it to school, very often past a cop at the school directing traffic and into school grounds totally ignored by the teaching staff, in effect condoning illegal and dangerous activity.  Many children are victims of this "couldn't care less" attitude unfortunately. Perhaps punishing parents and crushing bikes may provide incentives to do the right thing. Doubt it though. Maybe we should just look upon it as the annual cull which Thai society in the main apparently condones.

https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/thailand/transport/driving

 

 

1 minute ago, Excel said:

Education begins at home and many Thai parents are guilty of ignorance also. The legal age for a motorbike license under 110cc is 15. How many very young school kids are allowed by their parents to even go out on a bike let alone take it to school, very often past a cop at the school directing traffic and into school grounds totally ignored by the teaching staff, in effect condoning illegal and dangerous activity.  Many children are victims of this "couldn't care less" attitude unfortunately. Perhaps punishing parents and crushing bikes may provide incentives to do the right thing. Doubt it though. Maybe we should just look upon it as the annual cull which Thai society in the main apparently condones.

 

 

I asked a few people in the village...... when are the kids allowed to ride a motorbike?......answer:  as soon as they stop falling off.

2 hours ago, doctormann said:

I'm not sure that having a licence makes very much difference when it's the mind-set that is in need of adjustment!

A licence doesn't fix stupidity. 

And any of this surprises who? I would imagine the figures regarding licenses are way off. Do they mean of all people of riding age less than 50% have a license? That potentially would be more accurate are the 1000s (hundreds of thousands?) Of children riding motorbikes, samlaw, etc included in the stats?

1 hour ago, Mywayboy said:

Nothing will ever change Thai mindset when driving cars or riding motorcycles. 

Please remove the last six words.....the first six words cover it !

1 hour ago, Surelynot said:

License or no license is irrelevant as the only requirement to achieve a license is that you don't actually fall off.

 

There is no education of how to ride safely or what the rules of the road are........ so it is pointless.

There is no valid education......Period !

So remember when somchai nobrains rams  into the side of  your Mercedes it  will be you footing all the  bill and they wont have a care  in the world. Govt cpi is  a just a bad  joke, pays for virtually  nothing.

When will the common sense prevail, enforcement begin, those under age stopped from operating a motorbike to drive around the village, go to school, or go out racing with friends?  When will the parents become responsible for the actions of their children and take responsibility in  appropriately.  When will a true training course for getting a motorbike license become mandatory without a brown envelope for the certificate and real training commence prior to obtaining a license and then having a real riding test.  I could go on and on...like when will they stop riding the wrong way and on the sidewalks.  Why not make specified lanes....hahahah, everyone will use them and no one will pay attention.  To me those riding a motorbike without a license, training, insurance, a helmet, proper attire, and only a max of two on a motorbike should not be on the roads and are not only the cause of there potential demise but also cause other people to become injured.  Just like the most recent crash involving two teenagers that ran a red light and hit a older lady driving through a green light.   Enforce the laws RTP and the country may save lives.  My rant is far from over but for this OP it is.  

The problem as I see it on the roads every day, is that children are taught by their parents that there is no need to follow the traffic and road usage laws.

The parents are bringing kids back from school, no helmets, no need to respect the traffic lights, not an option to follow any other vehicle on the roads, must be in front of the line, regardless of the risks. Kids are learning.

Riding at 90 km an hour or more will get you home earlier (if), and just about any motorbike on the roads will reach that lethal speed, 125 c.c. gets you to your maker very effectively.

This teaching of selfishness makes it quite acceptable to modify small motorbikes to reach even higher speeds, with no care in the world about how this will affect others on the roads, or in their house sleeping.

Big bikes of course are more dangerous. One riding at 120 km per hour on Chao Fa, with absolutely no reaction from a police sitting down for a meal. None.

So small wonder that the kids arriving at an age when they can drive, realize that their parents were right, they can do just about anything on the roads, with no consequences, and later with no fear of any consequences.

The single rule of law on the roads, is that if you get home alive, then you did very well.

We all know what is needed, and we all know that it will not happen.

1 hour ago, ramrod711 said:

I would think more than that, but perhaps that is the number of registered motorcycles. My father in law hasn't registered the bike he bought second hand from a neighbor years ago. Not sure about his drivers license, he has one of those licenses for life but it may not cover motorbikes.

Over the last fifteen years my wife has passed on three motorcycles owned by me, to her family. When passed on all three were street legal, tested and insured. Within months, in all three cases, the plates were removed. I really don't think, given the lack of police interest ( motorcyclists generally have little money) that much can be done.

 

Here is an idea though - why not bow to reality and treat all scooters and step through lightweight bikes under say 125CC as bicycles. Concentrate on educating and enforcing driving standards on cars, vans and trucks. A significant number of accidents in which motorcyclists are killed are at least partly caused by the careless way in which drivers behave around motorcycles, Car and van drivers are also far more tracable, and more attractive a proposition fiscally for the Police.

 

Just a thought...