Thailand road carnage continues: 12,000 dead this year so far

[Bangkok Barry]

[paul1804]

Thailand road tolls only record deaths when they are dead at the scene of the accident and do not count those that die later so not really a true indicator. 

So all the authorities wanks on about Covid deaths which are predominantly the elderly with pre existing health conditions and continue to do nothing about the road death toll, I think the 2nd or 3rd highest on the planet!!

This stems from a weak transport department with no foresight or plan to improve and corrupt traffic officials. The drivers license test is very poor to say the least, basic road rules if known are mostly ignored and a complete lack of discipline from drivers, 2, 4 and multi wheels are common place. Very sad as so many loose their lives and nothing gets done about it. 

[Markus Rider]

by the way Corona death in Thailand so far: 21'151 (in almost 2 years)......when will there be a lockdown on the roads ????

[Kadilo]

8 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

5 million dead people might disagree.

 

This is a Thailand thread. Just over 20,000 mainly very old or pre existing conditions. Of course every one is a sad loss but the focus and “banging on” is disproportionate to the other important issues such as highlighted in this thread re road deaths. 

[Kadilo]

1 minute ago, paul1804 said:

Thailand road tolls only record deaths when they are dead at the scene of the accident and do not count those that die later so not really a true indicator. 

So all the authorities wanks on about Covid deaths which are predominantly the elderly with pre existing health conditions and continue to do nothing about the road death toll, I think the 2nd or 3rd highest on the planet!!

This stems from a weak transport department with no foresight or plan to improve and corrupt traffic officials. The drivers license test is very poor to say the least, basic road rules if known are mostly ignored and a complete lack of discipline from drivers, 2, 4 and multi wheels are common place. Very sad as so many loose their lives and nothing gets done about it. 

Well said. 

[Phredd]

That's right, I'd nearly forgot about this, and I was almost one last December, and still in a bloody Wheelchair. No I wasn't driving, a "Lady" on a Big Bike, "I didn't see him" walking along the gutter in a Rice Village Oh well, Mie Pen Rie

[BadSpottedDog]

4 hours ago, wombat said:

curious asks how does that compare to the deaths from covid?

Total Thailand covid deaths as of today, according to worldometer is 21,149. Take into account that covid tests can be faulty, and recommended hospital protocol isn't working, the number is probably lower.

[kwaussie]

I have been a motorcyclist all my life and must admit like a lot of farangs push the limit.

Lack of strict laws is one of the endearing things about Thailand

[Surasak]

Something the Thai politicians should be thoroughly ashamed of, but they never will be. Far too self centred to even consider  anyone else but themselves.

The 'me first' attitude prevails in all circumstances, thus it has been and always will be. Selfishness is not something these people understand, but they practice it 365/24/7

[Mayhem11]

The only effective tactic is deterrence. More cameras and road patrols.

[Longreach]

u can buy and use a 200bart plastic helmet and it is enuf for the BIB. TIT.

[Midwit]

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

No comparison between the lives lost so far to the number dead in road accidents. 21,149 deaths since covid started but the majority of deaths from Covid are from just March of this year to now.  12k in road deaths is 43% of the Covid deaths.

So what about years of life lost?  A 20 year old compared to someone in their 80’s. That is the comparison. Covid kills the old with underlying conditions. A motorcycle getting run over by a truck seems to affect the younger, healthier population before impact. 

[Thunglom]

Of course it continues - until Thailand adopts internationally accepted scientific approach to road safety - the "safe System" nothing can possibily change.

Insulting Thai driving just shows how ignorant both public and government are. The media -both social and otherwise are particularly oblivious of what is actually happening.

[IvorBiggun2]

6 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

We have not even gotten to the next 7 deadly days from before Christmas to New Years. 

And we haven't included those that died in hospital who are not counted in Thai statistics.

[Thunglom]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

well the fact 80% are on motorbikes is an indication of poverty based deaths in my opinion, the poor are not voting for hiso generals are they ? least not the sane ones outside institutions !

 

73% are motorcyclists and passengers, 80% are vulnerable road users - this figure includes motorcyclists.

[digger70]

This is Never going to change unless the Man in Power decides to get off his butt and kick some Butts to enforce the Laws 24/7 on every Road/Street in the Whole country. No Pussyfooting about .It's High time to get serious.

[Thunglom]

2 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

And we haven't included those that died in hospital who are not counted in Thai statistics.

in the end, statistics include all those who die as a result of a road accident, I hospital in a field or even over 30 days after a accident. The Thai police release instant statistics but these are not really the picture - it is the stats released at the end of each year that are more reliable - however ay Thai stats are pretty incomplete as they don't properly cover all aspects,,,,,e.g. serious and minpr injuries, number of vehicles, vehicle miles etc etc.

[IvorBiggun2]

19 minutes ago, Longreach said:

u can buy and use a 200bart plastic helmet and it is enuf for the BIB. TIT.

I saw in Nang Rong a few years back I saw a rider wearing a 50's fireman's helmet.

 

[aussienam]

Life is cheap in Thailand. So strict law enforcement and legislation change takes a back seat. 

Absolute moronic drivers in this country, far exceeding any country I've been to.  

And that doesn't just go for Thai drivers and riders. 

Farang idiot w*****s who ride motorbikes at 80-100kph through built up areas, with pedestrians and vehicles approaching intersections, etc., showing off like young Thai men and usually no helmet.  Insurance won't cover most as they breached their policy conditions (no helmet , etc).  You'd think at least farangs who have had better driver training (and hopefully an upright riding course) would be smarter.  Nope. 

All about showing how 'fantastic' they are because they can speed faster than others and are somehow wonderfully skilled 555.  Tossers to the extreme.  Pattaya is full of them.  

[Thunglom]

34 minutes ago, Mayhem11 said:

The only effective tactic is deterrence. More cameras and road patrols.

No - not on its own, there are various aspects of road safety that need to be addressed and without a holist approach no significant change will occur.

[Thunglom]

6 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

We have not even gotten to the next 7 deadly days from before Christmas to New Years.  Looking sad as always.  No enforcement of any kind and even drinking and driving not a concern.  If they wanted to save the population they would ensure everyone understood the laws, obeyed them or where punished appropriately.  This is Thailand and people can not afford to be fined, miss work, and could care less if they drive the wrong way or even on sidewalks.  There is and has never been a culture where Drivers Education is enforced for all types of vehicles.

This is actually a misconception. The heath rate (alone) is actually slightly  LOWER or the same over the New Year and Song Khran holidays.

[Thunglom]

it is sad that somehow people think that persona; or anecdotal evidence in some way backs up their distorted analysis of what is actually happening on the roads of Thailand.

[IvorBiggun2]

7 minutes ago, Thunglom said:

in the end, statistics include all those who die as a result of a road accident,

Thanks for the correction.

[Thunglom]

6 hours ago, Chivas said:

Until Thailand introduces a "proper" driving test for 2 and 4 wheels (and introduces in addition punitive jail sentences for drink dring) the insane death toll with continue indefinatly

 

3 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Went to the cinema a couple of weeks ago and there was a fairly graphic road safety film involving a motorbike urging safe riding etc. Next up was an advert/sponsorship by a vehicle manufactuer of speeding trucks driving insanely. Stark contradiction. Which one will get noticed more?

 

The Thai test is pretty extensive now - much more than anyone took in the States in the 60s 70s or 80s. Testing is only a small part of g=ral road safety. Most drivers learn from experience. If you look at the comment here you'll see thither "experience" most drivers have is VERY misleading. What most countries do is have public education programs and road safety engineering the try to stop idiots doing what they want to do. This works but it leaves drivers think ing they ae "great drivers" when in actually fact it is the dri=ing environment that is preventing them from being fools.

[Thunglom]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

well the fact 80% are on motorbikes is an indication of poverty based deaths in my opinion, the poor are not voting for hiso generals are they ? least not the sane ones outside institutions !

 

road deaths and injuries are certainly higher amongst the poor. This is well established ad referenced by the WHO

[joecoolfrog]

4 hours ago, Kadilo said:

You’re right,  no comparison, as the vast majority of Covid deaths are the very old with pre existing conditions who may have died regardless with or without Covid. 
 

Too much focus and “banging on” about Covid and not enough on something that it’s killing thousands every year and the total is not a true one as the ones that die in hospital are not counted in these numbers so your comparison is meaningless. 

Any comparison is moot frankly.

The authorities didn't give a damn about road deaths before covid arrived  , they wont give a damn when covid has gone.

[Anant72]

4 hours ago, SuwadeeS said:

1. Fact is, the police does not enforce the traffic laws.

2. Nobody cares about road safety.

3. They said, they want to bann motorbikes from sidewalks and reward people who report with pictures. This never happened.

4. When people enter a vehicle, they switch off their brain and turn on arroganz and decadence.

 

I could continue forever...

 

My thought exactly. Add to that Thai fatalism: if I am killed in an accident, it is because I was meant to. Nothing I can do about it. No amount of prevention, will….prevent it. 

[Kadilo]

42 minutes ago, Midwit said:

So what about years of life lost?  A 20 year old compared to someone in their 80’s. That is the comparison. Covid kills the old with underlying conditions. A motorcycle getting run over by a truck seems to affect the younger, healthier population before impact. 

There Is no comparison as you correctly highlight. Lots of wasted young lives as a result of the appalling road death stats as opposed to that of extremely old with pre existing conditions mainly affected by Covid. Sadly it’s the younger generation who are sadly being affected by Covid too in many other ways due to the over reactive and disproportionate measures being taken 

[mut462]

I came down the hill from Mae Hongson yesterday to find another two young men dead in the road having hit a pickup head on.

[Jimjim1]

5 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Driving tests do not have the drivers actually driving on the roads

with  a driving tester, that's something that needs to happen. 

regards Worgeordie

I agree with you completely but before anything on this matter is instigated they first have to ensure that the tester can drive properly, does not drive the wrong way along a road, does not undertake on the left at any time, and does not speak on the phone.

Impossible task methinks

regards Jimjim