Thailand road carnage: Nation's latest "at-the-scene" fatalities - it's getting even worse, three more a day

[Thunglom]

13 hours ago, kimamey said:

I took my test on the road where I was going to drive after getting my licence not a car park round some cones. Also I have to be more careful because we have a police force in the UK.

 

As said you are only addressing single issues - to appreciate what is going you have to understand the 5 Es.

[Thunglom]

2 hours ago, Saanim said:

So, that's does not comply with the view that only the Thai drivers are driving so crazy on Thai roads. 

Totally true - every country has similar numbers of "bad drivers" - what countries with low death rates do is introduce sutems that prevent idiots being idiots - idiocy in itself an international constant.

[Thunglom]

On 1/23/2022 at 2:37 AM, spidermike007 said:

Well, there is a big difference between not getting some of the things Thai people do on the highway, and sheer recklessness, tremendous lack of skill, a staggering lack of situational awareness, not planning on what to do next, tailgating at 120kph, taking stunning risks with your entire family on board, and manifesting the kind of impatience that compels you to pull out in front of a car doing 120kph, when you could have waited 2 more seconds, and had a clear highway. None of that is about a cultural difference. All of that is about inane ignorance of safety. I do not shout at others on the highway. I just shake my head in wonder. 

 

 

purely anecdotal and subjective.

 

I can show you photos like this from countries all over the world.

But the REAL cause of accidents is "normal" human error - this again is a consistent. (If you want I can give you a definition)

 In fact when people report "reckless" driving there are 2 factors to bear in mind - the crash didn't happen then did it? and they are in reality suffering from confirmation bias.

nil people take a proper scientific view of road safety they won't understand what is happening on the roads around them....they are in fact a danger to both themselves and others.

The Thai authorities take the same attitude as yourself and there has been no improvement in road safety in this country for 30 years.

The problem is the longer they take the more difficult it is to bring about a significant change.

[Thunglom]

On 1/23/2022 at 3:21 AM, Mr Meeseeks said:

The road accident rates and resultant injuries, disabilities and fatalities would disagree with you there.

So provide the evidence.

 

UK = 335 per day (uk.gov.uk)

 Thailand at Song Khran – between 250 and 390 - Road Safety Thailand

(annual figures are not readily available and have to be calculated by dividing the number of CRASHES by 365)

Edited January 24, 2022 by Thunglom

[Thunglom]

5 hours ago, johnnyloda said:

Last Friday ... 

 

https://bangkokherald.com/featured/entitled-thai-cop-on-ducati-runs-down-young-doctor-flees-scene/

 

So what does this prove in your eyes?

[kimamey]

1 hour ago, Thunglom said:

She's probably imitating you.

Nice try. No she isn't. Most of the time I just ignore it. Maybe I should imitate her.

[kimamey]

1 hour ago, Thunglom said:

As said you are only addressing single issues - to appreciate what is going you have to understand the 5 Es.

Sorry you'll have to explain that one.

[Thunglom]

12 minutes ago, kimamey said:

Sorry you'll have to explain that one.

I have already posted on this before. The problem is that people feel they are able to comment on road safety when in reality the don't even have a grasp of the basics. Instead they reset to citing single issues as either the case or cure, they use anecdotal evidence and confuse association with causation. 

[cncltd1973]

On 1/22/2022 at 9:24 PM, Saanim said:

Are the roads in Bali better than in Thailand? And of course, when looking everywhere in Bali? 

Any other 3rd world country where the roads are so good as in Thailand? Up to the last village?

Not to speak about roads somewhere in the 1st (2nd) world country...  

A new road looks the same in any country, but the real difference is how long it will look new. The roads in Bali last longer, but I don't know if it is because of better construction or less industrial trucks travelling. It's all the heavy dump trucks and container trucks that ruin Thailand's roads. If they would rely on trains to transport the heavy loads to the ports, then the roads would be in MUCH better shape.

[Thunglom]

On 1/23/2022 at 2:24 AM, Saanim said:

Any other 3rd world country where the roads are so good as in Thailand?

Everything about that sentence is so wrong.

firstly calling Thailand "third world" is just a loaded derogatory statement - as if to lower our expectations.

But the main misconception is about Thai roads - they are DREADFUL - especially the new roads - and this is one of the reasons for the high death rate.

There are only about 200km of motorway in Thailand and they are substandard 

The rest of the "highways" are not built to motorway standards or engineered and designed to international safety standards-  they are built of low grade materials and with poor surfaces. They don't drain correctly and are poorly marked (v. at night or after rain) they are deceptive in width and straightness which encourages speeding and are poorly maintained and constructed which means that potholes and faults can suddenly appear and obstacles are not cleared efficiently.

The roads don't have safe demarcations either. Often the soft verges can lead to exacerbating and accident and causing roll-overs.

The use of Armco type barriers is only partially recognised, many roads have trees on the edges and in the middle these are death traps…. Or concrete barriers with no shock-absorbing properties at all.

There is often no emergency hard shoulder and where there is it is too narrow.

A good way to estimate the level of corruption in country is to look at the roads. Civil engineering is an area where major corruption thrives. On roads it manifests in "economies" of materials like foundation and quality of surface - these are compromised to "save money" which ends up in the wrong pockets.

the result is the switchback effect you often experience on even new roads and bridges.

Basically the road building programs in Thailand which ae under various different bodies are back in the 1960s like every aspect of road safety in the Kingdom

 

[actonion]

On 1/21/2022 at 9:03 AM, Dmaxdan said:

But remember that many Thais regularly get the pedals muddled up so slowing down for anything isn't that straightforward.

Yes, my Mrs,       she thought for  years that the rear brake pedal on her Honda Wave motorbike was a foot rest until i told her different...

[Mr Meeseeks]

On 1/24/2022 at 5:40 PM, Thunglom said:

So provide the evidence.

 

UK = 335 per day (uk.gov.uk)

 Thailand at Song Khran – between 250 and 390 - Road Safety Thailand

(annual figures are not readily available and have to be calculated by dividing the number of CRASHES by 365)

You seriously think that the accident rate in Thailand is the same as the UK? ????

[Thunglom]

On 2/4/2022 at 9:03 AM, Mr Meeseeks said:

You seriously think that the accident rate in Thailand is the same as the UK? ????

Yes- the figures above are the UK government figures and the Thai statistics.

It is unfortunate that people make up their own minds about road safety with no knowledge of the topic whatsoever and come to conclusions that are based largely on racism and confirmation bias.

When confronted with the facts cognitive dissonance takes over. This means that not just the general public but the Thai authorities think they know better than the evidence and so there has been no significant changes in Thai road safety for nearly 30 decades.

[mancub]

On 1/21/2022 at 1:52 PM, jacko45k said:

Darn......

Yawn....

[mancub]

On 1/21/2022 at 11:06 PM, alextrat1966 said:

I'm sure if you went ahead and bought helmets for them. they would wear them! 

Only they wouldn't. 

Something about "leading a horse to water"........

Perhaps if you told them you can get Covid through the skull they might comply !

[rott]

On 1/24/2022 at 6:50 PM, Thunglom said:

I have already posted on this before. The problem is that people feel they are able to comment on road safety when in reality the don't even have a grasp of the basics. Instead they reset to citing single issues as either the case or cure, they use anecdotal evidence and confuse association with causation. 

The major problem is lack of law enforcement. 

[The Hammer2021]

Car nage!

[Andre0720]

On 1/21/2022 at 9:54 AM, KhunLA said:

Think the opposite.  May be more accidents, but minor fender benders, as I used to drive really slow when stoned vs when not, or only drunk.

 

Yes, I drove drunk, days past, as we all didn't mature and be responsible at age 16.  Save your silly comments.

Oh yes, but then I read recently that the average IQ here in Thailand was about 88.

Just wondering if it has anything to do with these figures   ????

[peter zwart]

And dont forget the use of the phone whilst driving. 

[kwilco]

7 minutes ago, rott said:

The major problem is lack of law enforcement. 

This is a typical single issue response not only does it not appreciate the whole situation but it doesn't even begin to consider what "enforcement" entails.

It is NOT just a matter of getting the police to "do their job".

It requires a total reformation of both the police and the justice system This would require major constitutional reform.

It also requires a redesigning of the road system, markings and signage etc. The establishing of a new set of road safety laws  and a national sea change in public awareness.

Successive governments have chosen to ignore the advice of road safety organisations and by doing so, allowed the situation to get worse and worse. They are going down a road that is increasingly difficult to get back from.

Failing to properly identify the problem just makes it worse.

[rott]

Just now, kwilco said:

This is a typical single issue response not only does it not appreciate the whole situation but it doesn't even begin to consider what "enforcement" entails.

It is NOT just a matter of getting the police to "do their job".

It requires a total reformation of both the police and the justice system This would require major constitutional reform.

It also requires a redesigning of the road system, markings and signage etc. The establishing of a new set of road safety laws  and a national sea change in public awareness.

Successive governments have chosen to ignore the advice of road safety organisations and by doing so, allowed the situation to get worse and worse. They are going down a road that is increasingly difficult to get back from.

Failing to properly identify the problem just makes it worse.

Exactly, but what I say in two words takes you twenty. 

[kwilco]

2 minutes ago, rott said:

Exactly, but what I say in two words takes you twenty. 

You still don't seem to realise the short comings of your comment

[Andre0720]

24 minutes ago, rott said:

The major problem is lack of law enforcement. 

When I was in my teens, there were very few police on the roads compared to now. So there was just about no fear of police when driving.

But I remember that when I was driving, and so it appeared to be the same for my friends and others, we used to drive in a way to make sure that we would actually get to where we wanted to go

Not like that here.

Bringing students back from school, the parents teach them that the most important thing to do on the road is to be ahead of everyone else, regardless of the danger.

I drive a Phantom and a PCX, and I cannot follow the parents driving with no helmets, same as the kids in front or in the back.

 

[rott]

12 minutes ago, kwilco said:

You still don't seem to realise the short comings of your comment

Because at the end of the day all the problems stated are due to lack of law enforcement. 

[kwilco]

44 minutes ago, rott said:

Because at the end of the day all the problems stated are due to lack of law enforcement. 

 

44 minutes ago, rott said:

Because at the end of the day all the problems stated are due to lack of law enforcement. 

This is incorrect and sadly indicative of the publics general misunderstanding of the problems.

[ozzydon]

I see the police everyday here sitting down watching young kids 3 or 4 on a motorcycle no helmets but masks on  going to school and nothing is done education is the key      In Australia there are cops everywhere cameras for speed and red lights all linked to a computer system you can't get away with anything but I've never seen a thai cop using a laptop computer they seem to stop cars but not bikes i guess its easy money who knows

[Artisi]

On 1/21/2022 at 9:16 AM, ezzra said:

Way too many fatalities for 66 million people, and wait when they legalize the growing of marijuana and drivers will partake in using it now that it is legal...

Many are already partaking in  it along with a miriad of other lethal mind bending substances, so don't expect to see any major increase after it's legalised (that's if it is)