Thais warned! You can't use your phone while driving even when stopped in traffic or at the lights

[jonclark]

1 hour ago, userabcd said:

It should, the other day standing on the sidewalk in phrakanong observed a foreigner on a motorcycle turning out of one of the small sois, he had a baby in the crook of his left arm and was holding a mobile phone in his right fingers whilst manipulating the accelerator, the lady on the pillion seat was looking at her phone...and on all of them not a helmet in sight.

 

Just downright criminal.

Sounds to me like the gentleman in question is doing a very good job of immersing himself in the local culture and way of doing things. Well done I say !!

[Mr Meeseeks]

2 hours ago, JoePai said:

You can play with yourself if that makes you feel better

Hey, I'm not a Bangkok cab driver with passengers in the back. 

[bkk6060]

It is bad here as in other countries.

The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. Nearly 390,000 injuries occur each year from accidents caused by texting while driving. 1 out of every 4 car accidents in the United States is caused by texting and driving.

 

Much worse then DUI.

I agree phones should be banned in vehicles.

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

And if you are driving alone? Oh no, you refuse to drive now! 

We do not have a car so this is not an issue. My sole means of transport is on display, top left.

[transam]

1 minute ago, Moonlover said:

We do not have a car so this is not an issue. My sole means of transport is on display, top left.

Most use phones on those things here in LOS....????

[Ralf001]

6 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

We do not have a car so this is not an issue. My sole means of transport is on display, top left.

You can buy new plastic bezel for those to replace the speedo  unit with an 8" tablet and a pair of speakers.

Might as well go the whole hog and put a 10inch sub under the seat too !!

[AhFarangJa]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Looking at online information is also a no-no while driving. 

What about using the satnav on the phone,

Also, they should stop every Grab and food Panda motorbikes from operating.

[placeholder]

3 hours ago, smedly said:

laws have to make sense, there should be no need to touch a phone when driving - calls only hands free with integrated BT, surfing Facebook or messaging is very obviously problematic

The problem with this is that the driver's attention is still not focused on the road

Even 'Hands-Free' Devices Unsafe While Driving: Report

Drivers who think hands-free devices for talking or texting are safer than handheld cellphones are mistaken, a new report suggests.

Instead, devices such as speech-based technologies in cars can overload drivers, taking their attention from the road and making an accident more likely, experts say.

"Hands-free is not risk-free, even though three out of four motorists believe it is," said Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=170490

[IamNoone88]

If you want to use the phone - go to a gas station!! Ha ha, I thought we were all advised on how dangerous that would be with multiple videos Youtube videos showing just badly things can wrong! 

[Lacessit]

33 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

If drivers make phone calls, write messages or play games while driving, this is immediately noticeable in their driving style. Many slow down, lose lane, brake for no reason, or brake too late. But the culmination of stupidity are the motorcyclists who are on the phone while driving, with one hand on the handlebar and the other hand on the cell phone to the ear. If they suddenly have to react quickly, they are lost.

 

Driving a vehicle correctly also has a lot to do with intelligence. And that's what many lack.

Educate drivers of any vehicle into pulling over to answer their phone, and continue the conversation parked well away from traffic. That's what I have taught my Thai GF.

Unfortunately, driver education here is more conspicuous by its absence.

[elgenon]

3 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

In one of my cars I installed a 10" Samsung Tablet as the entertainment head unit.

What phone ? !!

In America Tesla was told to stop the ability of drivers to play games on the screen.

[elgenon]

In California it is illegal to do anything while riding a bike that is illegal why driving a car. So no phone stuff, though I have never seen it enforced.

[TheScience]

As I posted in another thread. Fines are meaningless.

 

It must be jail time.

 

Maybe this infraction is 24 hours in jail on a non working day for the perp.

 

Caused an accident? Maybe that's a week to a year - or more.

 

Jail is the only thing that will wake these very unserious people up.

[transam]

Just now, TheScience said:

As I posted in another thread. Fines are meaningless.

 

It must be jail time.

 

Maybe this infraction is 24 hours in jail on a non working day for the perp.

 

Caused an accident? Maybe that's a week to a year - or more.

 

Jail is the only thing that will wake these very unserious people up.

Doubt it, sensible, collected fines that make folk...????.....will do more than a break with free grub...

[TheScience]

2 minutes ago, transam said:

Doubt it, sensible, collected fines that make folk...????.....will do more than a break with free grub...

Fines will never be collected. Never have been, never will be. The higher the fine the more incentive both cop and law breaker have to negotiate.

[richard_smith237]

22 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Educate drivers of any vehicle into pulling over to answer their phone, and continue the conversation parked well away from traffic. That's what I have taught my Thai GF.

Unfortunately, driver education here is more conspicuous by its absence.

Thai drivers can’t even be educated to pull off the road and not block traffic before nipping out to 7-11 !!!... 

 

Driver education is definitely a key thing...   education full stop is. 

And, so is effective, fair and continuous enforcement.

[transam]

1 minute ago, TheScience said:

Fines will never be collected. Never have been, never will be. The higher the fine the more incentive both cop and law breaker have to negotiate.

And your going inside will work.....????

[TheScience]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Driver education is definitely a key thing...

No, punishment is the key thing. Jail time.

 

Then, drivers will seek to educate themselves. There is no social or moral incentive - not even a personal incentive to keep oneself, family, auto and personal finances safe.

 

It must be jail.

[ikke1959]

mobiles phones are the worst invention of the century... Yes I am old fashioned, but how relaxed is it that you are not always available everywhere for anyone. And be honest how much joy give it to you to know what other people are doing or where they are or wht they are eating...  Even so on motorcycles and in cars it is no wonder so many accidents. The one who can invent something that block the phone when moving would be very rich...The police don't check.and don't care..... look around when you are driving how many people are watching their phone

[transam]

1 minute ago, TheScience said:

No, punishment is the key thing. Jail time.

 

Then, drivers will seek to educate themselves. There is no social or moral incentive - not even a personal incentive to keep oneself, family, auto and personal finances safe.

 

It must be jail.

I think you are thinking like a farang.....????

[richard_smith237]

Just now, TheScience said:

No, punishment is the key thing. Jail time.

 

Then, drivers will seek to educate themselves. There is no social or moral incentive - not even a personal incentive to keep oneself, family, auto and personal finances safe.

 

It must be jail.

I don’t think you can go about jailing people for using their phones while driving.... thats just excessive. 

 

There needs to be driver education so they know what the rules are and what not to do, this involves every other facet of driving, more than just phones usage.

 

Of course, enforcement is key.... for that we need a police force who are capable of enforcing the regulations instead of cherry-picking the easiest to catch, setting up road-blocks and cashing in. 

 

Thailand Police needs to get out of this idea of ‘check-point’ enforcement and actually get out there, patrol and pull vehicles over for infractions.... When each and every one of us see multiple infractions daily, some of them quite dangerous and outrageous - so do the police, currently the police do nothing.

[TheScience]

Just now, transam said:

I think you are thinking like a farang.....????

 

Whatever. Your method has / is in place and it's clearly not working. Fines will never, ever change behavior.

 

You are thinking like a dinosaur.

 

Thailand has had fines since forever. Even the cops have no regard for traffic law.

[happyinthailand]

While the intentions are good, this reminds me of the discussions a few years ago when it was decided driving with high heels should be illegal! Impossible to enforce. The blacked out windows in nearly all cars make this regulation almost totally pointless. 

[vandeventer]

3 hours ago, userabcd said:

Mobile phones should be banned from motorvehicles altogether.

Also yelling to each other on the back of motorcycles should be fined, I could here this a mile away sometimes!

[TheScience]

Just now, richard_smith237 said:

using their phones while driving.... thats just excessive. 

Sure you can. Checking your messages at the light? Afternoon in jail. Using a phone while auto in motion that's 24 hours in jail.

 

It will work.

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

mobiles phones are the worst invention of the century... Yes I am old fashioned, but how relaxed is it that you are not always available everywhere for anyone. And be honest how much joy give it to you to know what other people are doing or where they are or wht they are eating...  Even so on motorcycles and in cars it is no wonder so many accidents. The one who can invent something that block the phone when moving would be very rich...The police don't check.and don't care.....

Mobile phones are excellent devices...  its ok to turn it off if you want to avoid being contacted.

I go for a massage - turn the phone on ‘do not disturb’....    A dinner our phones stay in my Wife’s handbag. 

 

I do see others who allow a phone to control their lives (or it seems that way)... I like to think it compliments mine by adding a great deal of convenience. 

 

From the driving aspect - it is despicable, but so is doing anything which is distracting while driving. 

 

Education / Enforcement  - Thailands roads users are in desperate need of both. 

 

3 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

look around when you are driving how many people are watching their phone

This taxi last week - no one cares. 

 

 

[TheScience]

2 minutes ago, happyinthailand said:

high heels should be illegal!

It should be. That is stupid dangerous.

 

How to enforce?

 

If there's an accident and there are heels in the car - boom! Jail time.

 

Same with the phone... accident? Police check the phone records. In use? Automatic jail time.

 

This is what will wake people up not some silly 1000b fine.

[richard_smith237]

4 minutes ago, TheScience said:

 

Whatever. Your method has / is in place and it's clearly not working. Fines will never, ever change behavior.

 

You are thinking like a dinosaur.

 

Thailand has had fines since forever. Even the cops have no regard for traffic law.

Fines are pathetically low...  thats why...  

 

The cops have no regard for traffic law because they are above the law.... 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

4 minutes ago, TheScience said:

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

using their phones while driving.... thats just excessive. 

Sure you can. Checking your messages at the light? Afternoon in jail. Using a phone while auto in motion that's 24 hours in jail.

 

It will work.

It won’t... 

 

You end up with a ‘he said, she said’ situation...   He said you were using the phone, she said police are corrupt and making it up !!... and thats that..  Unless there is proof of course. 

 

I like the hard line idea you have...  But do you really think a lowly policeman is going to lock up the driver of a Benz S500 for the afternoon because he was checking his message at the traffic lights ?.... 

.... thats just not going to happen. 

 

For the police to have this level of authority they first need to gain a far greater level of respect and step away from their corrupt image.

[TheScience]

Just now, richard_smith237 said:

Unless there is proof of course. 

The phone records! Simple.