Songkran’s ‘Seven Dangerous Days’ begin with a spike in road deaths

[webfact]

 

By Erich Parpart

 

The first day of Songkran’s notorious “Seven Dangerous Days” saw 237 road accidents and 328 drunk drivers arrested, the authorities said on Tuesday.

 

Traffic collisions are expected to spike from April 11-17 as people travel back to their hometowns for the Songkran holiday.

 

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Songkran has gained notoriety for road accidents as so many people are under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs and many choose to speed. 

 

On Monday, 26 people were killed, 238 were injured from 237 road accidents, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) announced.

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/39382/songkrans-seven-dangerous-days-begins-with-spike-in-road-deaths/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2022-04-12

 

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[kotsak]

Seems they want to catch up for the lost chances during the last two years.

 

[Sydebolle]

As long as this country is run by such an unqualified bunch of clowns ........

The key would be law enFORCEment, not bribe-taking. Excellent example is the tremendous traffic jam upon entering Nong Khai on friendship highway number 2. Some just hand over some cash and drive on while others seem to argue and hence are held up - until softened enough? 

[KhunBENQ]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

On Monday, 26 people were killed, 238 were injured from 237 road accidents

About a third of pre Covid numbers.

Spike from 21 to 26.

But somehow we need a headline.

How else could all the excitement, checkpoints, road side camps be justified.
 

Wait for a similar "spike" in Covid numbers and entertainment closure until Neverday.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The first day of Songkran’s notorious “Seven Dangerous Days” saw 237 road accidents and 328 drunk drivers arrested, the authorities said on Tuesday.

DUI mandatory 6 months in jail.
injure someone one year mandatory

kill someone manslaughter.

That should stop 90% of them.

[ThaiFelix]

29 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

DUI mandatory 6 months in jail.
injure someone one year mandatory

kill someone manslaughter.

That should stop 90% of them.

You are right with the penalties but sadly I dont think it would make a scrap of difference changing them.  Its all about having the right excuses and the correct amulets.

[Ralf001]

Only 26 dead is a fantastic result for day 1.

[Cake Monster]

3 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Only 26 dead is a fantastic result for day 1.

Why are there only 7 deadly Days of Songkran.

Many were heading out of Bangkok and other Cities on Thursday of last week, and many will not return until maybe Monday or Tuesday of next week.

That  makes a total of 11 Days of Death and Destruction on the Roads.

I  wonder what the total will be after the 11 Day period and not just the 7 Day period.

[Ralf001]

3 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

Why are there only 7 deadly Days of Songkran.

 

do you honestly think I would know the answer to that ?

[Thunglom]

so the theory is you set up a road block and catch someone for drink drive. This means they are ALREADY drunk and have ALREADY driven. 

Is the rad block a deterrent? I don't think so, as people know they have a very good chance of avoiding them. They are warned on the phone, can guess in advance where the police will set up the road blocks or simply doing a u-turn.

Time and again the Thai authorities display a profound ignorance of what road safety involves and instead resort to methods that have been internationally discredited since the 1950s.

[Thunglom]

 Deadly days are a myth - it just shows the authorities don't know what thy are doing.

[HappyExpat57]

Every thing I've read shows number of Songkran road deaths are slightly lower than the rest of the year (except, of course 2019-2021).

[RocketDog]

49 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

DUI mandatory 6 months in jail.
injure someone one year mandatory

kill someone manslaughter.

That should stop 90% of them.

Be ready to devote half of Thailand's real estate to prisons. Who will pay for their upkeep? Raise taxes? Right. Prison  guards will become a major employment group.

 

The draconian drug laws in America spawned a huge and still growing private prison system and growing tax burdrn.

 

Impounding or outright seizing and selling the vehicles is the only reasonable approach, plus heavy fines and loss of license, though neither will actually succeed in this country. 

 

In the end, this carnage is acceptable to the population, and they're the ones who drive and die.

[Will B Good]

18 minutes ago, Thunglom said:

so the theory is you set up a road block and catch someone for drink drive. This means they are ALREADY drunk and have ALREADY driven. 

Is the rad block a deterrent? I don't think so, as people know they have a very good chance of avoiding them. They are warned on the phone, can guess in advance where the police will set up the road blocks or simply doing a u-turn.

Time and again the Thai authorities display a profound ignorance of what road safety involves and instead resort to methods that have been internationally discredited since the 1950s.

I think you are kind of correct......the thing to note is the time lag between setting up road blocking and the numpties realising they really do exist, that they might now be caught and they might receive a severe punishment for DUI.......what on earth am I talking about.

[hotchilli]

36 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

You are right with the penalties but sadly I dont think it would make a scrap of difference changing them.  Its all about having the right excuses and the correct amulets.

As Rocketdog said in response to my post, Thailand would become a land of prisons.
Better to keep the term I said for the first two but switch them to an army camp.

However kill someone while DUI your off to the pokey.

[overt2016]

Does anybody think that all the screaming about road deaths has any impact on Thai motorists?

The only way is strict law enforcement.

However seeing who is resonsible for that------ don't hold your breath waiting for change.

 

 

[Will B Good]

2 minutes ago, overt2016 said:

Does anybody think that all the screaming about road deaths has any impact on Thai motorists?

 

Not a snowball's chance of any impact.

 

As an aside, I now refuse to set off unless the all Thai family wear safety belts......I refuse to carry kids in the front.......I refuse to carry kids too young to use a safety belt........they think I am mental.

[kotsak]

Correct title should be 365 dangerous days begin now.

 

 

[Will B Good]

How can the seven deadly days begin with a spike....you have no idea what the other six days will bring?

[Golden Triangle]

3 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

How can the seven deadly days begin with a spike....you have no idea what the other six days will bring?

Oh yes we do ????

[NeoDinosaw]

14 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

Oh yes we do ????

Oh no you don't !

[zzaa09]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

DUI mandatory 6 months in jail.
injure someone one year mandatory

kill someone manslaughter.

That should stop 90% of them.

Bit of a dreamy scheme, as there's no cycling profit in the offing. 

[toofarnorth]

21 minutes ago, NeoDinosaw said:

Oh no you don't !

Oh yes I do . What was the question again ?

[Excel]

2 hours ago, ThaiFelix said:

You are right with the penalties but sadly I dont think it would make a scrap of difference changing them.  Its all about having the right excuses and the correct amulets.

And who you know

[Excel]

35 minutes ago, NeoDinosaw said:

Oh no you don't !

Look behind you ????

[Soikhaonoiken]

Same, same, every year and will never change...

[Golden Triangle]

4 hours ago, NeoDinosaw said:

Oh no you don't !

I know it happens every year but it's not a pantomime - or is it ????

[Thunglom]

6 hours ago, Will B Good said:

I think you are kind of correct......the thing to note is the time lag between setting up road blocking and the numpties realising they really do exist, that they might now be caught and they might receive a severe punishment for DUI.......what on earth am I talking about.

There is seldom time lag as the police are so predictable in where they put up road blocks. My colleagues all used to adbvise me BEFORE songkhran where the road blocks would be - it was common knowledge. Basically to get caught, you need to be pretty drunk to fall foul of a road block.

Drunk driving has been successfully tackled in countries in the EU and elsewhere and it is known how to deal with it. Simply introducu=ing strict penalties is far too simplistic and approach. 

Sweden ended up with 50% of it's prison population being DUI offenders - but they don't allow ANY alcohol.

USA despite having archaic and draconian alcohol laws still has over 30% of crashes involving alcohol. The UK is now below 20%.  Do they use road blocks? Very seldom! TH UK police have to have a REASON to stop you.

The police can only stop you at  and ask you to take a breath test (‘breathalyse’ you) if they think you’ve been drinking, you’ve committed a traffic offence, you’ve been involved in a road traffic accident. So thy have one of the loq=west DUI records in the world yet don't use road blocks.

The problem in Thailand with the police is they are untrained, incompetent and corrupt. There is no legal system to back up prosecuting and enforcing penalties.  

roadblocks only get people who go through them and are already driving drunk do nothing to deter drunk drivers. What is needed is a trained police force and a national anti-DUI campaign. People need to think about drinking BEFORE they go out in a vehicle.

Edited April 12, 2022 by Thunglom

[Thunglom]

6 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

do you honestly think I would know the answer to that ?

do you honestly think I'm asking you? It's a rhetorical question inviting people to think bout the REAL influences on road safety in Thailand

Edited April 12, 2022 by Thunglom

[Thunglom]

6 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Every thing I've read shows number of Songkran road deaths are slightly lower than the rest of the year (except, of course 2019-2021).

figures for th Covid years are really unreliable - they have yet to be analysed and the collation examined.