Needless death of a Thai teen whose friend was on the phone on a bike: So many questions about the Thai roads

[Photoguy21]

1 minute ago, Dene16 said:

Seeing kids on the phone whilst driving is a common sight. It is also not uncommon in the villages to see young mothers carrying their babies in one hand whilst riding one handed.

2 years ago whilst travelling past the school in Surin city at closing, the police were directing the traffic as hundreds of kids drove from the school, very few wearing helmets.

Obviously the police are happy to turn a blind eye to it at this time

I was shocked to see a boy that looked about 12 years of age (in school uniform) who could only just  reach the floor on what was at least a 750cc motorcycle with a young girl as a pillion (no helmets)

I tried to catch him on my 250 to get a better look but he left me standing as he bombed off

Even in Samut Sakhon in  Bangkok the number of people not wearing helmets shocked me

3 local teenagers, on bikes, have died in the last 2 years in the 4 months i was there. How many have died when i wasn't there?

I have seen Thai women here in the Bangkok suburbs riding a motor bike with a young child in one arm. No helmet just plain stupidity.

[jvs]

No helmet but wearing a mask!

Safety first!

[greenmonkey]

58 minutes ago, EricTh said:

I see a lot of Thai people talking on the phone while riding their motorbike. Furthermore, they don't even wear helmets.

 

This is asking for disaster to happen. Isn't there basic education of road safety in Thailand?

 

How did they even get a driving licence in the first place?

I would hazard a guess at about 90% of Thai drivers (bikes and cars) that will use their phone and drive at the same time. It is just the norm here.

[ThaiFelix]

3 hours ago, Orinoco said:

Thailand doesn't care about it's children.

That's why it lets about 14 die every day on the roads.

Most parents don't care as well, who bought the motor bike? who let her on the road as an under age rider? who taught her to ride it correctly ? who said she can carry a passenger. the list of fails are just endless here.

Grow up Thailand and stop killing your kids.

Disgraceful on many levels. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agreed.  I have seen first hand on several occasions where parents just shrug their shoulders when it comes to their underage kids on motorcycles.  Often it has been the parents who have encouraged the kids to ride so they can go shopping for them.  It must start at home, the police, the govt etc are all to blame as well but it must start with the parents!

[Greg O]

What's the punishment or fine for a DWA offense ? Does a mask prevent it from spreading ? 

 

DWA ...Driving While Asian ..

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Classic Ray said:

This feeling encouraged by the Government who consequently can avoid responsibility to provide better education, training and enforcement to reduce the collisions. After all the vast majority of victims are poor people, who cares about them?

 2 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

I have come to the conclusion that there is a huge cultural feeling that accidents are karma/destiny and an element of fatalism. 

 

True but this subject has come up for discussions in coffe/luch etc breaks at the Thai unis where I have lectured. My belief is that less and less teens/early 20s Thai nowadays embrace these beliefs. 

 

One instance, a new batch of first year uni students, within a week or so I had overheard many times students declining to travel in the vehicle of one female student.

 

I carefully asked several of the boys why so many were refusing to travel with Ms.xxx.

 

Quite focused answer 'she drives way too fast and she's a dangerous driver, she's had many accidents and people have been hurt. I want to travel with someone who drives safely'.

 

[VocalNeal]

Shouldn't that be DWI? Driving while intoxicated????

 

Sorry I don't come from the LOA (Land Of Acronyms)

[ChrisKC]

The Top Government doesn't care

 

The Ministry of Transport and Health do not care

 

The police do not care

 

Parents do not care

 

Children do not care    -  What chance have they got??

 

And none of this is NEWS!

[Chongalulu]

2 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

3 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

there is a missing gene, or is this subsequent thinking (what can happen if) not taught at school? Is puzzling to me.

I stopped teaching because I had the feeling I was teaching alzheimer patients.... They forget, don't think, copy but don't know what they copy and after 6 years English as a Thai English teacher told me they still don't know the ABC... So sure there is something missing

A few of my friends and I jokingly christened it the "Thai Thick gene", but increasingly I don’t think it is a joke and more of a sad reality . 

[BusyB]

Q: Should such aged children as 14 be riding motorcycles?

 

A: Are you mad?

 

Q: What does it say about road safety education if they are driving a vehicle - and a motorcycle at that - while on the phone?

 

A: It shows the system is bankrupt.

 

Q: What is likely to happen to the apparently entirely innocent pick-up drivers involved in such a tragedy?

 

A: Who knows? A question of 'negotiation' quite likely.

 

Q: Should the police be on the lookout for transgressions and doing something to enforce traffic laws?

 

A: The question is rhetorical, no?

 

Q: Should their supposed masters - the politicians - be doing more to ensure the RTP enforce the law?

 

A: One would expect so.

 

Q: Do the politicians even care?

 

A: Apparently no more than the police.

 

Q: Should schools do more to train students - even the underaged when it comes to riding or driving - in good habits on the roads?

 

A: One would have thought so. I can recall something called the 'Cycling Proficiency Test' when I was a kid. We did the training for it at school. I wasn't allowed to cycle beyond the front street until I had that in my pocket aged 10.

[shackleton]

This subject of accidents involving motorbikes  is well known all over Thailand 

School kids 3 or more riding on the same bike no license not wearing of helmets 

The police don't care I have seen kids driving to school and the police wave them on 

Nothing will happen we will be talking same stuff next year no action 

[FunkyDunky58]

I see kids a lot younger than 14 riding motorbikes. No helmet, riding way too fast, almost always with a similarly aged passenger. The blame lies with the parents that are too lazy and let their kids on a killing machine, and the police that do nothing about it (can't collect money off a young kid). Will never change. 

 

I also see kids in school uniform on their way home from school, with passengers, pulling wheelies on busy streets. Again no helmets. More accidents looking for a place to happen. 

[BKKTRAVELER]

1 hour ago, gungadin1 said:

Yes my wife did a 1 week course and obtained her license.I asked her you have license now can you drive?she said no

Surprisingly, GF's daughter was also the first one to admit she couldn't drive yet. Will need more practice with us on quiet roads. I though she'd want to borrow the car right away, glad she realizes she is not ready yet.

[maddermax]

Lack of both education/training and enforcement. There is no training video for motorcycle drivers when applying for a licence and the police are clearly ignoring such infringements. Begs the question whether they will actually start deducting points for using a phone when the system comes into play next year.

[NE1]

Been here so long , that reports like this do not surprise or bother me.

The only thing that does bother me is , if one of these stupid people falls off their bikes and gets run over or runs into a vehicle , then the vehicle driver is held accountable.

Not neccessary by law , but by the parents and police who think there should be some financial compensation.

 

[Grusa]

When I learned to ride a motorbike, many years ago in UK, it was not possible to ride with less than two hands. One for throttle and brake, one for clutch.

These automatic contraptions have a lot to answer for!

 

 

 

 

[AhFarangJa]

After so many reports like this I seem to be getting immune to it. My only thought was that I was surprised there were only two of them on the bike.

R.I.P. young lady, let down by the society that should be nurturing you.

[shady86]

Only 1 simple answer for all the questions: Life is cheap here. 

[stoner]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The questions this accident raises are many.

these questions were raised 5 years ago. and 10 years ago. and 20 years ago. 

 

most thai people dont have the critical thinking skills needed to operate a motor vehicle in a safe manner. over 90 percent should not be on the road at all. 

 

doubt it ? 

 

go into any large parking lot in thailand. ikea. convention centre etc. look at the parked cars. 98 percent of them are all backed in the parking spot. 

 

why ? 

 

because they were told to in the instruction video at the DMV.

 

kind of spooky. 

 

 

[Fore Man]

Lived here since 2004 and came to the sad conclusion that Thais really don’t believe in preventive measures at all as a key, necessary aspect to ensuring public safety, extending lifespans and improving the quality of their lives. It’s not that they don’t value human life but they are hardwired to be fatalistic and when tragedy strikes from almost any root cause, they accept that it was predestined. 

 

[VocalNeal]

39 minutes ago, BusyB said:

Q: Should such aged children as 14 be riding motorcycles?

 

A: Are you mad?

I believe there are other countries in the world where 14 year-olds are allowed to ride. Eg, Belgium 

[overherebc]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

They should, but you just don't see them around, while driving in the UK

years ago now ,you could bet if you did something wrong ,there would

be a patrol car there to stop you.

 

You have to wonder what the parents are thinking ,letting their kids

drive at that age, and I bet they had no helmets on, cannot mess the hair up

 

regards worgeordie

 

 

 

What makes you think the parents are thinking?

[mrfill]

24 minutes ago, Grusa said:

When I learned to ride a motorbike, many years ago in UK, it was not possible to ride with less than two hands. One for throttle and brake, one for clutch.

These automatic contraptions have a lot to answer for!

 

 

 

 

Indeed, they have liberated many nations. One handed because Soichiro Honda's original specification was that the rider should be able to carry boxes of soba noodles while riding.

 

Perhaps when Cub's and the like first arrived in Thailand in the early 60s, they were regarded as bicycles rather than motorbikes. Decades later this is now regarded as 'tradition' and therefore cannot be changed. This theory would explain some of the odd regulations like being banned from fly-overs etc.

[gerritkaew]

What i see is that the wrong one dye here, not the passenger. 

Hope she get some jail time and pay for the dead off the other one..

[overherebc]

22 minutes ago, stoner said:

these questions were raised 5 years ago. and 10 years ago. and 20 years ago. 

 

most thai people dont have the critical thinking skills needed to operate a motor vehicle in a safe manner. over 90 percent should not be on the road at all. 

 

doubt it ? 

 

go into any large parking lot in thailand. ikea. convention centre etc. look at the parked cars. 98 percent of them are all backed in the parking spot. 

 

why ? 

 

because they were told to in the instruction video at the DMV.

 

kind of spooky. 

 

 

Don't quite follow your idea that backing into a parking space is wrong. It beats coming out backwards where you have to reverse two thirds of your car into possble traffic when only one third of car comes out giving more chance to see left and right of your car if you have reversed in.

[stoner]

1 minute ago, overherebc said:

Don't quite follow your idea that backing into a parking space is wrong. It beats coming out backwards where you have to reverse two thirds of your car into possble traffic when only one third of car comes out giving more chance to see left and right of your car.

its not the backing in. its the heard mentality that makes 98 percent of them do it. go to any western country and the parking is a mix. when it is such a high level to me it indicates a much bigger issue.

 

just my 2 thoughts. 

[Stevemercer]

In my opinion, Thailand has adequate laws on the books. The problem is lack of enforcement.

 

I still feel nervous when riding without a helmet - just a quick dash down the shops - and I pass a policeman. I've never been pulled up, but I know in Australia any cop who saw me would pull me over and I'd be off the road.

 

If the Thai police ran a 'no tolerance' campaign for riding without a helmet (bike stopped, check for other infringements, issued fine and bike locked/stored at owners cost until all fines paid) I reckon the road toll could be halved. 

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, Purdey said:

It seems quite common outside major cities for kids to borrow dad's motorbike from a young age. Some are given them to go to school as we would give a bicycle. The parents will not blame themselves for their child's death and won't learn anything. Even a military coup won't be tough on drivers.

"... Some are given them to go to school as we would give a bicycle.  ..."

 

This is easy enough to explain; the parents don't want to say NO, because they fear their kids won't love them,

 

Same exact reason why many parents will say 'it's school/teachers job to teach kids right from wrong, not my job'.

 

Same exact reason why parents don't punish their tech school sonss (and from other scenarios).

 

Sad

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, skorp13 said:

Should schools do more to train students?

NO ... parents should do more.  Parents raise & protect their children, it is nobody else's responsibility.

 

Those that don't, more likely to attend funerals of, or visit them in prison.  It's worldwide.

In USA, seems parents want to be their kids' friend.  They have plenty of those, they need guidance & discipline.  Don't know W T F happened the last 5 decades, but society has gone to sh!t.

 

It all falls on the parents ... nobody else.

[starky]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

When my Thai son was old enough to get his license he said he had noticed a driving school 10 minutes walk from our condo. I had already offered to teach him to drive but he was keen to go to a professional driving school.

 

He had already found and bought a book of 'Thai Rules of the Road' in both Thai and English. He asked for my comment on the book, I scanned it, (about 20 pages, mostly quite nicely drawn graphics). I was impressed.

 

I suggested he go to the driving school and make enquiries, he did that and announced he would start the next day.

 

Following morning he went to the school, paid for all the lessons, and he quickly discovered the 'manager' he had spoken to the previous day was the only instructor and wasn't all that pleasant.

 

The 'instructor' told my son to get in and back the vehicle out of the compound and onto the outside road. Outside road was 2 lanes only, one way and always a large volume of traffic. This was quite some distance in the yard and between several other vehicles with very little gap between the vehicles, and piles of boxes etc.. The vehicle was an old, big, dirty pick up with the engine continously stopping.

 

Son said 'I've never driven a car before or had any instruction before', which prompted much yelling from the instructor about 'try, try', but with zero instruction.

 

Son got out of the vehicle, and then asked 'are you going to teach me the rules of the road?' Response: 'No this is a driving school and there are no rules of the road so how can I teach you the rules of the road'.

 

Son produced the book of 'The Thai Rules of the Road'. Instructor claimed it was fake and then insisted on my son backing the vehicle out.

 

Son walked out and came home quickly and shared his bad  experience and was quite upset.

 

I then offered again to teach him to drive, to explain the basics of what the pedals actually do, how the brakes work etc., etc., and to spend some hours together to study the rules of the road, best driving behaviors, what / situations to be careful etc.

 

He was a good student and grew keen to ask many questions about how the car worked etc. I encouraged his questions and made sure he always felt comfortable, no yelling or impatience from me ever.

 

About 3 months later he went for the test and got his license. 

Without sounding harsh. We arent speaking of monied people from well educated families that can afford driving lessons and cars for their offspring 

   For the most part we are talking about dirt poor people with a less than rudimentary education that wouldnt get anywhere without the scooter they ride. And truth be told who have very little to live for anyway. Dont project your life onto someone elses its one of the most unpalatable things about these threads. Its a tragedy and could have been avoided by 99% of the posters have zero frame of reference.