Thailand’s dangerous road status confirmed – again!

[webfact]

 

by Editor

 

The Zutobi, which is a driver’s education portal website that publishes a new score annually, has reported that Thailand scored badly on five different factors to rank it on second on the list of most dangerous nations to drive in.

 

The factors were estimated road death rates, maximum motorway speed limits, seat-belt wearing rates, alcohol-related deaths, and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits.

 

The world’s safest countries for driving this year have seen little change from the previous year. For the second year in a row, Norway is the safest country in the world for driving, while runners up Iceland and Estonia ranked in last year’s top five safest countries.

 

Switzerland rose into the top ten countries with the safest roads, up three places from last year.

 

The most dangerous countries for driving have remained consistent since last year, with the three most dangerous seeing no change. 

 

Zutobi ranked Thailand in second spot behind South Africa. The United States was third.

 

The full report and complete country rankings can be seen at https://zutobi.com/static/assets/the-worlds-safest-roads/common/safest-roads-zutobi-2021.pdf

 

What can be done to avoid road accidents and unnecessary road fatalities?

 

Zutobi says that first of all drivers should be aware of the main reasons accidents occur – by narrowing the list down to the major reasons, drivers can also focus specifically on not making those mistakes.

 

Major reasons include speeding, distracted driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, and lack of scanning, among other things. Government awareness campaigns can also help educate drivers to avoid these behaviors.

 

Second, drivers also need to have proper knowledge of driving safety practices and the rules of the road before beginning to drive. A good way of attaining a proper foundation is by reading driving theory and doing practice tests.

 

Thailand saw a total of 32,190 road accidents in 2020 and 2021, mostly involving pickups, according to the Transport Ministry.

 

According to the Ministry of Transport’s Data Catalogue, motorcycles did not cause the most accidents as many assumed, however the Ministry information does not relate to injuries or fatalities.   

 

Most accidents that happened in 2020 and 2021 involved pickup trucks (37 per cent), followed by a category of private and public vehicles (27 per cent).

 

Key interesting statistics from the ministry’s Data Catalogue include:

 

Types of vehicles in accidents:

– Pickups (37%)

– Private and public vehicles (27%)

– Motorcycles (20%)

– Trucks with at least 10 wheels (8%)

– Six-wheel trucks (6%)

– Vans (2%)

 

Types of roads where most accidents happened:

– Straight-ahead roads without slope (70%)

– Curves without slope (13%)

– Curves with slope (8%)

– Bridges to commercial venues (3%)

– Intersections (1%)

 

Types of accidents:

– Overturning on or skidding off straight-ahead roads (43%)

– Rear crash (31%)

– Overturning or skidding off curved roads (13%)

– Head-on crashes (5%)

– Crashing into traffic barriers (4%)

– Crashing at intersections (2%)

– Hitting pedestrians (2%)

 

Causes of accidents:

– Violation of speed limit (78%)

– Being cut in front by pedestrians, vehicles or animals (8%)

– Falling asleep behind wheel (4%)

– Drunk driving (3%)

– Violations of traffic lights or signs or vehicles malfunctioning (2%)

– Unlawfully overtaking other vehicles, not allowing vehicles on main road to pass first, or not familiar with roads (1%).

 

Source: https://royalcoastreview.com/2022/08/thailands-dangerous-road-status-confirmed-again/

 

-- © Copyright Royal Coast Review 2022-08-03

 

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[Dmaxdan]

  On 8/2/2022 at 11:20 PM, webfact said:

Types of roads where most accidents happened:

– Straight-ahead roads without slope (70%)

– Curves without slope (13%)

– Curves with slope (8%)

– Bridges to commercial venues (3%)

– Intersections (1%)

Expand  

It is mind boggling that straight roads without a slope prove to so challenging!

[ikke1959]

Disappointing as Thailand always want to be the first in the world.. A second place is not good.. 

[Artisi]

  On 8/2/2022 at 11:52 PM, ikke1959 said:

Disappointing as Thailand always want to be the first in the world.. A second place is not good.. 

Expand  

The little general and cohorts are currently working hard on the problem but marijuana and 2 finger salutes are occupying most of their (short) attention span at the moment.    

[mikesil]

The leaders in each category:

• Types of roads where most accidents happened:
• – Straight-ahead roads without slope (70%)
•  
• Types of accidents:
• – Overturning on or skidding off straight-ahead roads (43%)
• – Rear crash (31%)
•  
• Causes of accidents:
• – Violation of speed limit (78%)

This says it all.  There's no highway patrol.

[StayinThailand2much]

  On 8/2/2022 at 11:20 PM, webfact said:

Zutobi ranked Thailand in second spot behind South Africa.

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What? Not #1 yet??

[Excel]

  On 8/2/2022 at 11:43 PM, Dmaxdan said:

It is mind boggling that straight roads without a slope prove to so challenging!

Expand  

Most things are challenging to many Thai drivers, predominately the males driving pick-ups who are clueless in vehicle control and safe driving.

[Excel]

  On 8/3/2022 at 12:19 AM, StayinThailand2much said:

What? Not #1 yet??

Expand  

Because they only count the dead at the scene of the accident. If they count those that died as a result of an accident then no doubt they would score top marks and be number one.

[2long]

  On 8/2/2022 at 11:43 PM, Dmaxdan said:

It is mind boggling that straight roads without a slope prove to so challenging!

Expand  

Not to me it's not (even though I know you write with irony????)

Almost daily on Ratchapruek Road a local driver somehow manages to crash on a straight, level dry road in broad daylight. We all know the actual cause..

[Ralf001]

  On 8/3/2022 at 12:05 AM, mikesil said:

This says it all.  There's no highway patrol.

Expand  

There is highway patrol, I see them daily with vehicles pulled over on my commute to and from work up and down the 7 motorway.

 

What you should have posted is there is not enough highway patrol.

[Bangkok Barry]

  On 8/2/2022 at 11:43 PM, Dmaxdan said:

It is mind boggling that straight roads without a slope prove to so challenging!

Expand  

I live on a straight road without a slope, and in the 10 years or so that I've lived where I do there have been about 20 accidents - I've lost count now - some of which have involved death and amputation and all within 500 metres of my house.

[Bangkok Barry]

  On 8/3/2022 at 12:30 AM, Ralf001 said:

  On 8/3/2022 at 12:05 AM, mikesil said:

This says it all.  There's no highway patrol.

Expand  

There is highway patrol, I see them daily with vehicles pulled over on my commute to and from work up and down the 7 motorway.

 

What you should have posted is there is not enough highway patrol.

Expand  

I think the poster meant Highway Patrols that patrol, rather than park and do nothing.

[Ralf001]

  On 8/3/2022 at 12:37 AM, Bangkok Barry said:

I think the poster meant Highway Patrols that patrol, rather than park and do nothing.

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Iam talking about the ones I see pulling vehicles over.

 

and yes I have proof.... however I could not be bothered to post up my dash cam footage cause Iam sure posters will scream <deleted> and call me a liar.

[daveAustin]

  On 8/3/2022 at 12:21 AM, Excel said:

Most things are challenging to many Thai drivers, predominately the males driving pick-ups who are clueless in vehicle control and safe driving.

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Pickups are bad but I’ve found the worst for causing accidents to be female motorcyclists wandering across the road without looking. Oftentimes cannot turn head or look in the mirror. Mind boggling. 

[Excel]

  On 8/3/2022 at 12:51 AM, daveAustin said:

Pickups are bad but I’ve found the worst for causing accidents to be female motorcyclists wandering across the road without looking. Oftentimes cannot turn head or look in the mirror. Mind boggling. 

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I must be lucky in all my years here I have never seen a female motorcyclist cause an accident that I witnessed.  You must have witnessed many such accidents to make that post of yours.  So exactly how many accidents caused by lady motorcyclists did you witness exactly and did you stop to help at any time ?

[VincentRJ]

What I find amazing is that the USA is the third worst. South Africa is the worst. Thailand is the 2nd worst and the USA is the third worst. Crikey!

[law ling]

Unlike other jurisdictions, Thailand's scores are possibly pushed up with so many under-age riders here.

[Bkk Brian]

  On 8/3/2022 at 1:33 AM, law ling said:

Unlike other jurisdictions, Thailand's scores are possibly pushed up with so many under-age riders here.

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Could well be the opposite:

 

"According to the Ministry of Transport’s Data Catalogue, motorcycles did not cause the most accidents as many assumed, however the Ministry information does not relate to injuries or fatalities" 

 

They do not have the full figures for deaths with motorbikes, only accidents.

[lujanit]

  On 8/2/2022 at 11:20 PM, webfact said:

Major reasons include speeding, distracted driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, and lack of scanning, among other things.

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Playing with phone is right up there as number one distraction.

[greenmonkey]

  On 8/3/2022 at 12:51 AM, daveAustin said:

Pickups are bad but I’ve found the worst for causing accidents to be female motorcyclists wandering across the road without looking. Oftentimes cannot turn head or look in the mirror. Mind boggling. 

Expand  

...that's because they are usually using facebook on their phone!

 

[greenmonkey]

Just yesterday I drove to collect my son from school about a 30 minute round trip. I experienced 3 motorcyclists driving head on towards my car (before swerving to avoid me) because they were either looking at their phone or looking elsewhere (apart from in front of them). Absolutely unbelievable how bad the drivers here are... the attention spans are just non existent!

[greenmonkey]

  On 8/3/2022 at 1:20 AM, VincentRJ said:

What I find amazing is that the USA is the third worst. South Africa is the worst. Thailand is the 2nd worst and the USA is the third worst. Crikey!

Expand  

yeah that surprised me too. People say that Thailand's roads are so dangerous because the police not policing and yet in the USA the police are 'policing' (or so I am guessing) and still many accidents. Any Americans here that can shed some light on why/how the USA got third? Be interested to know...

[Boomer6969]

  On 8/3/2022 at 1:20 AM, VincentRJ said:

What I find amazing is that the USA is the third worst.

Expand  

Was my reaction too. I reckon it completely discredits this report. Coming from Europe to the US I have always found it easy to adapt to local traffic, and feel even safer than home.

[richard_smith237]

  On 8/3/2022 at 1:20 AM, VincentRJ said:

What I find amazing is that the USA is the third worst. South Africa is the worst. Thailand is the 2nd worst and the USA is the third worst. Crikey!

Expand  

There is something odd about the way they work out the score. 

 

On that list alone there are 17 countries with a higher road fatality numbers (per 100,000 people) than the USA.

 

On that list there are also only 3 other countries with fewer road fatality numbers (per 100,000 people) than the UK which according to the list comes in at 24th safest country. 

 

The weighting given to other facets of road safety clearly alters generates a misleading result as far as the USA, UK and other countries are concerned.

 

That said, on the list provided, Thailand does have the highest number of road fatalities (per 100,000 people) which remains a damning stat for anyone in a position of decision making and policy impacting power who actually cares. 

 

This map shows the road fatalities per 100,000 people:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

  On 8/3/2022 at 1:33 AM, law ling said:

Unlike other jurisdictions, Thailand's scores are possibly pushed up with so many under-age riders here.

Expand  

And the sheer number of motorcyclists many of whom are not wearing helmets. 

75% of road fatalities in Thailand are motorcyclists.

 

Thus: IF Thailand had a better handle on training and education of motorcyclists inroads could be made. 

 

The US has it right with driver education in schools. 

In our schools we are taught so many different subjects, yet key life skills are not taught.

Subjects such water safety, life saving and first aid skills are not taught.

 

Pretty much everyone will grow up to drive a car or ride a motorcycle...  Adding road safety to a national syllabus could make a significant benefit to Thailands road safety stats, but not only Thailand else where in many of our home countries too. 

 

IF helmet laws were taken seriously (as seriously as the mask regulations !) and were effectively policed, the stats would be brought down significantly. As an estimate I would guess that at least 1/3rd of motorcycle accidents result in avoidable death simply through the lack of wearing proper-helmet (not a plastic big-c jobby which should be banned). 

 

Ultimately until road safety is taken seriously by those in positions of decision making and policy impacting power nothing will be done... And by 'policy impacting power’, I mean the power to impact policy within police forces forcing them to effectively police their road using population. 

 

When was the last time we saw a police bike or car pull over a motorcyclist for not wearing a helmet, jumping a light, riding dangerously etc etc...  (not road blocks)....

 

Perhaps ultimately, those in positions of power don’t care because those at greatest risk are those poor feckless souls occupying the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder - a sad blight on the mindset of the nation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cake Monster]

Who could possibly believe only 3 % of accidents are caused through " Drunk Driving "

This is the stat that makes a mockery of the whole thing.

[ozz1]

Yes motorbikes no helmets, on the phone,3 or more on the bike, children in their arms , but police see nothing it's a shame if they can't get money out of it they don't care

[jacko45k]

  On 8/3/2022 at 12:56 AM, Excel said:

I must be lucky in all my years here I have never seen a female motorcyclist cause an accident that I witnessed.  You must have witnessed many such accidents to make that post of yours.  So exactly how many accidents caused by lady motorcyclists did you witness exactly and did you stop to help at any time ?

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I can hold my hand up here......????

[SuwadeeS]

As we all know the dark figure in Thailand is even higher.

So Thailand is the winner again. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

 

It would be so simple to fix this problem.

Slowly, I start beliving, the do not want to fix this issue.

 

[Kaopad999]

These statistics do not  surprise me in the slightest.  It's nearly ALWAYS the idiots in pickups in this country.

I just wonder why ?