A father in tears: 14 year old motorcyclist dies in NE in head on collision with pick-up - she was on the phone

[Bangkok Barry]

7 hours ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

Just to settle the age argument, from Wikipedia:

The minimum age to drive a motor vehicle is 18, and to drive a motorcycle is 15.

 

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_licence_in_Thailand

 

Few in Thailand have any respect for the law - including the police, obviously - because with no enforcement the laws are ignored. The police must be at least partly responsible for tens of thousands of road deaths and injuries a year because of the lack of enforcement. And, bearing in mind that statistics say that around two people an hour die on Thai roads, and 80% are on bikes, this case is just one of the results of non-enforcement and, in this case, the irresponsibility of a parent.

[BangkokReady]

10 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

Agree with you 100%. The "system" I refer to is the one operated by both the Ministry of Transport. the R.T.P. and to a certain extent the schools that should be educating children instead of indoctrinating them.

And parents, friends, etc., of course.

[BangkokReady]

1 minute ago, Bangkok Barry said:

The police must be at least partly responsible for tens of thousands of road deaths and injuries a year because of the lack of enforcement.

They're doing what the public want them to do.  They applaud giving kids jumping jacks and press-ups instead of fines and motorcycle confiscation.  If they started arresting kids and parents and crushing their bikes, the public would soon kick up a fuss and say it's too harsh.

[mberbae]

No, the damage is real. I was parked once when hit by a motorcycle.

The entire trunk needed replacing.

I see phone use by motorcyclists too many times to count.

Unfortunately there is no police presence to do anything about it.

[BangkokReady]

7 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Prostitution only affects those taking part and harms no one as long as there is no underage involved, and no one is forced to do anything against their will.

prostitution is mentally harmful (or a symptom of mental harm) and likely the women would not do it if they did not need the money.  It's quite likely that they feel obligated to do it to support their parents.  It's also going to be harmful to the kids of the prostitute.

[richard_smith237]

23 minutes ago, robtay said:

If I was faced with a situation as the car driver described it, I hope I would have the presence of mind to blow my horn and flash my headlights, as well as hitting the brakes. And try to steer out of her way.

But ultimately, IF you do all that and then come to a stop and the person riding towards you has still not noticed and hit you.... well...  then what ????

 

These incidents will always happen - but they happen more frequently in Thailand because there are so many motorcyclists, so many without helmets, so many young, so many who are not trained, parents don’t understand safety or pass it on to their children, police don’t enforce safety, the general attitudes towards safety are extremely slack....    so many factors...

 

 

But to add to your ‘if I was faced with’ comment... 

I have been faced with....  

 

I family (of 3) riding down the pavement.. swerved off the pavement onto the main road along which I was riding my motorcycle, and road straight towards me... I stopped and hit my horn, I couldn’t swerve because I hadn’t checked my blindspot recently and didn’t want to get cleaned out by passing vehicle.....  Of course, this was all my fault...   the rider of the motorcycle an apparent father of one and husband of another looked at me quite angrily....  I clearly should not have been riding in the correct direction on the correct side of the road !!!!.... 

 

He possibly never realised what he did was wrong or dangerous, he has probability risked the lives of is wife and child numerous times since...... 

 

Sadly, there are simply so many on the roads who are not trained or educated....  this costs lives of many innocents. 

 

The one single thing that nearly every School child will grow up and do is use their own transport, in Thailand, the UK or any other nation. This absence of road safety awareness is a huge failing in so many societies.

 

Why aren’t children taught about road safety here in Thailand ? why aren’t they in the UK ???

Learning to drive / ride safety is far far more useful to any person as a life skill than being able to draw a flower etc...  I’m not suggesting ‘life skills (including driving / riding) should replace other subjects, but it most certainly should be in every curriculum globe wide. 

 

 

 

 

 

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, BangkokReady said:

They're doing what the public want them to do.  They applaud giving kids jumping jacks and press-ups instead of fines and motorcycle confiscation.  If they started arresting kids and parents and crushing their bikes, the public would soon kick up a fuss and say it's too harsh.

The public doesn't have much of a say so in matters here anyway, so it's up to those in charge to make sure the public is safe from itself. You don't have to arrest anyone but fine them for a first offense, and keep a record of all drivers, especially seeing they actually have a  license and are legal to drive, then up the fines for subsequent offenses, like they do most everywhere else. Jumping jacks are a joke, and won't change things. Fines will, as losing money anywhere, and especially here, is a good teacher.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Read the headline again.

The main headline was not on the topic when it was taken from the topics at the right hand side of your screen.

Quite a few posters did not see the headline which said the girl was 14, including me.

[richard_smith237]

4 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

8 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

The police must be at least partly responsible for tens of thousands of road deaths and injuries a year because of the lack of enforcement.

They're doing what the public want them to do.  They applaud giving kids jumping jacks and press-ups instead of fines and motorcycle confiscation.  If they started arresting kids and parents and crushing their bikes, the public would soon kick up a fuss and say it's too harsh.

Agree with both comments... 

 

The Police enable these incidents through lack of enforcement. 

The Police are apathetic towards enforcement because it takes too much effort and causes too much conflict.

[Excel]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Agree with both comments... 

 

The Police enable these incidents through lack of enforcement. 

The Police are apathetic towards enforcement because it takes too much effort and causes too much conflict.

More like not enough money in it for them

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

The public doesn't have much of a say so in matters here anyway, so it's up to those in charge to make sure the public is safe from itself. You don't have to arrest anyone but fine them for a first offense, and keep a record of all drivers, especially seeing they actually have a  license and are legal to drive, then up the fines for subsequent offenses, like they do most everywhere else. Jumping jacks are a joke, and won't change things. Fines will, as losing money anywhere, and especially here, is a good teacher.

I'm not so sure... 

 

Around March we will see some prominent police force figure announced that people cannot ride in the flat-bed of a pickup....  those who do will be charged. 

There will be public outcry, someone else in the police force will overturn the decision / announcement and announced that its ok, for now... 

 

 

Notice how its all gone very quiet about the ’seatbelt law’ (seatbelts in all back seats)...  ???  what about those in the flat bed pick-ups ??... Its too much hassle, too many people complain. 

 

So what happens.... The laws are in place... but people are not stopped from braking them. 

But, when they do and people get upset, the response is ’there was a law’....   

 

Edited August 29, 2022 by richard_smith237

[billd766]

9 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I really do not see what all this has to do with what happened to this poor girl. The law draws a line, and does so to protect people often from themselves. Being a scofflaw has consequences. 

But the laws are NOT enforced by the very people who should do so. The RTP. If they did their job properly in the first place, then IMHO the roads would be much safer and so would the motorcyclists of all ages.

 

If the government did their job properly instead of wasting money on submarines and F45s, they could buy decent helmets and give them to schoolkids, take their ID details and a photo, and then if the school child is caught without a helmet as a rider or a passenger the the motorbike is confiscated for a week and has to be ransomed back form the police.

Edited August 29, 2022 by billd766
Bad spelling

[KhaoYai]

11 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

Agree with you 100%. The "system" I refer to is the one operated by both the Ministry of Transport. the R.T.P. and to a certain extent the schools that should be educating children instead of indoctrinating them.

Not the parents who knew very well she had a motorbike and at 14 years old, should have made sure she had training and drilled it into her that she should use the phone on a bike or maybe even be on a bike at her age???

 

Its all very well blaming the system - and it is very poor and laws not enforced but to my mind, parents should be taking responsibility for all aspects of a 14 year old's life.

Edited August 29, 2022 by KhaoYai

[richard_smith237]

9 minutes ago, billd766 said:

But the laws are NOT enforced by the very people who should do so. The RTP. If they did their job properly in the first place, then IMHO the roads would be much safer and so would the motorcyclists of all ages.

 

If the government did their job properly instead of wasting money on submarines and F45s, they could buy decent helmets and give them to schoolkids, take their ID details and a photo, and then if the school child is caught without a helmet as a rider or a passenger the the motorbike is confiscated for a week and has to be ransomed back form the police.

The issue of course is that when the child's motorcycle is confiscated Somchai complains to Nattawut the PhuYai Baan and they go to the Police station together....  Nattawut points out how the child can no longer get to school....   the police conceded and return the bike...     This happens over and over again, so often that the police ultimately give up.....   

....  Somchai's child and 2 others die 4 weeks later when they hit a lorry at a cross roads.....   

 

Somchai, Nattawut and society in general complain to the Police that they didn’t do enough to stop under-age children riding motorcycle....

 

We read the report on Asean-now... ’Netizens upset as another 3 school children killed on Thai roads’... 

 

 

[KhaoYai]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

We read the report on Asean-now... ’Netizens upset as another 3 school children killed on Thai roads’... 

Yep, and on it goes.

[richard_smith237]

Just now, KhaoYai said:

Not the parents who knew very well she had a motorbike and at 14 years old, should have made sure she had training???

How can you blame the parents if they themselves have no idea its dangerous. 

 

 

 

 

Just now, KhaoYai said:

Its all very well blaming the system - and it is very poor and laws not enforced but to my mind, parents should be taking responsibility for all aspects of a 14 year old's life.

I agree... Given the parents the education so they can make informed decisions. 

Teach todays parents and children about road safety.... 

Todays Children will be tomorrow’s parents who can then pass on that knowledge of road safety along with continued education and TV campaigns etc...

 

When nothing is done, when there are no attempts to educate people its unfair to blame the uneducated....   Should parents be self taught about road safety ?... perhaps they are more mature and know a little more, but do they really ???

 

What about TV campaigns at prime time.. i.e. 1 min at each commercial break on TV... just a start. 

Education reform - insist schools teach children road safety. 

 

We may not stop 15 year olds riding bikes - we can teach them to do so more safety. 

We may not stop 13 and 14 year olds riding bikes, but we can do more to stop them and / or teach them to ride more carefully and safety. 

We will not stop every incident, but inroads can be made to make improvements. 

[blackshadow]

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Why should she not have been on the bike? Where does it mention her age? Was the bike a 110cc?

it stated that a 14 year old girl.....on her phone smashed in to a nissan.....go read the report !!!!

[billd766]

9 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Yep, and on it goes.

But it doesn't have to, IF the police did their job properly in the first place.

[Mac Mickmanus]

8 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

How can you blame the parents if they themselves have no idea its dangerous. 

 

Its common sense to know that motorbikes are dangerous . 

You don't need to be taught things like that 

[BangkokReady]

45 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

The public doesn't have much of a say so in matters here anyway

I'm sure it might seem that way sometimes, but the authorities take a fair amount of notice of public opinion in Thailand.

[NoshowJones]

16 minutes ago, blackshadow said:

it stated that a 14 year old girl.....on her phone smashed in to a nissan.....go read the report !!!!

and you go and read my other posts on this topic.

[ripstanley]

11 hours ago, ozz1 said:

I see this every day on the phone no helmet but they have a mask on!  more education needed for young riders they think they are bullet proof unfortunately

All Thai riders should be educated. They do not look but expect that they can do want they wants as cars  will give way to them. 

[richard_smith237]

21 minutes ago, billd766 said:

But it doesn't have to, IF the police did their job properly in the first place.

But this ‘ideology’ we all have is a somewhat over simplified dumbing down of the issue at hand. 

 

Why don’t the police do their job properly in the first place ?

They’re not paid enough ?

Why not ? not enough government funds ? no enough tax paid ?

Government buying Submarines ?

Or... can’t do there job as locals will rise up and complain at police stations ?

It will cause bad publicity, station bosses will be told to calm down their efforts ?

 

Once the surface is scratched... How would any of us deal with these issues ?

We’d fail pretty quickly...   How would we get 230,000 police officers across the nation to change their attitudes over night ?

 

Ultimately, there needs to be a whole cultural shift towards road safety... 

 

If the nation could somehow be convinced they’d catch Covid-19 by driving / riding poorly the death toll and accident rate would plummet.... 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2022 by richard_smith237

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

23 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

How can you blame the parents if they themselves have no idea its dangerous. 

 

Its common sense to know that motorbikes are dangerous . 

You don't need to be taught things like that 

YOU and I don’t need to be taught things like this... but you’ve still over simplified the point. 

 

 

Many parents are very poorly educated, they won’t think twice about their child riding a motorcycle at 12 or 13 years old because thats what they all do. Its the norm, they won’t second guess this...

 

So.. many of these parents need help from those who do know better... They need to be taught for themselves and their children that riding without a helmet is more dangerous, riding with one hand is dangerous, riding while using the phone is dangerous, going through red lights, going through cross roads, pulling out without looking etc etc....  There is a lot which can be taught much of which to you and I is simply common sense......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NanLaew]

11 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe it's easy for me to say this, I grew up without a mobile phone and a bike with clutch and I had both my hands maybe 99% of the time on the handlebar.

Now I still have both my hands 99% of the time on the handlebar. For me, that is the only way to ride a bike.

If I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket and if I expect an urgent and important phone call, then I stop my bike and then take the phone out. Why? Because that just the way it feels secure to do that. I wouldn't want to have a phone in my hand while riding. And I definitely wouldn't want to look at a phone at the same time when I look at the road.

Why do mostly younger people do that?

I guess if they try that for the first time, they must feel uncomfortable and realize they can only concentrate on one of the other. And after they (tried to) brake hard the first time they should also realize that braking hard with one hand on the handlebar just doesn't work.

So why do they still continue with that dangerous habit?

IMHO people who do this must be intellectually challenged, otherwise they wouldn't do it. 

You make good points and pose sound questions. As for them feeling uncomfortable using the phone while riding a bike, this must either bother only a few or is quickly dispelled as there's more teenagers and young folks zipping around with their phone firmly in their hand or stuck to their ear.

 

As for the loss of braking effort, there are no lessons being learned when they find that their braking and stopping is severely impaired but they come out of a tight situation unscathed. The lesson should be learned when 'that was close' is replaced by a collision but if only the paint is scraped, the footpeg bent and another unused rear view mirror is shorn off, then it's climb back on and off like a bat out of hell, angrily shaking their head while scrolling to find their dropped conversation on their phone. The big lesson is when it ends badly like in the OP but it is the wrong person that is learning it.

[digger70]

RIP Young Lady. 

One can talk till Satan turns Hell into a swimming pool.

No matter what we say is going to change the people how they think and how they Don't care .People young and older will die because Nothing gets done about this . 

Parents Will let their kids ride bikes ,No license They are too Young, No Helmet. 

The Government isn't doing Anything to make the Police do their job to enforce the Laws 24/7  

So what's the use , Let it be.

[xtrnuno41]

I was thinking some years ago here in Thaivisaforum then, you could see a mother on a motorbike, in front of her a very big with goods, on top of that one was a child.

Mum was driving with just one hand and in the other she holds a...PHONE.

Of course both not with a helmet.

It was recorded from a car beside her, the driver while driving holding the ...phone.

OK yha. Well couldnt find it anymore, but maybe you remember.

Well look at his movie then in Thailand:

 

 

[ikke1959]

Mobile phones I have said many years ago are the worst invention ever... Sure here in Thailand when people drive a vehicle it seems that they only have eyes for their phone and not for the traffic. No wonder so many accidents as there also no education of traffic rules. Not in Prathom school and in Mattayom schools. as soon as kids can sit on a motorcycle the parents let the kid ride even in 5th grade or younger, because it easy that they can go to the shop or to school. No police enforcement and no awareness of parents about dangers on the road for these kids. And than complaining if accidents happen and the Government that there are not enough births as the people are aging..... Sad for everyone to loose somebody, but the solutions for prevention of this kind of accidents is education, awareness, and law enforcement( and not by paying a small fine but fines that really hurt in the wallet)

[brianthainess]

There you go, parents who let kids drive M/C, with no helmets, on phone, this is what you get, dead children. no doubt be reading the same again soon.

[SuwadeeS]

Give a Honda Wave to a 14 years young child.

How, uneducated the father must be.

..  and after the kid died he cries.

Many lifes could be saved, by strikly enforcing the traffic law.

I know, ...Thailand will never change or improve