New traffic law that requires all passengers in vehicles to wear seat belts

[snoop1130]

 

A new traffic law that requires all passengers in vehicles, including backseat passengers, to wear seat belts throughout the journey is put into effect today, September 5th. This also includes the requirement of a kids car seat for children under six years old.

 

Additionally, passengers who are under 135 centimeters tall must wear a seat belt or use a special seat at all times to prevent injuries in case of an accident. Violators could face a maximum fine of 2,000 baht, according to the new Land Traffic Act published in the Royal Gazette in May.

 

Today, several new traffic laws have also been implemented with increases in fines and punishment, said Police Major General Preecha Charoensatanon of the Traffic Police.

 

Full Story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/09/05/new-traffic-law-that-requires-all-passengers-in-vehicles-to-wear-seat-belts-and-several-traffic-regulations-put-into-effect-today/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-09-05

 

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[transam]

Can you imagine all those people carrying pick-ups having seat belts in the rear tray........????...................????

[worgeordie]

What about the bed of a pickup full of workers , is that still allowed,

no mention of it,

regards worgeordie

[ThailandRyan]

Sure it does, but they have already indicated it will not be enforced for those riding in the back of the trucks, nor will they be enforcing the childseat portion.  Such a farce.  Yesterday on our way back from Hua Hin, a car blew by us at about 160 and right on by the Highway Police car in front and to the left of us.  No effort to stop the speeder.  Then as we approached BKK on 35, people were forcing there way past the cars in the lanes by driving in the small lane to the left and the same to the right, making the 2 lanes into 4, and again driving past the Motorcycle police officers.....guess I can drive buck <deleted> naked.....

[Dmaxdan]

33 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

What about the bed of a pickup full of workers , is that still allowed,

no mention of it,

regards worgeordie

A new law has been proposed to limit the amount of people who can legally ride in the back of a pickup to six......or is it sixty? It's one of the two anyway!

[Jerno]

Pass laws and no enforcement, or so selective enforcement that it's another opportunity for certain Officers to simply flaunt their authority.  No political will however overhaul the RTP that is badly needed.

[Kenny202]

If you lived where I am Isaan its just ludicrous. Many people have babies in motorbike sidecars. Only transport they have so their is no choice. Even police put people in the back of open pick ups. Yet to get in a taxi or van here where the seatbelts were even there let alone functional. Ludicrous and unworkable

Edited September 5, 2022 by Kenny202

[IvorBiggun2]

17 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

Only transport they have so their is no choice.

Can you imagine trying to pull that one in a developed country? There is always a choice.

[ikke1959]

making a law is one thing enforce it is another... Today 5 September heavy fines for no helmets... We were on the road a lot, but haven;t seen 1 policeman, but a lot of people with no helmets. Same will be for seatbelts. How can you oblige people in the car to wear a seatbelt as in the back of the car the rest of the family/friends/workers are sitting/laying without anything?? Means that if you don't want to wear a belt go sit in the back and no problems??? where will it be enforced only highways and not provincial and secondary roads?? How about cars which are already seems to be 50 years old? 

[IvorBiggun2]

It's just another law for the RTP to use in their armoury to obtain money.

[AsianAtHeart]

18 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

making a law is one thing enforce it is another... Today 5 September heavy fines for no helmets... We were on the road a lot, but haven;t seen 1 policeman, but a lot of people with no helmets. Same will be for seatbelts. How can you oblige people in the car to wear a seatbelt as in the back of the car the rest of the family/friends/workers are sitting/laying without anything?? Means that if you don't want to wear a belt go sit in the back and no problems??? where will it be enforced only highways and not provincial and secondary roads?? How about cars which are already seems to be 50 years old? 

I'm for freedom of choice.  Seatbelts do more good than harm, but sometimes they can kill or injure.  To my mind, driving situations differ in the relative risks of wearing them or not wearing them.  In town, at low speeds, I'd feel safer without one.  On the highway, at high speeds, it's likely safer to wear it.  Passing through mountainous or watery terrains, I'd prefer to go without.  I've seen situations where people's lives were saved because they were NOT wearing a seatbelt, such as when a whole van with 16 people plunged off a logging bridge (not a high-quality bridge, and low to the water) into a river--all 15 of those wearing seatbelts perished, the one passenger without a belt managed to escape.  I do believe that these situations tend to occur less often than the other way around, but I think people should have freedom to choose for themselves.

 

So I'm happy if the traffic laws on seatbelts are not fastidiously enforced.

Edited September 5, 2022 by AsianAtHeart

[Bobtheblob]

Yet another pointless announcement by the rtp. 

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

How about cars which are already seems to be 50 years old? 

Cars registered before 1st January 1988 are exempted.

[JackGats]

What about first a law requiring vehicles to have usable seat-belts ?

[kevc]

And next month they're going to send a man to the moon.

[mrfill]

Including everybody on buses and, presumably no standing passengers.

Or do they mean some passengers in some vehicles?

[jacko45k]

13 hours ago, transam said:

Can you imagine all those people carrying pick-ups having seat belts in the rear tray........????...................????

Yet to see a seat belt in a song taew. 

[2baht]

I can't wait to see how they fit 15 seatbelts in the tray of a pickup!

[ChrisKC]

This new ruling will mean throngs of traffic police everywhere we go enforcing it all - maybe. 

 

But out and about yesterday, on the first day, I didn't see anything that looked like a policeman. 

[malibukid]

13 hours ago, worgeordie said:

What about the bed of a pickup full of workers , is that still allowed,

no mention of it,

regards worgeordie

their expendable Burmese workers hired on the cheap

Edited September 5, 2022 by malibukid

[ChrisY1]

13 hours ago, worgeordie said:

What about the bed of a pickup full of workers , is that still allowed,

no mention of it,

regards worgeordie

There would be civil war if the government banned people in the pick-up bin!

[mikebell]

The compulsory wearing of seat belts in cars which have them is unenforceable.  There is another law about black windscreens which is similarly ignored (till the end of the month in desperate times.)  Police cannot see in until the driver deigns to wind down his window allowing enough time for his passengers time to rectify the situation; same with using the phone whilst driving.

[Stargeezr]

Hey all you posters, do not forget that it is Thailand that you are talking about, and a lot of Thai

people do not have the money that you all have, or you would not be staying in Thailand year round.

  Baby steps are better than no steps at all.  Just saying the obvious. I chatted with some expats who

were grousing about the Thais and their problems, as it turned out these expats were making almost 100 thousand

US dollar a year in retirement. I reminded them just how well off they were, and they got upset with me

showing them, their ignorance.

[Robert Tyrrell]

Good Morning,

 

if it’s anything like wearing helmets or having dozens in the back of a open pick-up trucks then this is hilarious ???? 

The other day at the RTP training center in ChoHo Thailand dozens !!! Of police leaving the compound with no helmets being worn at ALL !! 
RTP Set the example before you start looking to enforce laws and rules !  

[tandor]

14 hours ago, transam said:

Can you imagine all those people carrying pick-ups having seat belts in the rear tray........????...................????

..one could argue 'in' is inside and 'on' is on the cargo tray..i would like to read the fully amended Land Traffic Act first!  ????

[thailand49]

11 hours ago, AsianAtHeart said:

I'm for freedom of choice.  Seatbelts do more good than harm, but sometimes they can kill or injure.  To my mind, driving situations differ in the relative risks of wearing them or not wearing them.  In town, at low speeds, I'd feel safer without one.  On the highway, at high speeds, it's likely safer to wear it.  Passing through mountainous or watery terrains, I'd prefer to go without.  I've seen situations where people's lives were saved because they were NOT wearing a seatbelt, such as when a whole van with 16 people plunged off a logging bridge (not a high-quality bridge, and low to the water) into a river--all 15 of those wearing seatbelts perished, the one passenger without a belt managed to escape.  I do believe that these situations tend to occur less often than the other way around, but I think people should have freedom to choose for themselves.

 

So I'm happy if the traffic laws on seatbelts are not fastidiously enforced.

Good opinion but that is the reason for the problem here! 

You must have a crystal ball as to when it is safe and not which translate you know exactly the result will be if you were to wear one or not. 

Laws are pull in for s reason sadly Thailand like to copy other countries but don't have the necessary police system to enforce.

 

Rules are put in for a reason so if there is a minicus of a chance it happens.

 

 

 

[Canuckluck]

 One has to appreciate Thailand's efforts to raise their road safety standards, but it won't happen overnight.

 Hard to break driving habits that are ingrained today, gotta get 'em when their young and impressionable before real change can happen.

 

 

[Flink]

12 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

making a law is one thing enforce it is another... Today 5 September heavy fines for no helmets... We were on the road a lot, but haven;t seen 1 policeman, but a lot of people with no helmets. Same will be for seatbelts. How can you oblige people in the car to wear a seatbelt as in the back of the car the rest of the family/friends/workers are sitting/laying without anything?? Means that if you don't want to wear a belt go sit in the back and no problems??? where will it be enforced only highways and not provincial and secondary roads?? How about cars which are already seems to be 50 years old? 

Let's be honest, with so many vehicles with heavy tint on the windows how can the police even see if the driver and passengers are wearing seatbelts. There's a damn good reason most countries limit the degree of tint permitted on side and fronfront side windows and/or ban the tinting of windscreens. Hard to enforce a law if you can't see it's being broken.

[D M G]

6 Sep Jomtien

[ThaiFelix]

Everyone must wear a belt?  Gee, its going to be hard installing seat belts on the roof of songthaews for the school kids.