Seven Deadly Days of Songkran Road Accident Update in Thailand

[watchcat]

1 hour ago, oldestswinger said:

I think that I read some time ago that the figures for road deaths only include those dead at the scene. Anyone succumbing later, e.g. in hospital, is not included.

Yes, the government try to keep the death numbers down

Edited April 14, 2023 by watchcat

[digger70]

7 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Need some decent comparisons i.e. normal daily accidents, otherwise it's just misleading info

Thailand’s roads are the deadliest in Southeast Asia and among the worst in the world, according to the World Health Organisation. About 20,000 people die in road accidents each year, or about 56 deaths a day.

[2009]

6 hours ago, it is what it is said:

 

why does the media, persist with inaccurate reporting, statistically there is very little difference in the number of accidents during songkran compared to the rest of the year, in fact the number occasionally goes down.

Got any facts or credible source for this?

 

You know, as per the forum rules.

[Andrew65]

7 hours ago, kwilco said:

the generally used figure for daily DEATHS is around 60.

 

THe most common (mis?)-used statistic is deaths per 100k of population.

Most other relevant figures are either ignored or unavailable.

3 categories of injury - minor, serious fatal.

Deaths per 100k vehicles

Per mile travelled

traffic density

these and other factors give a far more accurate picture of the situation.

Isn't "methodology" a thing here? Who knows whether it's true or not if road deaths are only counted if the victim expires at the scene of the accident. If that were true Thailand would be number 1 in the world for road deaths (after Libya?).

Is that true or is it one of the many "urban myths" that are so prevalent in Thailand?

[kwilco]

1 hour ago, Andrew65 said:

Who knows whether it's true or not if road deaths are only counted if the victim expires at the scene of the accident.

This is a myth.

The police release statistics day by day over Songkhran so it is likely they are "dead at scene".

However they are not the only or even the main source of statistics. Hospitals and insurance companies are also sources.

In most statistics  there is NO limit on when a person dies so they can't really be analysed properly until some time after.

But just looking at deaths doesn't give a very accurate overall picture of what is happening anyway.

Real Rroad safety stats divide injuries into 3 categories...fatal, severe and minor....the Thai stats fail to do this.

They also don't give out deaths per 100k of population or per 100k vehicles on the road.

The nature of traffic during public holidays is quite different too.

For instance heavy goods vehicles are banned over the period in Thailand.

One also needs to consider the proportion of M/Cs to car over the holiday and the average length of journey. How different is this to an average day?

Many people make long trips home to visit family so the traffic is heaviest at the beginning and end of the holiday.

The there is the suggestion that "cutting in" is a cause of accidents. This is a highly questionable criteria and one wonders how this conclusion can be drawn scientifically especially so soon after an accident. It is just an example of how badly incidents are analysed.

We can safely conclude that the death rate is too high in Thailand, but given the rank amateurs who are reporting on these incidents, it is nigh on impossible to make any rational conclusions or constructive proposals for the future 

[PB172111]

4 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Clearly no from the numbers. More traffic, slower traffic on average, jams and gridlocks.

 

Also not true for big cities in the west. Too much traffic does not cause deadly accidents.

More deadly on open rural highways (if one can speed).

Apologies, what I meant was more traffic on the rural roads between towns. Just finished a 4000k trip up North and the rural main roads were very busy. Plus saw a few accidents on the way. Cheers

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

15 hours ago, kwilco said:

the generally used figure for daily DEATHS is around 60.

 

THe most common (mis?)-used statistic is deaths per 100k of population.

Most other relevant figures are either ignored or unavailable.

3 categories of injury - minor, serious fatal.

Deaths per 100k vehicles

Per mile travelled

traffic density

these and other factors give a far more accurate picture of the situation.

Very true, and they don't count the ones who die a few days later from their injuries.

[kwilco]

2 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Very true, and they don't count the ones who die a few days later from their injuries.

THer is no limit on being counted as a road death - but obviously if you publish the figures at the end of the day, you can't count those in hospital etc.

THis is noe reason why in well-organised countries road stats include the 3 categories - minor, serious and fatal.

[K2938]

15 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

The story/report highlights why we never drive any great distances in LOS. The road behaviour here, even locally, is so very dangerous indeed.

This is why we drive a solid, high safety rating, large SUV. No bikes here EVER now.

The number of road deaths is of course a total disgrace.  But about 80% of the deaths are motorcyclists.  So as long as you only drive by car, then things actually do not look so bad.  Worse than Western countries, but not off the charts

[K2938]

2 hours ago, 2009 said:

You said that there aren't more road fatalities during Songkran compared to other times of the year, yet it's too difficult for you to show where you got that "fact" from.

Look up the total number of road deaths per annum in Thailand via Google, divide by 365 and compare with the Songkran / New Year numbers.  I actually did this sometime in the past and indeed the numbers are not really much inflated compared to the rest of the year

[it is what it is]

6 minutes ago, K2938 said:

Look up the total number of road deaths per annum in Thailand via Google, divide by 365 and compare with the Songkran / New Year numbers.  I actually did this sometime in the past and indeed the numbers are not really much inflated compared to the rest of the year

yes, easy calculation anyone can do, the figures during songkran are similar to the annual figures, occasionally going down...

 

the media, and this site, always get on the 'seven deadly days' bandwagon that statisticaly doesn't exist.

[wealthychef]

On 4/14/2023 at 4:25 AM, 2baht said:

Most were caused by excessive speeding (41 percent)

Maybe the researchers and I have a different understanding of what "most" means.  

[wealthychef]

14 hours ago, K2938 said:

Look up the total number of road deaths per annum in Thailand via Google, divide by 365 and compare with the Songkran / New Year numbers.  I actually did this sometime in the past and indeed the numbers are not really much inflated compared to the rest of the year

I'm also curious how road deaths compare to pollution-related deaths in Thailand.  Distraction?  

[metisdead]

Some "sealioning" troll posts and the replies have been removed.

[Lokie]

On 4/14/2023 at 2:43 AM, fittobethaied said:

During the past 13 years I have observed several mothers and fathers teaching their underage children to drive a motorbike around our village, having no license and never wearing a helmet. From a very young age, they are being taught that rules and laws don't matter, so how else should we expect them to act when they become adults. 

Yes but rules on helmets appear not to apply to Thais as I witnessed a few days ago in Patong, observing the BIBs on daily morning helmet/licence check duty - Jct of Bangla rd/ Soi Sansabai & 200 Pee rd - All Farangs stopped with no helmets (and rightly so, then asked for licence again rightly so) Two lots of fines right there for most

 

No Thais were stopped with no helmets and up to 3 persons on bikes, trickled through right passed said farangs who were getting written fines... 

Alos to not there was far more Thais riding without helmets than Farang, so obvs BIBs are doing a good job (at least cutting down on amount of Farang Nut Jobs anyway

 

I do Random observations every few mths to see if any rules have changed but Nope Farangs ware an helmet, Thai no worry is ok (wonder how many actually have a licence ???) 555