One motorcyclist dead every hour - RTP turn to cute cop to get bikers/pillion passengers to wear helmets

[webfact]

Picture: Siam Rath

 

The Royal Thai Police have turned to their new spokeswoman to try and stop the carnage on the roads that sees at least one motorcyclist dead EVERY hour day and night.

 

Lt-Col (lady) Dr Naphawan Panya and her also cute pillion passenger were in proper helmets for the photo-shoot.

 

It was revealed in a Siam Rath story that 4,478 deaths occurred on the Thai roads from January 1st to April 11th.

 

Of these 79% were motorcycle riders or their pillion passengers.

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

An infographic called on people to get a full face quality helmet that fits well. It should be bright for nighttime visibility and changed every 3 - 5 years.

 

The public were warned they could face fines of 2,000 baht for not wearing a helmet and jail terms for organizing street racing or being drunk in charge of a bike.

 

Further details also emerged.

 

Graphic: Siam Rath

 

Some 77% of Thai fatalities on the roads are men, 23% women.

 

39% are aged 36-60 and 21% 25-35 years old.

 

Lt-Col Naphawan also called for motorcycle safety during the Songkran holidays.

 

ASEAN NOW notes that the RTP death stats on the road are likely only those that die at the scene of accidents.

 

The reality when those who succumb in and on the way to hospitals are included is far worse.

 

With a death toll of 20-25,000 annually agreed by most experts it is likely that TWO motorcyclists die per hour, not one.

 

For a cautionary tale about tossing water at motorcyclists at Songkran follow the link HERE to ASEAN NOW columnist Rooster's report.

 

 

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[ChipButty]

Amazing Thailand did a good job of getting people to ware a mask, why not helmets? I also think them helmets for a couple hundred Baht should be banned 

[garygooner]

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

The public were warned they could face fines of 2,000 baht for not wearing a helmet

We hear this every year, but continue to see people not wearing helmets all the time. Nothing is enforced. 

[GuyDow]

I guess the ladies are far too cute to follow the recommendation to wear full face helmets. 

[Rimmer]

An inflammatory post has been removed

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

An infographic called on people to get a full face quality helmet that fits well. It should be bright for nighttime visibility and changed every 3 - 5 years.

 

In that case Lt-Col (lady) Dr Naphawan Panya needs to replace her helmet right now.

[Andyfez]

Howabout a big fine for not having a working rear light?

Even in Bangkok this can be a very big problem after dark.

In other provinces you can guarantee almost 1 in 3 motorbikes have lighting issues.

[cardinalblue]

Does bright helmet eliminate the need to have working taillights?

[HappyExpat57]

All too common to see Thais in Chanthaburi wearing no helmet but by gawd they have their masks on!

[richard_smith237]

This rather apathetic ‘narrak’ approach rather than an ‘enforcement' approach is what costs Thailand approximately 20,000 lives every year... 

 

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, GuyDow said:

I guess the ladies are far too cute to follow the recommendation to wear full face helmets. 

Not true, perfect for Songkran!

[mran66]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Amazing Thailand did a good job of getting people to ware a mask, why not helmets? I also think them helmets for a couple hundred Baht should be banned 

Strong enforcement with hefty penalties makes wonders even in Thailand, just look at the quantity of section 112 violations annually as extreme reference. Even with 2000 baht fine with enforcement would change the scene fairly quickly. 

[Crazy Noobie]

It's sad that so many people have to die because of riding any type of a motorcycle. I blame the police 100%. They come out with all these different rules & laws that would help bring down the accidents, but none of the laws work, because the POLICE NEVER enforce them. Yes, I know they love performing check points, but that only cures a small percent of the problems. I think they need to earn their money and start patrolling. Pull everyone over that is breaking the law. Just the other day I seen two policemen on a motorbike stopped at a red light and three motorbikes that were next to them, their riders had no helmets on at all. Another motorbike had three passages riding on it. What did the police do = NOTHING... as always. I feel they will always have this problem, until the police change the way they do things.

[Purdey]

Brilliant idea. Get a gorgeous woman to stand next to the road and cause people to slow down and ogle, thus causing a multiple vehicle pile up. 

[BarraMarra]

Iv'e just returned from Udon and I took my Go Pro Helmet mounted cam along with my full-face helmet. You wouldn't believe what i caught on Video. family out on the bike with the young 1 stood on the footwell in front of pops holding onto the bars, obstructing his view 1 was even eating ice cream while riding none with helmets. Traffic cops riding without there helmet straps fastened, old mammas with there fruit n veg in the basket in the front just pulling out infront of you not bothering to look at traffic coming there way.

[dinsdale]

Just went across to 711. This is at a T-junction with lights. Whilst imbibing on a beer I just purchased I saw pretty much everyone on bikes not wearing a helmet. I also saw 2 cops on bikes at different times riding past numerous people riding bikes without helmets. This is reality.

[klauskunkel]

RTP not concerned with road death, only concerned with their public image, hence the cute poster girl.

[ChrisKC]

She is a pretty girl but I would prefer 10,000 police on the road doing their job!

[KCPhuket]

Good luck with that sexist b.s.

 

[ezzra]

Mathematically, its stand to reason, that with a such huge colossal number of motorcycle riders in this country riding 24 hours a day, that whatever you do to avoid it, a certain percentage of riders will die unfortunately.

[PETERTHEEATER]

A couple o years ago, while driving (me in front passenger seat wife driving), we stopped at the main crossroads in Cha Am heading north on Hwy 4. Inside lane front of queue at the lights. Looking left I see a helmeted traffic cop standing on the kerb in front of a near two metre square sign marked 100% Helmets. The cop caught my eye, pointed at me and made a diagonal finger slash across his chest (seat belt) ) I hooked my thumb in my seat belt, stretched it out and allowed it to snap back onto my chest. He smiled. gave a thumbs up.

 

At this point I held up three fingers' pointed to my head then at the three young helmetless Thai men on a motorcycle who had pulled up right in front of him during our exchange. He spoke to them and three heads as one snapped to the front and the bike shot off the line, through the red light moving diagonally across the junction dodged the cross traffic and shot down Beach Road.

He turned his head back to me an gave what I can describe only as a Gallic shrug.....????

[Mbolo]

Problem solved. Who’d have thought of this ? 

[PETERTHEEATER]

58 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Not true, perfect for Songkran!

SO, air bags are optional?

[thailand49]

These warnings constantly has no meaning nor any effects. 

So stop with all the hot air talk get your ass out and enforce.

[Asquith Production]

3 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Amazing Thailand did a good job of getting people to ware a mask, why not helmets? I also think them helmets for a couple hundred Baht should be banned 

Because masks do not mess their hair up and they are still more afraid of covid than they are of an accident 

[PaDavid]

3 hours ago, garygooner said:

We hear this every year, but continue to see people not wearing helmets all the time. Nothing is enforced. 

In the sticks no helmet is the norm. In fact, it’s rare to see anyone wearing one. But, of course, there’s far less traffic and journeys are mostly shorter, so probably a much lower death rate. 

[schvonsky1]

3 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Amazing Thailand did a good job of getting people to ware a mask, why not helmets? I also think them helmets for a couple hundred Baht should be banned 

Wearing a mask was Never law ????????

[Hammerite]

The ladies shoulda  been wearing full leathers too????????..

Sorry , I'll get my coat.

The RTP are clearly using the Benny Hill traffic management plan.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The Royal Thai Police have turned to their new spokeswoman to try and stop the carnage on the roads that sees at least one motorcyclist dead EVERY hour day and night.

Best of luck with that because so far nothing has worked.

A bit like the RTP

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, garygooner said:

We hear this every year, but continue to see people not wearing helmets all the time. Nothing is enforced. 

If it was enforced the road-side tips would dry up.. therein lays the problem.