Thailand tackles delivery rider accidents with defensive driving training

[webfact]

 

Last year, a total of 81 delivery riders suffered road accidents in Thailand, leading to 28 fatalities and 36 severe injuries. Speeding, lane violations, using mobile phones while driving, and time pressures for delivery were identified as the primary causes.

 

Kongkarn Takhiranrit, the acting director of the Social Risk Control Office at the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), revealed that delivery riders and motorcycle taxis account for a significant number of Thailand’s reported road accident fatalities. She indicated that there are 5,556 motorcycle taxi service stations across Bangkok alone, with a total of 84,547 registered riders.

 

Kongkarn pointed out that both delivery riders and motorcycle taxi drivers show a deficiency in traffic risk assessment skills, indicating a pressing need for defensive driving training to help reduce road accidents.

 

In an effort to address this issue, a seminar was held on Thursday by the delivery rider and motorcycle taxi safety management subcommittee to reinforce road safety among riders. Kongkarn updated seminar attendees that the Social Risk Control Office has devised defensive driving guidelines for delivery riders and motorcycle taxis. 

 

by Mitch Connor

Picture courtesy of Rowan Freeman, Unsplash

 

Full story: Thai Thaiger 2023-10-07

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[JoePai]

a deficiency in traffic risk assessment skills

 

In my neck of the woods that applies to all !!

[dinsdale]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

Kongkarn pointed out that both delivery riders and motorcycle taxi drivers show a deficiency in traffic risk assessment skills, indicating a pressing need for defensive driving training to help reduce road accidents.

Defensive Driving Tip 101. Slow down before you run the redlight

[dinsdale]

2 minutes ago, JoePai said:

a deficiency in traffic risk assessment skills

 

In my neck of the woods that applies to all !!

By your neck of the woods you mean Thailand do you not? ????

[JonnyF]

I'm frequently dodging these idiots as they weave through traffic, one hand and both eyes on their smartphone as they try to find their destination.

 

Obviously nothing will be done about it, apart from a few platitudes and maybe a conference at a nice beachside resort for the government employees. 

[leither69]

There's an old saying "in one ear and out the other"

[Jackbenimble]

Defensive Driving training?

They drive as if they're in a computer simulation and endanger everyone around them.....they surely cant have driving licences. They are a danger and a menace to everyone else on the road. 

Just put a speed limiter on the bikes - it'll save lives, cut down on needless A&E visits and save a lot of suffereing. 

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Kongkarn pointed out that both delivery riders and motorcycle taxi drivers show a deficiency in traffic risk assessment skills, indicating a pressing need for defensive driving training to help reduce road accidents.

That applies to every man, woman, and Child driving here.

I'd like to see her driving skills. 

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Defensive Driving Tip 101. Slow down before you run the redlight

So run a red light slowly? 

[Jackbenimble]

2 hours ago, JoePai said:

a deficiency in traffic risk assessment skills

 

In my neck of the woods that applies to all !!

Begs the question - why are they even driving at all if the authorites know they cant drive? They are a danger to everyone else around them.

[garygooner]

They're maniacs many of them in Bangkok. Weaving left & right with one eye on their smartphone.  ????

[brianthainess]

I knocked one of his bike in heavy slow-moving traffic, as I moved forward with the traffic he decided to cut from the right side lane between me and the car in front, off he came as i hit him, I got out with him laying on the ground, looked at my damage (minimal) and up he got and rode of in the lane he had been in. <deleted>.

[VinnieK]

These guys are a menace.

I give them wide berth when I'm out riding.

Pedestrians should be careful too.

[Nickcage49]

A seminar? Yeah that will fix things. You can’t even call the companies and complain.

[FolkGuitar]

"a deficiency in traffic risk assessment skills,"

Nope. They know the risks. They just don't give a damn about them or anyone else on the road.

 

But then, isn't that pretty normal here?

[stix40]

This is Thailand 

It is what it is !

Makes my day watching the crazy life here .

Love it .

[Joe Mama]

I see the motorcycle delivery drivers as the #1 threat to the safety of themselves & other drivers on Thai roads!  They seem to belong to a different club than the majority of drivers in Thailand?  They are generally always in a hurry, & speeding!  They are constantly zigzagging, & passing other vehicles at any & all costs, as well as cutting in front of other vehicles!  Red lights mean nothing to them as they are generally ignored!  Alternative;y, start ups from a red light is usually accomplished 5 to 10 seconds before the green light appears!  Frequently they are eye balling their phones rather than the road & traffic conditions!  Is the timely delivery of food items really worth risking your life or incurring permanent injuries???  Why not try driving safely & courteously by following the rules of the road!

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

a seminar was held to reinforce road safety among riders

That's nice. How many of the 85,000 riders showed up?

[brianthainess]

7 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

That's nice. How many of the 85,000 riders showed up?

Well they could have got stuck in traffic 

[Photoguy21]

Ignorance of safe driving standards isnt limited to motor cycle riders.

[bradiston]

81? Are you mad?

[Chongalulu]

Just not in the DNA,nor risk perception nor anticipation.

On a lighter note,I was in lotus yesterday holding my brand new £500 HJC helmet brought back from UK that  didn't want leave with my bike. The guy in front of me bought a helmet which they scanned ( 900 baht) . After scanning my groceries she tried to scan my helmet! ????.

I giggled and in my pigeon Thai said " from England!” 

[spidermike007]

Those of us with driving skill, and a strong desire for not only survival, but the avoidance of terrible injury, are constantly scanning the road, in front of us, beside us, and behind us. There are an exceptionally high number of reckless fools on these roads, and it is the only way to preserve our lives, and those of our families, and friends, who may be driving with us, and depending on us. 

 

Defensive driving class is over. 

[SunsetT]

15 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Those of us with driving skill, and a strong desire for not only survival, but the avoidance of terrible injury, are constantly scanning the road, in front of us, beside us, and behind us. There are an exceptionally high number of reckless fools on these roads, and it is the only way to preserve our lives, and those of our families, and friends, who may be driving with us, and depending on us. 

 

Defensive driving class is over. 

Yes, exactly. I have always said that when driving in Thailand you must drive constantly as if you are on a UK Advanced Driving Test; checking for potential hazards far far ahead and Thai kamakazi attacks coming from all directions around you...lol. Driving/riding in Thailand has certainly made be a better driver when I return to the UK where one tends to slip to a degree into automatic pilot when 99% of people follow the rules of the road.

[SunsetT]

The delivery riders are a  f e k k i n menace to all. Even worse than the minibus drivers!

[bizboi]

2 hours ago, stix40 said:

This is Thailand 

It is what it is !

Makes my day watching the crazy life here .

Love it .

Yep! But my prediction? You will eventually tire of it!!

[stix40]

Every country has its foibles! 

Everyday is an adventure.

[richard_smith237]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Last year, a total of 81 delivery riders suffered road accidents in Thailand, leading to 28 fatalities and 36 severe injuries.

In a country with a WHO Estimate of 25,000 road deaths per year, 80% of which are motorcyclists..

 

That puts delivery riders at 0.14% of road fatalities...   potentially placing them in the safest demographic !!! (although I suspect the stats provided in the article are flawed).

 

Nevertheless, this gives us readers an opportinity to have a bash... after all, just like Fortuner drivers, delivery motorcyclists with big boxes on the back of their bikes are immediately identifiable and any mistake they make immediately fills our conformation bias with affirmation that all delivery riders are lunatics. 

 

In reality - how many of our deliveries are 'late' because the rider has had an accident ??...  we have numerous deliveries per day, none of which have been late (that I ever recall).

 

The reality is that delivery riders ride like most other motorcyclists here... we just don't notice the 'others' as readily as there are more difficult to 'pigeon hole' and group into a demographic we can easily criticise. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tanlic]

as long as their earnings are dependent on how many deliveries they do in a day and tips there is no way anything will change

[richard_smith237]

Just now, Tanlic said:

as long as their earnings are dependent on how many deliveries they do in a day and tips there is no way anything will change

It's perhaps less about that and more about effective enforcement of existing traffic laws. 

 

But, as mentioned above, if there are only 81 accidents in a year involving delivery riders, there is hardly any cause for concern whatsoever.