Picture courtesy: PR Phuket

 

Phuket authorities launched a series of workshops yesterday to tackle the rising number of fatalities and injuries from road accidents, especially involving motorcycles. The event, held at a Ratsada hotel, saw a significant turnout of district and community leaders.

 

Phuket Vice Governor Sattha Thongkam spearheaded the initiative, under the District Drive Project, calling for enhanced motorcycle riding safety across the province.

 

Organised by the Phuket Provincial Office, these workshops aim to bolster the expertise of district leaders and local government organisations in managing road safety effectively.

 

“Phuket is facing an increasing number of road accidents, leading to significant losses of life and property, which hampers our economic development. The number of injuries and fatalities among motorcycle riders and passengers is particularly alarming. Addressing this issue is an urgent priority for our province,” said Sattha.

 

This effort is part of the Phuket Province Road Safety Action Plan 2024, aspiring to make road travel safer for Phuket’s residents.

 

The action plan incorporates five main strategies: risk district management, law enforcement integration, organisational measures, public relations, and data integration. The objectives are to cut down injuries and fatalities, improve vehicle standards and road conditions, and fortify road safety mechanisms at all levels.

 

Charan Kwankaew, Deputy Chief of the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM-Phuket), shared alarming statistics, illustrating the urgency of the initiative.

 

“Phuket sees over 20,000 general injuries and more than 3,000 serious injuries annually from road accidents. From 2021 to 2023, fatalities rose from 96 to 168 annually. So far in 2024, we’ve had 93 deaths,” he said.

 

National road safety agency ThaiRSC reported 83 deaths and 11,800 injuries in road accidents in Phuket this year, predominantly involving motorcycles.

 

In 2023, the Department of Disease Control classified Mueang Phuket District and Thalang District as very high-risk areas, with Kathu District also considered high-risk. In response, the Phuket Provincial Road Safety Administration Center launched the District Drive Project, supported by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation.

 

Aligned with the Road Safety Master Plan (2022-2027), the initiative incorporates training and support from the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office and local hospitals. The workshops involve 40 participants from 32 agencies, encompassing district secretaries, police, public health officers, hospitals, and local administrative organisations.

 

“The goal is to develop more mentors at district and local government levels to drive road safety management effectively, ultimately reducing motorcycle-related injuries and fatalities in Phuket,” Charan concluded.

 

This proactive approach highlights the urgency to address road safety comprehensively, aiming to significantly improve the well-being and safety of Phuket’s residents.

 

-- 2024-06-15

 

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I have a suggestion that may help. How's about, when people renew their license and everyone has to sit through the two hour safety video, that somebody make every one stop playing games on their mobile phones and sleeping?

"From 2021 to 2023, fatalities rose from 96 to 168 annually.".

With people inside and no tourists, if course numbers were lower. The number of fatalities has for years and years been around 180 per year.

1 hour ago, Mike Lister said:

I have a suggestion that may help. How's about, when people renew their license and everyone has to sit through the two hour safety video, that somebody make every one stop playing games on their mobile phones and sleeping?

You do the video at home these days, with 'test' interruptions in between. 

Plus I don't think it's a constructive video that will help in any way.

useless. this is such complex issue. 

Most likely a completely useless workshop.....all will be forgotten as they walk out the door...hop on their bikes and ride on the wrong side!

Waste of time & resources
reduce accidents:
easy
1. Roving police like in western countries
2. Enforce laws
3. Confiscate bike if under age or no license

will it happen
Not in a million years

48 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

Most likely a completely useless workshop.....all will be forgotten as they walk out the door...hop on their bikes and ride on the wrong side!

I doubt these 'Community Leaders' even drive M/C...........

How about a Proper driving test, above 20 Kph, with hills & bends...........

1 hour ago, zzzzz said:

Waste of time & resources
reduce accidents:
easy
1. Roving police like in western countries
2. Enforce laws
3. Confiscate bike if under age or no license

will it happen
Not in a million years

EXACTLY! Now, I don't want to live in a police state, but there has to be something between that and what we've got here. The cops don't really do anything in Phuket other than stop ever foreigner at the Chalong roundabout.  One very effective and fairly easy thing they could do is wait outside of every school and when the motorbikes come out with driver/passengers not wearing helmets, give them a ticket. When underage kids come out riding a bike, take the bike and call their parents. If the parents gave the bike to the child to use, then they should be in legal trouble. 

Do something about the steady flow of motorbikes riding down the wrong side of the road at the Koh Kaew intersection. Most of the riders aren't wearing helmets. 

PATROL... ACTUALLY PATROL!!! The only time we see the police force in action is when some VIP is in town. Where on earth are the cops the rest of the time? [rhetorical question]

4 minutes ago, Galong said:

EXACTLY! Now, I don't want to live in a police state, but there has to be something between that and what we've got here. The cops don't really do anything in Phuket other than stop ever foreigner at the Chalong roundabout.  One very effective and fairly easy thing they could do is wait outside of every school and when the motorbikes come out with driver/passengers not wearing helmets, give them a ticket. When underage kids come out riding a bike, take the bike and call their parents. If the parents gave the bike to the child to use, then they should be in legal trouble. 

Do something about the steady flow of motorbikes riding down the wrong side of the road at the Koh Kaew intersection. Most of the riders aren't wearing helmets. 

PATROL... ACTUALLY PATROL!!! The only time we see the police force in action is when some VIP is in town. Where on earth are the cops the rest of the time? [rhetorical question]

"One very effective and fairly easy thing they could do is wait outside of every school and when the motorbikes come out with driver/passengers not wearing helmets, give them a ticket." That would lead to an uprising. Not feasible.
"When underage kids come out riding a bike, take the bike and call their parents. If the parents gave the bike to the child to use, then they should be in legal trouble. ". Same, not feasible.
"other than stop ever foreigner at the Chalong roundabout" And many Thai without helmets or with modified bikes.

24 minutes ago, stevenl said:

"One very effective and fairly easy thing they could do is wait outside of every school and when the motorbikes come out with driver/passengers not wearing helmets, give them a ticket." That would lead to an uprising. Not feasible.
"When underage kids come out riding a bike, take the bike and call their parents. If the parents gave the bike to the child to use, then they should be in legal trouble. ". Same, not feasible.
"other than stop ever foreigner at the Chalong roundabout" And many Thai without helmets or with modified bikes.

So your answer is to do nothing for fear of pi55ing off the offenders.  They could post signs stating that on a certain date these will be the new rules. This could discussed in the classes and handouts could be given to students for the students who ride bikes and to other students whose parents pick them up. I live next to an elementary school I walk my dog there every afternoon and talk to a few of the teachers. I've brought this up and they said something should be done. Something COULD be done at the school level in coordination with the police in my opinion (starting with written warnings, etc), but I've only lived here for 31 years, so I'm sure I don't know as much about the subject as others. 

Traffic police with proper bikes that actually patrol.   There are so many problems with traffic in Phuket.  Ghost riding, speeding, going too slow, parking in the street, ignoring traffic signals, weaving in and out of traffic, tourists riding bikes that don't know how to or never have ridden a bike, running red lights.  I could go on, but the fundamental problem is that there is absolutely no enforcement.  None.  And all the seminars in the world will not help unless they actually Enforce the Traffic Laws.  (if there are any???)

7 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

I have a suggestion that may help. How's about, when people renew their license and everyone has to sit through the two hour safety video, that somebody make every one stop playing games on their mobile phones and sleeping?

To be honest, counting male when I have to visit that office to renew my driving licence, I have no interest in watching those kinds of videos either.

The real long term answer lays with real training before getting a licence, not a one day affair...
a quick lap of a circuit, watch a video pay the fee and off you go.

As for tourists only those with an actual motorcycle licence can rent one.

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The real long term answer lays with real training before getting a licence, not a one day affair...
a quick lap of a circuit, watch a video pay the fee and off you go.

As for tourists only those with an actual motorcycle licence can rent one.

Training has ZERO to do with it

Its that most thai's and tourist just ignore the laws

The action plan incorporates five main strategies: risk district management, law enforcement integration, organisational measures, public relations, and data integration. The objectives are to cut down injuries and fatalities, improve vehicle standards and road conditions, and fortify road safety mechanisms at all levels.

 

How about required license, mirrors,lights, no mobil phone, riding with not against the traffic flow  ..  law enforcement !

 

8 hours ago, Galong said:

So your answer is to do nothing for fear of pi55ing off the offenders.  They could post signs stating that on a certain date these will be the new rules. This could discussed in the classes and handouts could be given to students for the students who ride bikes and to other students whose parents pick them up. I live next to an elementary school I walk my dog there every afternoon and talk to a few of the teachers. I've brought this up and they said something should be done. Something COULD be done at the school level in coordination with the police in my opinion (starting with written warnings, etc), but I've only lived here for 31 years, so I'm sure I don't know as much about the subject as others. 

"So your answer is to do nothing".

No idea why you come to that conclusion. My answer is your solution is not practical and will never be implemented. Enforcement of helmet wearing, ending ghost riding and no tourists without a valid DL are more practical imo.

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The real long term answer lays with real training before getting a licence, not a one day affair...
a quick lap of a circuit, watch a video pay the fee and off you go.

As for tourists only those with an actual motorcycle licence can rent one.

It's just another case of irresponsible parents. In all my travels Thai's are the worst parents I've ever seen. Where I walk every morning away from the busy roads in Pattaya, I've never seen anyone stop at a stop sign over an 8 years period. The latest beauty is around 6.30 am every morning a motor bike goes past with 4 on the bike all without helmets and let's not forget the baby in the front basket. My wife is from a family of 10 so I've seen plenty of doozeys especially when her brothers on Lao Khaow

13 hours ago, webfact said:

action plan incorporates five main strategies: risk district management, law enforcement integration, organisational measures, public relations, and data integration.

 

Great!  Five strategies all involving committee meetings and junkets and studies.

 

Nowhere do I see "law enforcement" or "rider training/education" mentioned.

Nepotism is a major  problem for the Thai police force. Many officers  are just plain lazy but they never get told to lift their game as my daddy will fix everything even get you demoted if you talk to much.