Report Expat Confusion Grows as Thailand Cracks Down on Helmet Law Violations

[Mywayboy]

Thailand helmets do not comply to international safety standards may as well wear an Ice Cream tub for all their worth.

[still kicking]

8 hours ago, cdemundo said:

Saw that.

I seldom see a motorcycle with a sidecar.

Are they very common?

[2long]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

aims to curb road accidents by imposing a heftier fine of up to 2,000 baht for those caught without a helmet.

Does wearing a helmet prevent accidents?

Although I'm am fully supportive of the law (it worked in Vietnam), the actual wearing of a helmet is protection during an accident, not reducing your chances.

Going the wrong way at the wrong speed and while drunk are things that need to be cracked down on.

[VBF]

6 hours ago, JAG said:

Since school children are unlikely to have B2000 on them, this will be a non starter!

So confiscate the vehicle until the fine is paid. Not too hard to work out is it?

I've seen motorcycles chained up by the police awaiting payment of fine - I've also seen police loading bikes onto a pick-up to take them to the pound.

[2long]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

the same helmet rules apply to all motorcycle types

Tuk tuks?

[IvorBiggun2]

If Thailand were to enforce all the laws then Thailand would come to a grinding halt and there would be serious demonstrations to kick the government out of power.

 

Quote

In Thailand, a very high percentage of traffic fines are not paid annually. Reports indicate that over 80% of motorists ignore traffic tickets, with some estimates reaching as high as 85%. For example, in 2018, nearly 11 million tickets were issued, but only a small portion were paid

 

[JoeRan]

[2long]

I have ridden bikes in BKK for more than 20 years.

If I ride locally, I don't wear a lid, but on bigger roads... always!

We all know 'it's a risk you take, and it's your life/head/brains.'

We all know the cops here are corrupt and lazy.

 

I like the way Vietnam sorted the problem almost overnight. However, Vietnam isn't Thailand.

 

There's as much chance of this working NATIONWIDE and by all people and at all times (like in Europe) as there is of stopping Thais gambling, lying, going to the temple, cheating on their wives blah blah blah. It's just the way they are. And let's face it, many of us who live here live here and love it because of how they are. Things won't change, and it's sad that too many people die on the roads, but the corruption and law breaking and innocent dishonesty is what makes the people of this country great.

[bluemoon58]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

spearheaded by Thai traffic police, aims to curb road accidents by imposing a heftier fine of up to 2,000 baht for those caught without a helmet.

Mmmmm, I fail to see how a helmet will curb a road accident! 

[impulse]

35 minutes ago, JaxxBKK said:

Agreed. But they serve the purpose of not getting pulled over, hassled and fined no?

 

True.  But that's hardly an endorsement of their safety benefits.  Especially the BigC 99 baht plastic jobbers.

 

[zzzzz]

38 minutes ago, Mywayboy said:

Thailand helmets do not comply to international safety standards may as well wear an Ice Cream tub for all their worth.

many wear bicycle helmets in phuket

at least will protect more than a 200 baht piece of plastic

[CallumWK]

1 minute ago, zzzzz said:

many wear bicycle helmets in phuket

at least will protect more than a 200 baht piece of plastic

 

So you reckon that a 200 baht bicycle helmet is better than a 200 baht motorbike helmet?

[AhFarangJa]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

 

This campaign zeroes in on high-risk areas, especially around schools, to foster adherence to traffic laws.

LMFAO............Around schools..............foster adherence to safety laws. What a joke. Go to any school early morning, or when they throw out. Watch the police stop traffic to allow dozens upon dozens of bikes ridden by children as young as 7 or eight, with two or three passengers on most of them. As for helmets, maybe some of the drivers have one. Will they be fined 2,000 Baht each, yes, when hell freezes over.

[kwilco]

Let's face it, it doesn't take much to confuse your average expat in Pattaya

[kwilco]

4 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

many wear bicycle helmets in phuket

at least will protect more than a 200 baht piece of plastic

Not sure that you  or many of the posters on this thread understand how a crash helmet works or te range of protection it offers.

[kwilco]

41 minutes ago, still kicking said:

FHS - are you blind???

[Espanol]

9 hours ago, smedly said:

motorbike taxi's are an issue, helmets are an issue due to the quality and cleanliness

 

 

You can use your baseball cap under motorcycle taxi's helmet.

 

[kwilco]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

without exceptions based on travel distance or location.

Why is this relevant"

[JAG]

38 minutes ago, VBF said:

So confiscate the vehicle until the fine is paid. Not too hard to work out is it?

I've seen motorcycles chained up by the police awaiting payment of fine - I've also seen police loading bikes onto a pick-up to take them to the pound.

I'm sure you have seen that, but we all know that for the vast majority of offences, and the vast majority of the time, the Police are only interested in the amount of cash that they can extract on the spot.

[kwilco]

39 minutes ago, 2long said:

Does wearing a helmet prevent accidents?

Although I'm am fully supportive of the law (it worked in Vietnam), the actual wearing of a helmet is protection during an accident, not reducing your chances.

Going the wrong way at the wrong speed and while drunk are things that need to be cracked down on.

THe 5 Es of road safety protect road users - the number of accidents is actually quite constant world wide - what road safety is oncerned with is reducing te damage and injuries caused by accidents.

[VBF]

1 minute ago, JAG said:

41 minutes ago, VBF said:

So confiscate the vehicle until the fine is paid. Not too hard to work out is it?

I've seen motorcycles chained up by the police awaiting payment of fine - I've also seen police loading bikes onto a pick-up to take them to the pound.

I'm sure you have seen that, but we all know that for the vast majority of offences, and the vast majority of the time, the Police are only interested in the amount of cash that they can extract on the spot.

Very true.

That was sort of my point, it could be done given the will to enforce the law, but as you say.......!

[VBF]

3 minutes ago, kwilco said:

THe 5 Es of road safety protect road users - the number of accidents is actually quite constant world wide - what road safety is oncerned with is reducing te damage and injuries caused by accidents.

Yes.

Given that the stupid behaviour of some motorists will continue, anything to reduce injury is better than nothing.

Remember also, that the person knocked off their bike by a drunk driver might not be the one driving badly - other than the lack of a helmet, they could be otherwise innocent. 

[kwilco]

THere is always a problem with expats driving in Thailand who think that everyone should drive "like they do at home".

In this case some countries don't require  riders in a sidecar to wear a helmet - but still require driver and pillion to - the helmets are also required to be of a spev=cified standard. 

Thailand road lawmaking is not of a high standard and those fitted with sidecars are meant to wear helmets - it is quite appalling that the final say may be up to the police - but at the end of the day why would any expat NOT wear a helmet

[EVENKEEL]

1 hour ago, Reddavy said:

Simple. Because they see thais driving around with no helmet every day and never get stopped by the corrupt police. 

So, where exactly, a specific location in a specific city have you seen a checkpoint where only foreigners were pulled over and not the Thais. 

 

I never wear a helmet on our MB while riding locally but if I venture out into the heart of the city here I will because I know checkpoints do happen.

[Road Warrior]

proposed great action by police .well done 

be interesting to see if there is a purge  on 1st June with massive show of police with road blocks. i counted 31 NO HELMETS  in a period of 10 minutes yesterday. sums mean 31 x 2000 =   62000 baht       or  60 minutes  =    37,200  = bags of funds to buy police new motor bikes !

 

NEXT MOVE BY POLICE SHOULD BE  DANGEROUS  DRIVING ? of motor bikes ???????  

[sambum]

7 hours ago, Gandtee said:

I used to ride a motorcycle combination (motorbike with sidecar) with the wife and three kids, in England, before helmets became mandatory. It was considered to be one of the safest modes of transport by the insurance companies. The problem is that many here do not have lights at night, and the riders seem oblivious to other traffic.

 

Many motor bikes do not have rear lights where I live, and they can be dangerous - I think half the time people do not check them - they assume that if the headlights are working, the rear lights must be working too. 

[Humpy]

So its OK to ride an electric scooter/moped on the roads, no license, no insurance, no helmet and the school kid is 12 years old ? Up in Isaan the police road checks start after the kids are in school and are complete before school out. What size helmet will the 2 year old need sitting on the fuel tank between the rider's arms ?

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, impulse said:

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

You’re still struggling with this one I see…

… exactly how many head impacts have there been ?

 

…. use a flagfall taxi, GRAB, BOLT, InDrive, a songthaew, a TukTuk…

 

If I used a flagfall taxi from my apartment to the office, it would have been a 15-30 minute ride, depending on the light at Sukhumvit.  I tried it.  Scooter taxis got me there in about 2 minutes, because they could make a wonky turn that a car can't.  I also tried walking, but that was even dodgier because there's no sidewalk for half of the 1km route. 

 

Agree on walking... Its really a 'no goer' if you don't want to end up drenched in sweat.

 

Additionally, if only going 2 mins on a back-street, then the likelihood of coming a cropper is minimal...   

But assuming a 2mins in each direction and a 260 day's a year of trave - over the year you are on the bike for approximately 17-18 hours...   IF You went on 30min motorcycle trip you'd want a helmet, no ???

 

 

I do understand why some might 'want' to use a bike..   especially in rush-hour / gridlocked traffic, and to be fair, the speeds in such traffic are usually extremely low, even on a motorcycle so the risk in these contexts is over-egged.

 

BUT - the point I've been making is... making a conscious choice not use the 'borrowed lid' because you're worried about nits, just seems a little daft.... 

...  A western friend (female) refused to wear the helmet because it messes her hair - I think thats extremely stupid. 

 

-------

 

On the nits thing...    has anyone you know ever caught anything ?...    has it even ever been reported on here etc ?

 

I think you may have vastly exaggerated the risk of getting something from a helmet, vs vastly exaggerated the risk of falling off and smacking your noggin....     

 

.... BUT - there is still a simple solution as yet unmentioned...  When I try on Motorcycle helmets etc, I'm given this hairnet type thing (surgical hair cover)... why not use these to wear with the borrowed helmet. 

 

... Of course, its your life, your choice... but is it just your life ??? you are the breadwinner ? how much of a burden could you become when using a bike without a helmet ?

... (and taking this a step further, I think about this when riding my own motorcycle - which hardly ever reaches a main road these days because of such reasons / and I also have the convenience of a car)

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Mywayboy said:

Thailand helmets do not comply to international safety standards may as well wear an Ice Cream tub for all their worth.

 

Its getting a little better and most of the helmets I see offer some nominal protection, which at the speeds were talking about could be the difference between a 'brain injury'...  and not...  i.e. those index helmets etc.

 

BUT - the plastic Big-C things... Nope, they're useless... Any passenger has an option just to say no, they want a proper helmet and I think thats fair enough.

[ikke1959]

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Hopefully for ever. 

Ever noticed a crackdown longer than a few days?? There have been several crackdowns on black smoke cars and drive around and see... I see everyday at least 4 to 6 cars/trucks with heavy blacksmoke.... And if really this crackdown would last forever , the RTP will get a burnout with so much work as Thais won't do it unless heavy fined and that is what the RTP will not to to their own people