Car Accidents

[elkangorito]

I have some information about the "Good Samaritan Act". See the following links.

http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/displaya...mp;sectionName=

http://www.australiandoctor.com.au/news/59/0c01f159.asp

[meemiathai]

I am 100% with Elkangorito here.

Sorry but if you've just seen someone get there brain scattered across the road there ain't much you can do - well unless you have a shovel in the boot!

I've been in an RTA in London - well I was the RTA thanks to a <deleted> in a minibus pulling out in front of me on my bike. I lost the front end trying to stop got thrown from the bike, the bike skidded down the road and into the minibus - I fortunately rolled to a halt half under the side of the bus.

This was at rush hour on a busy road with nose to nose traffic - did anyone get out (they were already stopped in traffic!) and assist? Did they ######! With my freshly torn ligament in my leg I struggled to my feet and dragged my bike (ZX7R - not the lightest thing in the world!) to the side of the road.

Nobody offered any assistance, nothing - I called my emergency insurance number and sat by the side of the road waiting for van to come to get me and the bike. The queue of traffic behind just waited until the mess was gone and went. The only person who even bothered to ask if I was ok was a passenger on the minibus that had pulled out in front of me. No one behind me even offered to be a witness to the accident! I was in shock for about a few hours it had been the case of me looking where on the bus I should impact best for my survival, if I hadn't of been thrown from the bike I'd probably of been dead - the bike went straight into the front wheel. I sat waiting at the side of the road with people just gawking at me for about an hour. By this time the adrenaline had subsided and the sheer agony of my leg kicked in, I though I might of broken my knee cap or something.

This was in my own country no one did squat .. .. so I'd need a real good reason as to why I should stop in a country where I am not local, not totally fluent in the language and I have no real First aid ability.

I guess you weren't wearing a diamond rolex then.

[qualtrough]

I am 100% with Elkangorito here.

Sorry but if you've just seen someone get there brain scattered across the road there ain't much you can do - well unless you have a shovel in the boot!

I've been in an RTA in London - well I was the RTA thanks to a <deleted> in a minibus pulling out in front of me on my bike. I lost the front end trying to stop got thrown from the bike, the bike skidded down the road and into the minibus - I fortunately rolled to a halt half under the side of the bus.

This was at rush hour on a busy road with nose to nose traffic - did anyone get out (they were already stopped in traffic!) and assist? Did they ######! With my freshly torn ligament in my leg I struggled to my feet and dragged my bike (ZX7R - not the lightest thing in the world!) to the side of the road.

Nobody offered any assistance, nothing - I called my emergency insurance number and sat by the side of the road waiting for van to come to get me and the bike. The queue of traffic behind just waited until the mess was gone and went. The only person who even bothered to ask if I was ok was a passenger on the minibus that had pulled out in front of me. No one behind me even offered to be a witness to the accident! I was in shock for about a few hours it had been the case of me looking where on the bus I should impact best for my survival, if I hadn't of been thrown from the bike I'd probably of been dead - the bike went straight into the front wheel. I sat waiting at the side of the road with people just gawking at me for about an hour. By this time the adrenaline had subsided and the sheer agony of my leg kicked in, I though I might of broken my knee cap or something.

This was in my own country no one did squat .. .. so I'd need a real good reason as to why I should stop in a country where I am not local, not totally fluent in the language and I have no real First aid ability.

So the lesson you derive from your experience is that you should not help anyone here because nobody helped you there. Interesting thought process...

[Acquiesce]

So the lesson you derive from your experience is that you should not help anyone here because nobody helped you there. Interesting unbelievable thought process...

[elkangorito]

So the lesson you derive from your experience is that you should not help anyone here because nobody helped you there. Interesting thought process...

You haven't been listening....have you?

[qualtrough]

So the lesson you derive from your experience is that you should not help anyone here because nobody helped you there. Interesting thought process...

You haven't been listening....have you?

Oh yes I have, you people are really unbelievable. Tecnocracy's reply didn't really make a lot of sense, but perhaps he actually suffered a brain injury and didn't tell us, or maybe he just doesn't know it?

[elkangorito]

So the lesson you derive from your experience is that you should not help anyone here because nobody helped you there. Interesting thought process...

You haven't been listening....have you?

Oh yes I have, you people are really unbelievable. Tecnocracy's reply didn't really make a lot of sense, but perhaps he actually suffered a brain injury and didn't tell us, or maybe he just doesn't know it?

So what are you trying to say, qual? That everybody who comes across an accident should stop & help? If so, how can they help? Who makes this decision about who should stop...& why?

Edited October 1, 2007 by elkangorito

[qualtrough]

So the lesson you derive from your experience is that you should not help anyone here because nobody helped you there. Interesting thought process...

You haven't been listening....have you?

Oh yes I have, you people are really unbelievable. Tecnocracy's reply didn't really make a lot of sense, but perhaps he actually suffered a brain injury and didn't tell us, or maybe he just doesn't know it?

So what are you trying to say, qual? That everybody who comes across an accident should stop & help? If so, how can they help? Who makes this decision about who should stop...& why?

Here is what I am saying: If you witness an accident victim who is in need of help and you can offer it you should do so. You don't have to be a doctor or trained medical personnel to stop and offer comfort to someone who is frightened or in pain. You may also be able to direct traffic away from the victim, etc. Obviously if someone is already being attended to you needn't stop. If you read in between the lines of Tecnocracy's post you can see that what upset him was that not a single person lifted a finger to help him in any way, if only to help him clear his bike, ask if he needed help, etc. I have zero sympathy for someone who could help but does not. And I have even less, if that's possible, for those here who have suggested that if they were in an accident they would do a runner. When I was on Koh Chang one time a farang did just that in his rented Suzuki, hitting a motorcyclists and then running away.

If people are so afraid here that they can't help someone in need then I think they are better off living somewhere where they feel safer, and they certainly should not get behind the wheel.

[JimsKnight]

If you have medical training, ie CPR, EAR, trauma first aid packs etc etc (which I and quite a few other TV posters have) then I'd render what assistance I could until help arrives.

If the casualty is being treated at the scene and is in good hands then I'd probably leave well alone (unless it's a disaster scene with casualties everywhere). Also If the Thais obviously don't want a farang around to help (which has happened to me once) I'd also leave.

All this talk of just driving past without a thought is quite disturbing when we farang should be setting an example for others to follow!

[elkangorito]

So the lesson you derive from your experience is that you should not help anyone here because nobody helped you there. Interesting thought process...

You haven't been listening....have you?

Oh yes I have, you people are really unbelievable. Tecnocracy's reply didn't really make a lot of sense, but perhaps he actually suffered a brain injury and didn't tell us, or maybe he just doesn't know it?

So what are you trying to say, qual? That everybody who comes across an accident should stop & help? If so, how can they help? Who makes this decision about who should stop...& why?

Here is what I am saying: If you witness an accident victim who is in need of help and you can offer it you should do so.

Is this a decision that the "moral high court" holds? Can I make up my own mind, without fear of moral judgement, whether or not I can do something to help?

You don't have to be a doctor or trained medical personnel to stop and offer comfort to someone who is frightened or in pain. You may also be able to direct traffic away from the victim, etc. Obviously if someone is already being attended to you needn't stop. If you read in between the lines of Tecnocracy's post you can see that what upset him was that not a single person lifted a finger to help him in any way, if only to help him clear his bike, ask if he needed help, etc. I have zero sympathy for someone who could help but does not. And I have even less, if that's possible, for those here who have suggested that if they were in an accident they would do a runner. When I was on Koh Chang one time a farang did just that in his rented Suzuki, hitting a motorcyclists and then running away.

If people are so afraid here that they can't help someone in need then I think they are better off living somewhere where they feel safer, and they certainly should not get behind the wheel.

Ok, so what are you going to do about all the people who are afraid to help at an accident scene? Would you insist to inspect all the persons bypassing the accident just to make sure they weren't qualified in some way, to assist?

This is getting silly. At the end of the day, it's up to the individual whether or not they stop to assist with an accident. It is crazy to expect everybody to help under these circumstances. It's also highly discriminatory to place all the people who "choose" not to stop, in the basket of "irresponsible" when clearly, people have their own lives & problems to attend to.

If you are so concerned about this situation in Thailand, why don't you start some sort of "accident watch" group? I'm sure your god will award you many brownie points for being such a wonderful person.

[suiging]

It would be nice if the people here who find all kinds of reasons not to help someone who has been hurt would place a bumper sticker on their vehicle reading, "I Don't Stop to Help." That way if we see a wreck sporting that sticker we can pass it by without any remorse.

Maybe if you have had a bad experience when helping you might change your mind.

Even in HK, you are advised to do a hit and run in some rural areas provided you report it to the nearest police station. There are some hooligans in each village ready to have fun beating someone up. And being involved in a TA whether wrong or right is a good enough excuse.

Sorry mate not true.

Leaving the scene of an accident where someone is injured in HK will lead to a criminal conviction. An accident with no third party and damage only to your car not a problem. likewise damage only where the two parties agree to swap insurance details again no problem.

HK as in Thailand, injured person help.

Well yes, you might risk criminal conviction. But not leaving the scene you risk being beaten up severely. Are you saying that this is not true in areas like Yuen Long? You must have heard of it if you really know about HK? And these are facts, not rumours.

I am sure if you called the police and asked for help. You have a good reason to tell the judge.

Are you an ex-police officer in HK?

Well, ermmmm, I wouldn't say ex.

Trust me on this, Yuen Long is fine. Kam Tin and other clan villages, decidedly dodgy and I would agree the potential for trouble is there. However, the dear old judiciary would not except your excuse, others have tried it and failed. It is, and always will be, politically unacceptable for a judge to ever hold there is a corner of HK where the rule of law does not apply. If you are extremely lucky, your fears may be taken into mitigation, but that's about it. Back to Thailand. I think the Thai system is more "flexible" shall we say. But even in Thailand, always hard for " the man " to accept no law exists in the sticks.

[Daewoo]

Quote}

In Australia, anybody who stops to assist at the scene of a motor vehicle accident, is covered by the "Good Samaritan" Act & cannot be prosecuted as a result of their actions. Does Thailand have such a law?

I think you will find that the Good Samaritan Act states unless the actions of the assistance provider are grossly negligent. If that is found to be the case you can be in deep poo.

I guess it's all down to the definition of "grossly negligent", isn't it. But in any case, does Thailand have such a thing like the "Good Samaritans Act"?

In Australia a 'general person' is only expected to behave in a way that could be expected of a 'general person', so if you decided to try an emergency traceotemy with a ball point pen and a swiss army knife because it looked so easy on TV, you could find yourself in deep poo.

If you are trained to deal with something, you are held to the standards of what would be expected by someone with your training, so you are held accountable to a different level.

I believe that if you are trained you are also given a higher level of reposnibility to stop and provide care, so you can't just pass by to avoid liability.

back to Thailand...

I have heard the anecdotes about farang being held as responsible when they come accross an accident... a guy on the BKKRider board had this happen to him near Trat when he came across a single motorbike accident... and a guy is Cambodia saw a man beaten for trying to help after a traffic accident...

Of all of the farrang on TV, has anyone actually had an issue with being blamed for an accident when they stopped to help??? (I don't mean being blamed for an accident they were involved in...)

If I see someone in need of help, I help... I chase bag snatchers, I help people whose cars have broken down (especially women with children), I help people with medical problems on the street, I help at car crashes, I help injured animals... it is called being a human...

but I would like to know if the stories of farrang being blamed when they stop to help are just urban myths, but only FIRST HAND stories...

Cheers,

Daewoo

[technocracy]

Qualtrough,

My comments were based upon the lack people wanting to have anything to do with the incident - not even being a witness - in the UK the witness side of things for the insurance claims is very important. My point was (which wasn't very clear I will admit) that if I was in my own country I and had been one of those drivers sitting and saw my accident happen, I would of at least got out and check the person in the accident was ok and help him move his bike also offered to have been a witness. This is because I know I could be of help and fully understand the laws and legal implication etc.

However the facts are IF you see an RTA when you are in a country that you cannot communicate fluently in their language more often than not you will probably just add to the confusion. IF you believe you can actually help stop - I am sure the people will tell you if they need your help or not.

So you can dismount from that high horse you seem to be perched and wind your neck in.

[meemiathai]

It would be nice if the people here who find all kinds of reasons not to help someone who has been hurt would place a bumper sticker on their vehicle reading, "I Don't Stop to Help." That way if we see a wreck sporting that sticker we can pass it by without any remorse.

Maybe if you have had a bad experience when helping you might change your mind.

Even in HK, you are advised to do a hit and run in some rural areas provided you report it to the nearest police station. There are some hooligans in each village ready to have fun beating someone up. And being involved in a TA whether wrong or right is a good enough excuse.

Sorry mate not true.

Leaving the scene of an accident where someone is injured in HK will lead to a criminal conviction. An accident with no third party and damage only to your car not a problem. likewise damage only where the two parties agree to swap insurance details again no problem.

HK as in Thailand, injured person help.

Well yes, you might risk criminal conviction. But not leaving the scene you risk being beaten up severely. Are you saying that this is not true in areas like Yuen Long? You must have heard of it if you really know about HK? And these are facts, not rumours.

I am sure if you called the police and asked for help. You have a good reason to tell the judge.

Are you an ex-police officer in HK?

Well, ermmmm, I wouldn't say ex.

Trust me on this, Yuen Long is fine. Kam Tin and other clan villages, decidedly dodgy and I would agree the potential for trouble is there. However, the dear old judiciary would not except your excuse, others have tried it and failed. It is, and always will be, politically unacceptable for a judge to ever hold there is a corner of HK where the rule of law does not apply. If you are extremely lucky, your fears may be taken into mitigation, but that's about it. Back to Thailand. I think the Thai system is more "flexible" shall we say. But even in Thailand, always hard for " the man " to accept no law exists in the sticks.

I think Kam Tin is part of Yuen Long. But I know what you mean.

And I believe I could get away with it if I have enough money to hire a good lawyer.

Also I must say it is much better nowadays that one is less likely to be beaten up after a TA in those rural areas, but before is not the same.

Thanks.

[onnut]

So the lesson you derive from your experience is that you should not help anyone here because nobody helped you there. Interesting unbelievable thought process...

you have a lot to say about people not stopping to help accident victims

so come on.............. tell us...

when did you last stop?

or are you saying you would stop IF you saw a crash, because most likely when in that situation you might just drive on by..... like many others. every one has their reasons for not stopping. you just dont know yours, yet.

[meemiathai]

So the lesson you derive from your experience is that you should not help anyone here because nobody helped you there. Interesting unbelievable thought process...

you have a lot to say about people not stopping to help accident victims

so come on.............. tell us...

when did you last stop?

or are you saying you would stop IF you saw a crash, because most likely when in that situation you might just drive on by..... like many others. every one has their reasons for not stopping. you just dont know yours, yet.

I have to stop every time. It's my bloody job!

[meemiathai]

It would be nice if the people here who find all kinds of reasons not to help someone who has been hurt would place a bumper sticker on their vehicle reading, "I Don't Stop to Help." That way if we see a wreck sporting that sticker we can pass it by without any remorse.

Maybe if you have had a bad experience when helping you might change your mind.

Even in HK, you are advised to do a hit and run in some rural areas provided you report it to the nearest police station. There are some hooligans in each village ready to have fun beating someone up. And being involved in a TA whether wrong or right is a good enough excuse.

Sorry mate not true.

Leaving the scene of an accident where someone is injured in HK will lead to a criminal conviction. An accident with no third party and damage only to your car not a problem. likewise damage only where the two parties agree to swap insurance details again no problem.

HK as in Thailand, injured person help.

Funny, suiging, just today if you have noticed, a guy was only fined $5000 dollars and 200 hours community service for a hit and run. And it involved reckless driving that was reversing the car on a one way road for 200meters and 2 aged person got hurt. Here in HK.

[xyborg]

<br />

Should I see the accident taking place I would stop if no one else does. Always have done... (twice). However if the accident has already taken place, without me seeing it, I wouldn't stop.

<br /><br /><br />Yeh i suppose if you did not have the fun of seeing the young child fly through the windscreen and land on the road you should not be expected to stop and offer asistance. <img src="style_emoticons/default/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="sad.gif" /><br />

<br /><br /><br />

That would be the young child not in a car seat and not in the rear of the car but sitting on its Mothers lap in the front would it???? Speaking as someone who flew through a car windscreen aged 2 years old in 1965 in the Uk before seat belts.

[Acquiesce]

<br />

Should I see the accident taking place I would stop if no one else does. Always have done... (twice). However if the accident has already taken place, without me seeing it, I wouldn't stop.

<br /><br /><br />Yeh i suppose if you did not have the fun of seeing the young child fly through the windscreen and land on the road you should not be expected to stop and offer asistance. <img src="style_emoticons/default/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="sad.gif" /><br />

<br /><br /><br />

That would be the young child not in a car seat and not in the rear of the car but sitting on its Mothers lap in the front would it???? Speaking as someone who flew through a car windscreen aged 2 years old in 1965 in the Uk before seat belts.

Yes, thats correct, it would be the young child, not in a car seat and not in the rear of the car, but sitting on the front seat pasengers lap.