No More Hand-held Phone Chatting While Driving

[aguy30]

Another law that will NOT be enforced (except when the police need a bribe). What is the point of good laws with the lazy police who will not enforce them?

Cameras to catch violators? Kidding me?

What about the idiots using mobiles on motorcycles?

[aguy30]

Just another thought.

Pattaya police can't even see a family of five, without helmets, on the wrong side of the road, on a motorcycle. How are they going to see someone driving a car and talking on a mobile?

[Jai Dee]

Police vow to take serious steps against cell phone usage in cars

Police Command Spokesman Police Major General Supon Punsua (สุพร พันธุ์เสือ) revealed following the issuance of an act banning cell phone use while driving, that Police will take serious steps to enact the law.

Police Major General Supon stated that police will publicize the regulation and also educate people on the dangers of using mobile technology while driving.

Police say that when the law takes full effect early next year they will sternly crackdown with road blocks and monitors. Fines for transgressors will be from 400 to 1000 baht.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 16 November 2007

[oevna]

Wow, it must be great to be American and put every other nation in the world in pidgeon holes. So Thais are the stupidest people ever?

Racism exists in every country, America not excluded. But it certainly predates the existance of the United States. Unless you think that racism was invented in 1776. Before then, the only people in North America were Native Americans, and *gasp* Western Europeans. Where are you from (originally)?

Cheers,

-oev

[oevna]

So, you're saying that you rely on passengers in the car that you are driving to watch the road while you talk with them?

absolutely not, but a fair majority of passengers would shut up if they spotted a serious situation developing on the road ahead & allow the driver to concentrate fully. Someone on the end of a phone line can't see that development.

Jonathan

DSA ADI

RoSPA Gold

Boy, you really chose to get at the "meat" of my post. Thanks for that response.

Cheers,

-oev

Edited November 16, 2007 by oevna

[Plus]

How are they going to enforce this law? Pulling over a car travelling at 80km/h in the right lane is not an easy task. They would need to work in teams - a spotter and the actual roadblock farther down the road, like they do with speeding on highways.

I think, like with most laws in Thailand, they hope that psychological effect of doing something illegal would deter many people, not all, of course, maybe just some, but the roads will be just tad safer.

The law would also give an excuse to honk at people yakking on the phone and hogging the fast lane. This peer pressure will also have some effect.

I, personally, don't think that talking on the phone is paritcuarly dangerous - people who hold phones instinctively slow down and drive in a safer way, not overtaking, no changing lanes etc. They are more of an annoyance to others as they often hold the traffic.

Sure they are more exposed to accidents, but given the number of hours people spend on the phone each day by millions of people, the increase is statistically insignificant.

[selftaopath]

this is good! to prevent accidents and improper driving as well as to discipline people in driving..

What next? Might taxi and motorbike taxi operators have their license suspended (providing they have one) for drinking alcohol while “on duty” and driving? Oh, but maybe that is not a law yet. I realize talk is cheap, as are intentions and again I’ll refer to an adage I learned in a criminology class I attended :

If there is no punishment there is no crime.

Keoki

[B Fuddled]

Conspiracy theory: It's a political ploy instigated by the politician whose wife has the contract to provide police with the X-ray goggles that will be necessary to see through the tinted windshields/’screens in order to detect whether the driver is holding a telephone.

Edited November 17, 2007 by B Fuddled

[jackspratt]

I, personally, don't think that talking on the phone is paritcuarly dangerous - people who hold phones instinctively slow down and drive in a safer way, not overtaking, no changing lanes etc. They are more of an annoyance to others as they often hold the traffic.

Sure they are more exposed to accidents, but given the number of hours people spend on the phone each day by millions of people, the increase is statistically insignificant.

Personally, I disagree with you.

Fortunately, so do road safety experts and legislators in numerous countries around the world.

[Jai Dee]

Police to request photo cameras to collect evidence of cell phone using drivers

Royal Thai Police Spokesman Police Lieutenant General Pongpat Pongcharoen (พงศพัศ พงษ์เจริญ) stated that the Royal Thai Police will be requesting funds to purchase photo cameras to assist police in collecting evidence of transgressors of the land transport act. Police will use the cameras to snap shots of people in their cars if they see them breaking the law, which they state will promote fairness for both citizens and officers.

Police Lieutenant General Pongpat stated that the cameras will be purchased in anticipation of projected arguments that may occur from motorists who protest that they were using mobile phones. The police spokesman also said there may be more study done into other forms of technology that will assist in the upholding of the law.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 19 November 2007

[Lorin]

Police to request photo cameras to collect evidence of cell phone using drivers

Royal Thai Police Spokesman Police Lieutenant General Pongpat Pongcharoen (พงศพัศ พงษ์เจริญ) stated that the Royal Thai Police will be requesting funds to purchase photo cameras to assist police in collecting evidence of transgressors of the land transport act. Police will use the cameras to snap shots of people in their cars if they see them breaking the law, which they state will promote fairness for both citizens and officers.

Police Lieutenant General Pongpat stated that the cameras will be purchased in anticipation of projected arguments that may occur from motorists who protest that they were using mobile phones. The police spokesman also said there may be more study done into other forms of technology that will assist in the upholding of the law.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 19 November 2007

Ok, here is the trick: need to purchase the cameras..:-) Now watch out for companies connected to politicians, who will win the bid to provide those cameras..:-)

[Plus]

I, personally, don't think that talking on the phone is paritcuarly dangerous - people who hold phones instinctively slow down and drive in a safer way, not overtaking, no changing lanes etc. They are more of an annoyance to others as they often hold the traffic.

Sure they are more exposed to accidents, but given the number of hours people spend on the phone each day by millions of people, the increase is statistically insignificant.

Personally, I disagree with you.

Fortunately, so do road safety experts and legislators in numerous countries around the world.

I don't particularly care what legislators think but I'd appreciate if you can provide some study data to show how much impact phone use has on accident rate. Something like before-after study. I bet across the world the effect in statisitcally insignificant, and no one has undertaken any study in Thailand as far as I know.

I know it's distracting, but so is fiddling with your radio, maybe radio is even more dangerous as you have to take your eyes off the road.

My main point is that people on the phone realise that they are incapacitated (unlike drunk drivers) and so they change their driving to a slower, safer mode.

[MuuDaeng]

My main point is that people on the phone realise that they are incapacitated (unlike drunk drivers) and so they change their driving to a slower, safer mode.

Oh, do they really?

I personally don't, sometimes I even 'forget' I'm driving when talk in phone. Point is if hold phone in your hand, you don't concentrate and you just can't react as you had your both hands on driving (=free), equipment takes your attention for a second.

It's different question should they push something more urgent in place of this law, I think they should but on second thought this is also improvement.

Edited November 19, 2007 by MuuDaeng

[jackspratt]

I, personally, don't think that talking on the phone is paritcuarly dangerous - people who hold phones instinctively slow down and drive in a safer way, not overtaking, no changing lanes etc. They are more of an annoyance to others as they often hold the traffic.

Sure they are more exposed to accidents, but given the number of hours people spend on the phone each day by millions of people, the increase is statistically insignificant.

Personally, I disagree with you.

Fortunately, so do road safety experts and legislators in numerous countries around the world.

I don't particularly care what legislators think but I'd appreciate if you can provide some study data to show how much impact phone use has on accident rate. Something like before-after study. I bet across the world the effect in statisitcally insignificant, and no one has undertaken any study in Thailand as far as I know.

I know it's distracting, but so is fiddling with your radio, maybe radio is even more dangerous as you have to take your eyes off the road.

My main point is that people on the phone realise that they are incapacitated (unlike drunk drivers) and so they change their driving to a slower, safer mode.

Plus, you are the one who is challenging what is now accepted conventional wisdom on the dangers of driving while talking on a mobile phone.

A bit like questioning whether it is OK to drink and drive.

If you want the current thinking, try googling something like "driving mobile phone dangers". You won't find much support for your wacky theories.

[Tony Clifton]

This one is hard to beat.

Saw a Thai riding his motorcycle today, holding a large Chang beer with a straw AND a cell phone to his ear with the same hand.

Only in Thailand...

[JetsetBkk]

Lightening the mood a little... there are other things that moto-cy drivers carry that appear to be quite dangerous:

[gdhm]

Lightening the mood a little... there are other things that moto-cy drivers carry that appear to be quite dangerous:

Continuing the vein of "Lightening the mood a little"

Not to mention that motor cycles are driven by or are carrying all those lovely Thai ladies that the men or the world, be they Thai or foreign, seem (mostly) incapable of taking their eyes off, whilst supposedly concentrating on driving themselves

Think we need another new Thai law

"Attractive Thai Ladies banned from driving or passengers on motorcycles so men will concentrate better on their driving.

OOPs that rules out a huge percentage of the Thai lady population .

[apetley]

Lightening the mood a little... there are other things that moto-cy drivers carry that appear to be quite dangerous:

Looking at it another way maybe they thought it was a neat airbag.