New Years Accident toll: 401 killed, 4903 injured in road accidents

[sbk]

118 killed, 1,254 injured in road accidents over past 2 days

BANGKOK, Dec 30 (TNA) -- A total of 707 road accidents took place in Thailand on Saturday, resulting in 85 deaths and 776 injuries.

It was the second day of the "seven high risk travel days" of the New Year holiday, with most revelers having left Bangkok for upcountry to join their family members or for touring, said a senior Interior Ministry official.

Niran Jongwutiwes, deputy permanent secretary for Interior, said so far 1,147 road accidents had been recorded over the past two days, bringing the total death toll to 118 - up nine people from the corresponding two days of last year. 1,254 people were injured, 46 less than last year.

Most road accidents over the two days took place in the northern capital of Chiang Mai and in Nakhon Pathom, near Bangkok, said Mr. Niran.

Drunk driving was the reason most given for the accidents at 38.19 per cent of causes, followed by speed driving at 21.07 per cent, according to Mr. Niran. Most accidents on Saturday were caused by motorcycles at 82.52 per cent, followed by pickup trucks at 6.01 per cent.

In an attempt to reduce road accidents and casualties during the New Year celebrations by at least 10 per cent from last year's figures, the government initiated a Road Safety Center (RSC).

In operation until January 3, the centre aimed to reduce road accidents to a maximum of 4,133 and the death toll to 413 at most, while the number of injuries was estimated to reach 4,568 nationwide during the seven day holiday period.

Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Anucha Mokhaves, said in his capacity as secretary-general of the RSC announcements urging motorists to refrain from reckless driving and statistics of motor vehicle accidents would be announced daily from December 29 through January 4. (TNA)-E111

[woody934]

The easies way would be to educate the people and give prpoer driving licences with approved examiners and police checks on all driver regardless of motorcycle or truck or bus, many thais simply pay a small fee and are given a licence to kill, police take money for no helmet yet through personal experience they do bugger all when a thai causes an accident with a foreigner and the thai has no insurence,tax or licence to drive the vehicle in question, The government of this country need to make some changes and see some action not simply talk about it. just another load of sawadee CRAP

[powwow]

These official accident figures are unacceptable and a disgrace. I would dread to imagine what are the unofficial road accident statistics.

Traffic laws are already in place in Thailand regarding drink driving, seat belts to be worn in cars, compulsory wearing of helmets on motorbikes, not to use a mobile phone whist driving a car, speeding, vehicles to be in road worthy condition, and reckless driving.

The problem is that the police are not taking these offences seriously and not strictly enforcing the imposed traffic laws.

Also penalties for traffic lawbreakers are not substantial enough to act as a deterrent, therefore giving no incentives for safe driving on Thailand’s roads.

I often hear Thai people say, no problem if I get caught breaking the law when driving, I just slip the Policeman 200 baht and say no more about it.

All this lax attitude towards the road traffic laws: equals: carnage on the roads.

[jumnien]

Just saw a dead body on the road as I pulled out on the main highway near the airport in Hua Hin. A motorcyclist was killed just minutes before I arrived. Very sad.

[Dupont]

I truly am shocked that it isn't 10 times higher than that. Really.

I travel phukets roads every day and if I were told these stats were for the Island I would not be a bit surprised.

Its only getting worse here and much worse at that. Patong hill has to be a no go area in anything but hot sunny conditions. I note now that many vehicles pull up in Kathu near the Caltex garage or u turn at the check point if it starts raining. Too afraid to venture up as the descent into Patong must be the worst kilometer of road in Thailand.. or have I not travelled enough?

Its a very seriouse issue and a long standing one which is not going to be address by this generation of powers that be.

Education: Non unless you really want it. Driving test, just pay under the table. If not here, next time you go home to your village.

Enforcement: Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha nobody needs say anymore these days. Its all been said.

Common sense. Even funnier and less likely to improve than the above 2 issues.

Pehaps we view it wrong though. My wife and her friends say the dead person will have good luck in the next life, espescially if they are/were obviously poor in this one. They seem to have less fear (if any) of death.

Perhaps this behaviour is just the unacceptable (to us) other side of the coin to all that is good and well in the country. All the reasons we came here and made it our homes are not the full picture.

My profound condolences to anybody caught up in this carnage.

[JacknDanny]

I often hear Thai people say, no problem if I get caught breaking the law when driving, I just slip the Policeman 200 baht and say no more about it.

Farangs also

Thats the problem when your average policeman is earning 6-7000 baht/month

[stormnut]

Gees and we thought our road toll of 13 over Christmas was bad here in Australia.

[Brewsta]

Hi All and Merry Xmas.....

sadly here in China, my 8 years working experience have shown that the death by traffic 'statistics' are even wirse than LOS..... I return home to Chiangmai for the university hols and Chinese Spring Festival in 3 weeks, where my blood pressure will significantly REDUCE whilst driving or crossing byeways and highways - a sad comparison, but true.

hugggz to All,

Brewstaa

I have been SmokeyFree for 2 Years, 4 Months, 1 Week, 2 Days, 20 hours and 27 minutes (861 days). I have saved £5,601.49 by not smoking 25,855 cigarettes.

[Scott]

My condolences to those who have lost family, friends or neighbors. What a sad New Years for these folks.

[Flatouthruthefog]

I truly am shocked that it isn't 10 times higher than that. Really.

I travel phukets roads every day and if I were told these stats were for the Island I would not be a bit surprised.

Its only getting worse here and much worse at that. Patong hill has to be a no go area in anything but hot sunny conditions. I note now that many vehicles pull up in Kathu near the Caltex garage or u turn at the check point if it starts raining. Too afraid to venture up as the descent into Patong must be the worst kilometer of road in Thailand.. or have I not travelled enough?

Its a very seriouse issue and a long standing one which is not going to be address by this generation of powers that be.

Education: Non unless you really want it. Driving test, just pay under the table. If not here, next time you go home to your village.

Enforcement: Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha nobody needs say anymore these days. Its all been said.

Common sense. Even funnier and less likely to improve than the above 2 issues.

Pehaps we view it wrong though. My wife and her friends say the dead person will have good luck in the next life, espescially if they are/were obviously poor in this one. They seem to have less fear (if any) of death.

Perhaps this behaviour is just the unacceptable (to us) other side of the coin to all that is good and well in the country. All the reasons we came here and made it our homes are not the full picture.

My profound condolences to anybody caught up in this carnage.

Congrats Dupont on such a thoughtful and sensible post. I share your pessimism. Improvements should start with REAL driving tests and REAL enforcement, but we are not holding our breath, huh?

In Phuket a few years ago I formed the view that Thai motorcyclists there were slow and dangerous, farangs on rented big bikes fast and dangerous. Phuket and my 'native' Chiang Mai often share the worst accident stats in the land.

Here, pretty young girls on Honda Dreams can be/are amazingly aggressive, as well as careless. Very many accidents are caused by bike and car drivers turning left into major roads without stopping or looking to their right. By few drivers reading the road far enough ahead. By talking animatedly on the cellphone. By playing with babies and/or small dogs on the lap of the driver while driving along!

We are in a nation where a former Minister of Transport once said that he saw no point in having a driving test! A nation where very low value is placed on human life by our (western) standards, perhaps due to the widespread and profoundly held local views about reincarnation.

A parallel debate has begun in the CM section, sparked off by an accident I witnessed here recently. See Doi Saket Road - Fatal Accident.

Me? I'm staying at home tonight!

[Tony Clifton]

5 years here only but is enough to notice that bad drivers and driving habits are getting worse year after year, and the police even more complacent.

The series of non-effective and ridiculous roadblocks when all the carnage goes on between the road blocks.

Also, in my opinion, in 2007, they're having campaigns with mascots that are only impressing children for a few moments while adults ignore them totally and keep on driving over the limit too close to the vehicle in front. The mascots are quite representative of how officials think when faced with such a major problem.

Maybe one of these mascots will managed to get killed to prove my point.

Edited December 31, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[Ned]

A lot more speedy sedans and SUVs on the roads nowadays. A lot more traffic generally eh. I see in today's (Monday's) paper that accidents are down but deaths are up. Incidentally the death toll stands at 188 after the first three days of the seven day New Year period.

Where are they getting all the wood for the coffins? It's so sad and bloody pathetic but what's gonna change?

[Ned]

Actually the number of accidents is up from last year by over 2% but deaths are up over 5%.

[Ned]

Actually the number of accidents is up from last year by over 2% but deaths are up over 5%.

[george]

Roadway death toll rises to 188 in three days

BANGKOK: -- The road toll throughout Thailand increased to 188 dead Sunday, the third day of the "seven high risk travel days" of the New Year holiday, Permanent Secretary for Transport Chaisawat Kittipornpaiboon said Monday.

On December 30 alone, a total of 818 road accidents occurred with 70 people dead and 877 injured across the country, according to Mr. Chaisawat. Of the total accidents, nearly half -- 46.45 per cent --were attributed to driving while intoxicated, followed by speeding with 20.42 per cent and 11.12 per cent on cutting in front of other vehicles.

As many as 86.25 per cent of the total accidents involved motorcycles and 6.33 per cent by pickup cars, he said.

Total road accidents in the past three days now stands at 1,965, a rise of 47 accidents compared to the same period of last year. Total people who were killed in the accidents were 188, up nine people from last year, while the number of injured persons stood unchanged at 2,131.

The highest number of road accidents in the past three days was in the northern city of Chiang Mai with 69 accidents followed by the northernmost province of Chiang Rai with 68.

In an attempt to reduce road accidents and casualties during the New Year celebrations by at least 10 per cent from last year, the government initiated its Road Safety Centre (RSC).

In operation until January 3, the centre aimed to reduce road accidents to a maximum of 4,133 and the death toll to 413 at most, while the number of injuries is estimated to reach 4,568 nationwide by the end of the seven day holiday period.

--TNA 2007-12-31

[Scott]

The ONLY way to keep car accidents in check effectively is with enforcement. Enforcement means police on the roads and stopping people--randomly--not at a road block. Fear of getting caught and a reasonably stiff fine for breaking the law (or jail for serious offences) is what works.

[Tony Clifton]

I call it cop-car-anoia, non-existent in Thailand.

[pointofview]

Typicaly amaizing how the percentage figures are expressed to to one hundredth (39.19% eg)

Pity they couldnt be a bit more scientific in preventying deaths - like getting out of the stone age by setting a driving test! Make it illegal for 8 year olds to ride motorcycles.

As we all know the most amaizing thing is to witness a policeman stopping someone for not wearing a crash helmet whilst he waves on the family carrying the new born baby alot!

[midas]

Hang on on a minute ! I have given in many countries around the world but I have never

experienced that exists in Thailand regarding the acceptability of breaking rules even on

multi lane carriage ways ! The fact that it's acceptable for a father with his two or three

young children on a motorbike to suddenly dart out from the middle of median strip

which is heavily planted with trees so you don't get any warning whatsoever !

Or is crazy practice of riding a motorcycle or driving a car in the opposite direction !

Convenience is one thing but while they have this lackadaisical attitude towards

transportation then don't expect anything other than shocking road casualty statistics !

[lazeeboy]

The ONLY way to keep car accidents in check effectively is with enforcement. Enforcement means police on the roads and stopping people--randomly--not at a road block. Fear of getting caught and a reasonably stiff fine for breaking the law (or jail for serious offences) is what works.

that will just give the police more tea money

[v8tfcorty]

46.45 per cent --were attributed to driving while intoxicated

Just backs up what i've always said, sober drivers cause more accidents than drunk drivers.

[meemiathai]

Typicaly amaizing how the percentage figures are expressed to to one hundredth (39.19% eg)

Pity they couldnt be a bit more scientific in preventying deaths - like getting out of the stone age by setting a driving test! Make it illegal for 8 year olds to ride motorcycles.

As we all know the most amaizing thing is to witness a policeman stopping someone for not wearing a crash helmet whilst he waves on the family carrying the new born baby alot!

Are you saying that new born babies should be wearing helmets too?

[apetley]

Typicaly amaizing how the percentage figures are expressed to to one hundredth (39.19% eg)

Pity they couldnt be a bit more scientific in preventying deaths - like getting out of the stone age by setting a driving test! Make it illegal for 8 year olds to ride motorcycles.

As we all know the most amaizing thing is to witness a policeman stopping someone for not wearing a crash helmet whilst he waves on the family carrying the new born baby alot!

Are you saying that new born babies should be wearing helmets too?

Probably not.

More likely commenting on how crazy it is to carry a new born on a motorcycle.

[meemiathai]

Typicaly amaizing how the percentage figures are expressed to to one hundredth (39.19% eg)

Pity they couldnt be a bit more scientific in preventying deaths - like getting out of the stone age by setting a driving test! Make it illegal for 8 year olds to ride motorcycles.

As we all know the most amaizing thing is to witness a policeman stopping someone for not wearing a crash helmet whilst he waves on the family carrying the new born baby alot!

Are you saying that new born babies should be wearing helmets too?

Probably not.

More likely commenting on how crazy it is to carry a new born on a motorcycle.

How is a baby to be transported if a motor bike is the only thing they got?

[Scott]

If the goal is to keep the number of accidents and fatalities down, then enforcement is the key, along with reasonably stiff penalties. The fact that this provides more 'tea money' for the police is a whole different problem. Drivers will almost always break laws unless they fear getting caught. This means the police have to be out on the road and have to be likely to catch you when and where you don't expect them to be (thus roadblocks are minimally effective).

Reducing death and injury is about enforcement. 'Tea money' is about corruption. There is a link, but they are quite different.

[pointofview]

Typicaly amaizing how the percentage figures are expressed to to one hundredth (39.19% eg)

Pity they couldnt be a bit more scientific in preventying deaths - like getting out of the stone age by setting a driving test! Make it illegal for 8 year olds to ride motorcycles.

As we all know the most amaizing thing is to witness a policeman stopping someone for not wearing a crash helmet whilst he waves on the family carrying the new born baby alot!

Are you saying that new born babies should be wearing helmets too?

You could only be thai to respond with such a question - babys shouldnt be carried aloft on motorcycles. The parent s should be educated

[apetley]

Typicaly amaizing how the percentage figures are expressed to to one hundredth (39.19% eg)

Pity they couldnt be a bit more scientific in preventying deaths - like getting out of the stone age by setting a driving test! Make it illegal for 8 year olds to ride motorcycles.

As we all know the most amaizing thing is to witness a policeman stopping someone for not wearing a crash helmet whilst he waves on the family carrying the new born baby alot!

Are you saying that new born babies should be wearing helmets too?

Probably not.

More likely commenting on how crazy it is to carry a new born on a motorcycle.

How is a baby to be transported if a motor bike is the only thing they got?

There are always alternatives.

They might not always be as convenient as hopping on the Wave with the newborn slung under the arm for the 100m trip to the shops but there is an alternative.

I accept that in an extreme emergency then the motorbike may be the only thing available but in almost all other cases, with a little forethought, then the putting at risk of a young helpless life can and should be avoided.

[meemiathai]

Typicaly amaizing how the percentage figures are expressed to to one hundredth (39.19% eg)

Pity they couldnt be a bit more scientific in preventying deaths - like getting out of the stone age by setting a driving test! Make it illegal for 8 year olds to ride motorcycles.

As we all know the most amaizing thing is to witness a policeman stopping someone for not wearing a crash helmet whilst he waves on the family carrying the new born baby alot!

Are you saying that new born babies should be wearing helmets too?

You could only be thai to respond with such a question - babys shouldnt be carried aloft on motorcycles. The parent s should be educated

And you could only be farang.

Now please tell me how I am going to bring a baby from village A to village B which is 30 km apart?

The thais are a wierd bunch, aren't they? They have a Fortuner Toyota and a honda wave in the front yard, yet they choose to ride on the bike with the whole family.

It's not nice calling people stupid but sometimes very difficult to resist.

[meemiathai]

Typicaly amaizing how the percentage figures are expressed to to one hundredth (39.19% eg)

Pity they couldnt be a bit more scientific in preventying deaths - like getting out of the stone age by setting a driving test! Make it illegal for 8 year olds to ride motorcycles.

As we all know the most amaizing thing is to witness a policeman stopping someone for not wearing a crash helmet whilst he waves on the family carrying the new born baby alot!

Are you saying that new born babies should be wearing helmets too?

Probably not.

More likely commenting on how crazy it is to carry a new born on a motorcycle.

How is a baby to be transported if a motor bike is the only thing they got?

There are always alternatives.

They might not always be as convenient as hopping on the Wave with the newborn slung under the arm for the 100m trip to the shops but there is an alternative.

I accept that in an extreme emergency then the motorbike may be the only thing available but in almost all other cases, with a little forethought, then the putting at risk of a young helpless life can and should be avoided.

Glad that it is only those 100m trips you find problems with. Agreed that it would be better just to go by one's ownself if all one wants was to buy something 100m away.

Anyway for me, I don't like people telling me what is safe to do and what is not. For I have my own standards. People don't know what I am capable of.

In thailand this is a way of life. No alternatives I'm afraid.

[Zpete]

Typicaly amaizing how the percentage figures are expressed to to one hundredth (39.19% eg)

Pity they couldnt be a bit more scientific in preventying deaths - like getting out of the stone age by setting a driving test! Make it illegal for 8 year olds to ride motorcycles.

As we all know the most amaizing thing is to witness a policeman stopping someone for not wearing a crash helmet whilst he waves on the family carrying the new born baby alot!

Are you saying that new born babies should be wearing helmets too?

Probably not.

More likely commenting on how crazy it is to carry a new born on a motorcycle.

How is a baby to be transported if a motor bike is the only thing they got?

There are always alternatives.

They might not always be as convenient as hopping on the Wave with the newborn slung under the arm for the 100m trip to the shops but there is an alternative.

I accept that in an extreme emergency then the motorbike may be the only thing available but in almost all other cases, with a little forethought, then the putting at risk of a young helpless life can and should be avoided.

Glad that it is only those 100m trips you find problems with. Agreed that it would be better just to go by one's ownself if all one wants was to buy something 100m away.

Anyway for me, I don't like people telling me what is safe to do and what is not. For I have my own standards. People don't know what I am capable of.

In thailand this is a way of life. No alternatives I'm afraid.

For a 100 metre trip, wots wrong with walking..........<deleted>.

Are Thai people that LAZY?....... (inc expats too)