Crash Helmet Laws In Thailand

[bsided69]

Just recently I have noticed that the Police are out stopping anybody who is not wearing a crash helmet whilst riding a motorcycle. This is nothing new. I had a bit of a spill some months back and cracked my Noggin, so I wear a crash helmet most of the time. This I know, during the hot season can be most uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as brain damage me thinks?

The same day I saw many police stopping non wearers I drove past a school at home time. There was policeman outside stopping Traffic to let the young students out. I counted no less than 20 motorcycles with up to 3 pasengers on some of the bikes. Not one of these school children was wearing a crash helmet. Now I beleave that if there was a real effort to educate todays children as to the dangers of not wearing a crash helmet, Thailand could reduce the death toll on roads considerable. Teach them from a young age and the next generation may well change the slack attitude to bike safety and the wearing of skid lids.

Just a thought

[Briggsy]

The stop and fine convention does not apply to school students going to and returning from school. The police rationale for not stopping these offenders is (they are too young to have a licence so) there is no point asking them for one and (they have no money so) there's no point stopping them.

All the best

Briggsy

P.S. Don't forget the police in Thailand is a self-financing organisation.

[bsided69]

The stop and fine convention does not apply to school students going to and returning from school. The police rationale for not stopping these offenders is (they are too young to have a licence so) there is no point asking them for one and (they have no money so) there's no point stopping them.

All the best

Briggsy

P.S. Don't forget the police in Thailand is a self-financing organisation.

So does this mean that as they have no licence, they will have no insurance and there for are totally illegal? If so? This is quite disturbing. No training , no licence and no way of claiming against any child that was the cause of an accident.

Still, it would be nice if schools could just incourage young pupils to wear crash helmets. Thai school children on the whole seem to be very well behaved and respectfull of there elders, so if they were told to wear crash helmets it may well work for some?

Thanks for filling me in on that Briggsy. Quite a shocker though.

[apetley]

The law tells people to wear a crash helmet and that is ignored so I think, sadly, that they would ignore any instruction to do so from a teacher as well.

It's genetic I am sure of it, the non-wearing of essential safety equipment. Why else would they do so?

[Neeranam]

The stop and fine convention does not apply to school students going to and returning from school

It applies very much to university students - I used to work in one where every single student would be stopped and fined(regardless if they were wearing a helmet or not!) - 7000 of them but I was allowed to drive through everytime.

[Big A]

This I know, during the hot season can be most uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as brain damage me thinks?

Pity the prats on motorbikes don't think that way too!!

[Niloc]

The high school my 15 yo stepson attends last year banned motorcyclists without helmets from parking in the school grounds.

My stepson who had steadfastly refused to wear any helmet (very uncool) very quickly discover that he could not pose around on his bright red Honda without a helmet. Demanded one...

I wish I could get him to wear it all the time when he is on his bike, not just when he is going to and from school...

[Neeranam]

The high school my 15 yo stepson attends last year banned motorcyclists without helmets from parking in the school grounds.

My stepson who had steadfastly refused to wear any helmet (very uncool) very quickly discover that he could not pose around on his bright red Honda without a helmet. Demanded one...

I wish I could get him to wear it all the time when he is on his bike, not just when he is going to and from school...

The guys I know with Thai step-sons would be quite happy for them to not wear one and crash.

[kmart]

I've driven past countless scenes of carnage here over the years, usually involving massive head trauma to young motorcyclists; students especially. Seems that no-one wants to muss up the fashionable-haircut-of-the-day by wearing a helmet.

Darwin in motion, it seems.

Thailand adopts a lot of laws, willy-nilly from Western countries to try make themselves appear "sophisticated" to the outside world, but the existing helmet law, if properly enforced, would be a huge boon to Thai society...

[bsided69]

I've driven past countless scenes of carnage here over the years, usually involving massive head trauma to young motorcyclists; students especially. Seems that no-one wants to muss up the fashionable-haircut-of-the-day by wearing a helmet.

Darwin in motion, it seems.

Thailand adopts a lot of laws, willy-nilly from Western countries to try make themselves appear "sophisticated" to the outside world, but the existing helmet law, if properly enforced, would be a huge boon to Thai society...

I remember seeing a programme on BBC world last year about a new inforced law in Cambodia to make people wear crash helmets, as the death toll on the roads there far surpassed that of Thailand. This being down to the crap roads and lighting and the usual things, booze,tunnel vision, brain dead etc. Does anyone know if things have changed over there? A little change would be a start, as it seemed that nobody at all wore crash helmets?

[micksterbs]

As usual, there are several factors at work here. As said, it's just not cool (literally) to wear a helmet even though everyone in Thailand must know of at least one person who has died or, at the very least, suffered serious head injuries. In the relatively short time that I have lived here, my wife has lost three of her students and one colleague in motorbike crashes. None of the crashes were high speed, but all involved massive head injury. Also, Thailand being such a "me-too!" society, riders just look at their peers and elders and are happy to copy. Hands up how many have seen policemen riding motorbikes in their peaked caps? I have a BiB neighbour who rides home each day in his uniform but with just a baseball cap for headgear. What sort of message does that send other riders?

The tragic thing is that deaths on Thai roads (about 35 per day, on average) could be cut quite dramatically with a change of policy on the part of the police. But hey, they'd actually have to do their job, as opposed to just collecting tea-money.

[gunnyd]

Being an avid biker, I can't imagine riding around without a proper helmet. At home in Phoenix, AZ it gets up to 120 degrees in the shade and still I wear my helmet. Of course if you buy a cheap helmet it can be miserable in the summer. I have a $300 full-face Shoei helmet with plenty of ventilation built into the design. I have seen riders in BKK wearing anything plastic in a helmet shape for protection, if they are wearing anything at all. There is a reason why me call motorcycles "donor cycles" in the medical field. And that's not mentioning the bugs getting all in your face on longer rides. Yes being comfortable is one thing and being in a hurry or thinking that it isn't cool just isn't a good excuse.

But I agree in the Darwinian theory of thinning the herd. If you are stupid enough to run down the road without a helmet then maybe the gene pool could do without you.

I equate running around on a bike without a helmet to sleeping with a BG without a condom.

The thing that kills me is that the police will hassle a farang without a helmet, yet I have seen 5 people (Husband, wife, kids 10 and under with a toddler to boot) riding on a 125cc scooter all the time. I'd say let them cream themselves all over the road. At least the tax payers don't end up paying for their poor judgement in medical costs when they do survive the impact. I am sure some tax payer cash goes toward it but no where near the amount as in Western countries.

GunnyD

Edited March 14, 2008 by gunnyd

[way2muchcoffee]

My stepson who had steadfastly refused to wear any helmet (very uncool) very quickly discover that he could not pose around on his bright red Honda without a helmet. Demanded one...

I wish I could get him to wear it all the time when he is on his bike, not just when he is going to and from school...

You might try providing consequences for misbehaviors. Try taking his keys if he refuses to don the helmet before leaving home. If you see him driving around later without helmet, lock the bike up for a week. Bad behavior without consequence is much more likely to be repeated.

Edited March 14, 2008 by way2muchcoffee

[Eric1949]

The stop and fine convention does not apply to school students going to and returning from school

It applies very much to university students - I used to work in one where every single student would be stopped and fined(regardless if they were wearing a helmet or not!) - 7000 of them but I was allowed to drive through everytime.

Sorry, I miss the point here. What were they being fined for 'regardless if they were wearing a helmet or not'??

[way2muchcoffee]

My guess is that the poster is describing the random flagging down and paper checking routine that is all too common here.

[Eric1949]

The stop and fine convention does not apply to school students going to and returning from school. The police rationale for not stopping these offenders is (they are too young to have a licence so) there is no point asking them for one and (they have no money so) there's no point stopping them.

All the best

Briggsy

P.S. Don't forget the police in Thailand is a self-financing organisation.

So does this mean that as they have no licence, they will have no insurance and there for are totally illegal? If so? This is quite disturbing. No training , no licence and no way of claiming against any child that was the cause of an accident.

Still, it would be nice if schools could just incourage young pupils to wear crash helmets. Thai school children on the whole seem to be very well behaved and respectfull of there elders, so if they were told to wear crash helmets it may well work for some?

Thanks for filling me in on that Briggsy. Quite a shocker though.

Here in Samui, the local Community magazine used to publish 'reportable' accident figures, they would read............180 accidents, 80% of drivers/riders unable to produce licence..etc

Why on earth would Thais require insurance, the police attitude is, you farang, if you not in Thailand, accident would not have happened. Now that is so logical, no?

Edited March 14, 2008 by Eric1949

[rixalex]

What is it with all this stuff about kids riding motorbikes? Nobody round here heard of bicycles? Yes i know it can get hot, but a little suffering never hurts teenagers, and at least they'd be getting some exercise. Less chance of becoming road kill too.

[way2muchcoffee]

That's a good point Rixalex. Don't see much of a problem in doing that upcountry where there isn't a lot of traffic. I recall riding my bicycle to school a couple of miles each way when I was young. When I didn't ride the bike I walked.

Edited March 14, 2008 by way2muchcoffee

[rixalex]

That's a good point Rixalex. Don't see much of a problem in doing that upcountry where there isn't a lot of traffic. I recall riding my bicycle to school a couple of miles each way when I was young. When I didn't ride the bike I walked.

Me too. Of course i would have loved to have been whizzing around on a motorbike like the kids here, but laws and having parents who want you to come home in one piece put a stop to that thank goodness. Where's the parenting one wonders?

[Dakhar]

That's a good point Rixalex. Don't see much of a problem in doing that upcountry where there isn't a lot of traffic. I recall riding my bicycle to school a couple of miles each way when I was young. When I didn't ride the bike I walked.

Me too. Of course i would have loved to have been whizzing around on a motorbike like the kids here, but laws and having parents who want you to come home in one piece put a stop to that thank goodness. Where's the parenting one wonders?

Where.... in the hamock