Traffic: Red-runners Is A Fine Mess

[nam-thip]

Traffic Offense Points System

On January 16, 2002, the Traffic Offense Points System was implemented.

It is not known how strictly this law is enforced in the rather unsystematic traffic law enforcement situation in Thailand, or the extent of inconvenience one endures in its legal procedure, or whether it affects holders of an International Driving Permit or a driver's license from a foreign country.

One thing is clear. To keep away from hassles, one needs to understand its target offenses.

That driver's licence points system.

Drivers who amass more than 60 demerit points in a year will have their licences suspended for 90 days and face a fine or a jail term if caught driving during that time.

Deputy Prime Minister Pitak Intra-witayanunt said there was a lack of equipment needed to enforce the system _ such as speed detectors _ in some provinces, but funds would be set aside as requests came in.

He did not think fears the system would fuel police graft were justified.

``If there are problems, motorists can file complaints to higher-ups,'' he said.

Deputy city police chief Pol Maj-Gen Wongkot Maneerin said the system was aimed at preventing traffic law violations, not punishment. Under the regulations, 16 violations will earn a range of demerit points.

In Bangkok, violators will be issued tickets and must pay fines within seven days at the issuing police station, where offences will be recorded on computer.

Their licences will then be sent to the traffic command centre on Si Ayutthaya road and returned with stickers bearing four different symbols, depending on violations.

Sticker A (10 points) is for bad driving and driving on footpaths (10 points)

Sticker B (20 points) is for overtaking other vehicles on the left, or in an inappropriate situation, and parking in a traffic lane or on a poorly-lit road shoulder. It is also for taxi drivers who deposit passengers short of their destinations or refuse to pick up passengers.

Sticker C (30 points) is for careless driving and speeding.

Sticker D (40 points) is for stopping vehicles beyond a stop line, drunken driving, hit-and-run and illegal racing.

In the provinces, the points recording process will take 15 days.

(A) 10 Points

• Driving in a disturbing way

• Driving on the sidewalk

( 20 Points

• Passing another vehicle from the left side

• Passing another vehicle in a dangerous way

• Parking on an unlighted road at night

• (taxi) Refusing to take a passenger

• (taxi) Abandoning a passenger

© 30 Points

• Driving with reduced competence

• Driving in a dangerous way

• Driving in an unusual way

• Driving in a way that endangers others

• Speeding

(D) 40 Points

• Not stopping behind the white line at red traffic light

• Drinking and driving

• Hit-and-run, or not reporting a traffic accident to the police

• Racing

[sumrit]

It's only the odd person that speeds up to try and make it across when they're close to the change.

I don't know where you live, but you should check out Pattaya. Just about everyone speeds up when the countdown is almost complete....from a long way off too.

I live in Chonburi and we do visit Pattaya sometimes, and I'm not trying to excuse people who speed up when the lights are about to change or deliberately go through on red. But when people can see that they have plenty of time to get through the lights they don't speed up and they can see from a distance if they have time, it's only when the countdown gets close to zero that some people speed up to try to get through whereas in the UK because, if the light is on green, they don't know when it's going to change to amber so almost everybody tends to speed up to get through just in case it's going to change, resulting in people going through the lights faster than they were before they aproached the lights, so when they do change people can't stop safely anyway.

[Heng]

Tag all the fines onto vehicle registrations (with timestamped multi-angled photos of course), sorted.

Increase the fines over time so people are actually BURDENED For risking the lives of others on the roads. 1,000-5,000+ Baht PER INSTANCE.

[brahmburgers]

BANGKOK: -- More than 75,000 motorists were caught running red lights in the month after traffic cameras went up at city intersections, but less than 5,000 have paid the fine at the 11 designated locations, a senior policeman said Thursday.

Deputy city police chief Pol Maj-General Panu Kerdlarppol said he would meet with 7-Eleven executives Friday to see if the fines could be paid via the stores' counter service.

Since December 30, tickets have been sent to 75,470 red-light runners, slapping them with a Bt500 fine and a 40-point reduction on their licence, he said. However, only 4,283 have paid the fine so far.

Payment has been delayed in cases where taxis and company vehicles have run red lights, because the tickets had to be forwarded from the company to the drivers, he said. He urged violators to pay the fines at one of the 11 locations identified on the ticket's envelope, or call 1197 for more information.

Panu said officials had been told to focus on the fines and waive the points reduction for now. The points reduction would only be imposed on red-light runners caught by police at the scene, not those caught on camera.

-- The Nation 2009-02-05

Wonder if the 40 point demerit (.....reduction in their license) will stick ....when it's time to get a license renewal? There'll be some loud words in renewal halls, if that's so. Yet later in the article, it says they cops will "waive the points reduction for now" - a bite with no teeth.

Cops should try to slap a fine dangerous drivers at the scene, though it would be a tough row to hoe. Actually, the easy part would be waving through the expensive cars and/or otherwise excusing those who were VIPs. The tough part would be dealing with others - who would loudly protest their innocence, while waving baht notes and dropping names.

[Heng]

If being being annoyed and loud at the Dept. of Land transport is the price of saved lives, it's worth it. Heck, half the people are already annoyed there anyway... what's a little noise? Throw it some bumpkin music and a beer garden and it's a party.