Thai Road Safety Now A National Agenda

[sokal]

Getting the road accidents down, could be a very difficult task. It is far to easy to get a drivers license here. I believe a majority of the drivers don't the actual traffic rules, judging on examples where those who already are inside a circulation crossing stops and gives way to those who is enters it. Even though there are signs telling that the vehicles outside the circulation must stop and give way for the ones inside. The task is even more difficult since even the police aren't following the traffic rules on ordinary patrolling or travel.

Malaysia is worse by the statistics

[321niti123]

First the Airport, then customs, now road safety.

Go Abhisit!

Has he been reading the letter page of the Bangkok Post?

Don't get too carried away. Remember that so far it's all just words and no action. Seeing is believing and Abhisit has to start delivering real change in the next few months or by this time next year he will be history.

More pompous splutterings, more PR waffle lacking any real action, more "commitees" staffed by his cronies and hangers-on!

The answer to Thailand's road carnage is so simple and blatantly obvious - get the police to actually enforce the existing road safety laws, as opposed to using them as a source of "income supplement".

Of course, that would need root and branch cleansing of the BIB, so it just won't happen. Unless by some miracle, Little Mark grows some balls!

I agree, the police are so bad these days you cna pay only a hundred to get out of any type of ticket.

Also, I admire abhisits to-do attitude, he seems to be trying to do something unlike some of our old PMs, but time will tell if anything is really being done or if this is just a scam to build a portfolio and dicredit the UDD's claims

[andyww]

Before this problem (and many other problems) can be addressed, police corruption must be eliminated.

This will not happen because the whole system is so rotten. Cutting out police corruption would need to be done in a top-down manner which means starting with the politicians and public servants and working through to police chiefs, then downwards.

Taksin tried to attempt this and look what happened to him.

[wilsongbrown]

First the Airport, then customs, now road safety.

Go Abhisit!

Has he been reading the letter page of the Bangkok Post?

No, he had the benefit of a quality western education. Duh.

His cabinet's largely sneered at so called 'crackdowns', particularly on this forum, are simply the things any Western government would give priority in implementing. Those new laws he would like to implement will take a while longer, given his having to sup with a long spoon.

[cdnvic]

Malaysia is worse by the statistics

But is that possibly due to better record keeping and more honest reporting?

[steve28]

Hi,

Ten years to cut road deaths in half, could do it in a year if there was really a will to do it.

Obviously police have to do their job, and learn to drive themselves. go out on the road and pull over careless/dangerous/insane drivers and fine them.

3 fines take the liscence away and make them resit the test.

doesn't really matter where the fine money goes, hitting people in the pocket has an effect, even better if the fines collected were used for road saftey uses, or to set up proper test centers.

off course it will not happen.

Just my opinion

steve

[dkstoney]

To achieve the goal, the government had set up a centre for road safety and was in charge of road accident prevention throughout the country.

OK, it's their problem now. We can blame them next year when road deaths are 13,000. Why don't they enforce the laws by using the lines that are already painted on the road. Jerk-offs, really.

[geriatrickid]

[This figure is only those that die at the scene. Those that succumb to their injuries in hospital will not be in the 'official' figures.

The true figure is between 25k and 30k deaths per year.

These deaths do a good job of removing key components of the workforce. Young males and adolescents.

Now add in the economic costs of the deaths and the medical care required and it really is a drag on the nation's growth. A reduction by 10% would be one heck of an economic stimulus.

[fazbender]

Speaking as an ex DSA Motorcycle instructor, the only way to get to grips with this is to make riding motorcycles part of the school program and not allowing any children to ride to school until a licence of competency has been achieved. Teaching children the rules of the road with proper off road training will benefit all.

Children will pass on what they have learned to their parents. Some of it will rub off, but like most things it has to be educated out at source and at an age that will stay with them always.

It goes without saying that the police have to uphold the rules themselves before they can implement them. How many times have we seen even policemen riding without helmets or consideration to other road users? So, they to would have to undergo training also. They only need one police motorcycle instuctor per district to up train all the cops. Simple, but not paying the instructor for the licence ie no bribery. Easier to spot the ones who had bribed as they would not be riding correctly.

Riding bikes is easy. It's just easier to ride them badly!

But, then again, as the Thai's don't take suggestions from Farangs, whatsoever, let them carry on killing themselves!!?? Just make sure YOU drive safely and manage to avoid all other bike riders and cars!

I've seen some ATROCIOUS riding from foreigners, thinking that because they can afford to hire big and small 'bikes here they are expert at riding them. To not even wear helmets when riding here is the biggest sin. Are the roads here softer and don't cause as much brain injury or something?

[cdnvic]

Are the roads here softer and don't cause as much brain injury or something?

Apparently so because if the amount of foreigners riding in flip flops are any indication, the roads don't injure feet either.

[swifty5x5]

Knowing the Thais, meaning it's on the agenda doesn't mean a thing.

Don't say that.

[KevinBloodyWilson]

Knowing the Thais, meaning it's on the agenda doesn't mean a thing.

Don't say that.

Why not? You don't agree?

[TAWP]

Before this problem (and many other problems) can be addressed, police corruption must be eliminated.

This will not happen because the whole system is so rotten. Cutting out police corruption would need to be done in a top-down manner which means starting with the politicians and public servants and working through to police chiefs, then downwards.

Taksin tried to attempt this and look what happened to him.

Haha, that surely as a joke.

Putting his relatives and friends into position of power so he could have absolute control over every aspect of government us the opposite of trying to root out corruption.

[Thai at Heart]

Getting the road accidents down, could be a very difficult task. It is far to easy to get a drivers license here. I believe a majority of the drivers don't the actual traffic rules, judging on examples where those who already are inside a circulation crossing stops and gives way to those who is enters it. Even though there are signs telling that the vehicles outside the circulation must stop and give way for the ones inside. The task is even more difficult since even the police aren't following the traffic rules on ordinary patrolling or travel.

Malaysia is worse by the statistics

Feeling proud about achieving something over their direct neighbours is an amazingly annoying Thai trait. All Thailand's direct neighbours are 21/2, 3rd and in Burma's case 4th world.

There is nothing at all to be proud of beating one's neighbours about economically or socially. There is a big wide world out there. I bet the stats are better than Laos and Cambodia also.

[Plus]

I've seen an article a few days ago about some international committee giving Thailand a low safety grade, I'm sure it is one of the reasons for this new policy.

Most of the measurements in that grade have nothing to do with licenses, btw. There's one about law enforcement, and Thais got a low score there, but there are others like "child seats" or speed limits that are relatively easier to improve.

Idiots who drive on the wrong side of the road with lights off know dam_n well it's agaisnt the rules. You can make them pass ten tests with flying colors, it's not the reason they do it. Idiots who pull out of the soi without looking at coming traffic are just idiots. They can pass lots of tests, won't improve their driving habits a bit.

Law enforcment is very important, but only to a degree - a few extra speed limit signs will probably get Thailand a higher grade very cheaply.

As for real safety - the police job is to facilitate the traffic, they will be lynched if they tried to stop and fine every offender at 8AM on a busy road. When lights are green the police will wave at you to go faster even if you are already doing 100km/h. The official speed limit makes no sense in these situations.

And just think of trying to pull over a motorcycle weaving through traffic at 100 - it would be far more dangerous than simply letting him go. I think it's the rule for police in Europe now - don't race with those who drive too fast, it's too dangerous for other road users.

Some police checkpoints are meant simply to extract money, but not always. Sometimes they set them to enforce driving behaviour in a particular spot, like illegal u-turn in a dangerous place or driving on a shoulder and then trying to merge before a one lane only bridge.

The official rules are too general to apply to every traffic situation. Sometimes the alleged benefits of having a clear hard shoulder are insignificant comparing to thousands of extra cars that can use it in a very heavy traffic, sometimes opening it up will only worsen the congestions half a kilometer down the road. There are too many variables that official rules simply don't cover.

[jackinthebox]

Maybe it's a little bit too easy to blame the Thais for their annual death toll rate and to point only on little enforcement of law through lazy police or bad traffic-manners of Thai people. Of course, 12000 is a sad number in comparison to for example germany with only roundabout 5000 per year. But let's don't forget that in most western countries motorbikes or motorcycles are only for fun an riding these bikes is mostly just an hobby, while here they are used for work and as a real means of transport. It's well known that most of these deaths are Motoersaai-Drivers, so if the number of two-wheelers was less, there wouldn't be such a carnage on the roads (in other words - the death-toll rate in Germany rises every Summer because of the Sunday-drivers with their 160HP Yamahas and Kawasakis, so people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.)

And, of course these open Songtheuws with 15 or 20 passengers are more dangerous than a brandnew Mercedes-Benz O405 Bus with safety belts and ABS, EBS and so on, but after all - it's a question of money!!!

BTW they now sell the Honda Wave in Germany - FOR 2200.- EURO! That's more than 100 000 baht. And a ride with public transport (i.e. these brandnew Mercedes-Benz O405 Busses) ist 2.50 EURO compared to 7 Baht in the good old red farting Mitsubishis Cans of BKK

Greets

[Thai at Heart]

Maybe it's a little bit too easy to blame the Thais for their annual death toll rate and to point only on little enforcement of law through lazy police or bad traffic-manners of Thai people. Of course, 12000 is a sad number in comparison to for example germany with only roundabout 5000 per year. But let's don't forget that in most western countries motorbikes or motorcycles are only for fun an riding these bikes is mostly just an hobby, while here they are used for work and as a real means of transport. It's well known that most of these deaths are Motoersaai-Drivers, so if the number of two-wheelers was less, there wouldn't be such a carnage on the roads (in other words - the death-toll rate in Germany rises every Summer because of the Sunday-drivers with their 160HP Yamahas and Kawasakis, so people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.)

And, of course these open Songtheuws with 15 or 20 passengers are more dangerous than a brandnew Mercedes-Benz O405 Bus with safety belts and ABS, EBS and so on, but after all - it's a question of money!!!

BTW they now sell the Honda Wave in Germany - FOR 2200.- EURO! That's more than 100 000 baht. And a ride with public transport (i.e. these brandnew Mercedes-Benz O405 Busses) ist 2.50 EURO compared to 7 Baht in the good old red farting Mitsubishis Cans of BKK

Greets

I couldn't disagree more. Having nicer cars and higher safety ratings is one thing, but if you crash anything at 80ks an hour with all the safety under the sun, not many are getting out in any part of the world. It is the ability to avoid accidents and have people abiding by known sets of rules that stops accidents.

There isn't even an approved, mandated and enforced manner for handling a T junction here, so, what hope is there for high speed overtaking in cars, HGV driving, bus driving and last of all motorcycles.

I was with my 14 year old nephew who has been allowed to ride the motorcycle to school recently. I won't be able to get the parents to stop him riding, but I took time to explain to him about blind spots a couple of weeks ago. Before long, I had the whole family standing in the road in amazement that it was possible they couldn't be seen while overtaking. Next week is T junctions for motorcycles.

[WildChilli]

driving in thailand ... to add my opinion

ive lived in europe & australia

both places The Horn , The F U finger sign and other road rage behavior

for minor road error's are sickening

the near amount of people ive had to avoid by duing evasive manuvers to avoide them running

their car in to mine du to their ERROR where most people abide the road ruels BAH THEY dont realy

but if you think .... BAH

as mutch as trafic look like caos in thailand i feel safer driving here than i did in both europe and australia

thai trafic is great it works as long as you dont try to drive like you would in europe or australia

drive safe but apply the thai driving style .. to some extend

keep your eyes open and be alert and you wont have the trouple

driving safly

thailand is thailand live with it or go home

applyes to all countrys you chose to live in

[slapout]

Is it possible that the driving characteristics exhibited in a country are a reflection of the social interaction of that countries population?

[Bagwan]

Before this problem (and many other problems) can be addressed, police corruption must be eliminated.

This will not happen because the whole system is so rotten. Cutting out police corruption would need to be done in a top-down manner which means starting with the politicians and public servants and working through to police chiefs, then downwards.

Taksin tried to attempt this and look what happened to him.

Yeah. His answer was to fill all the important positions with family and cronies. He spouted that he wouldn't need receipts (i.e. proof) to punished those alleged to have their hands in the till' as empty a promise as his proposed clearance of BKK's traffic jams in 1998.

What happened was that he and his family, cohorts and cronies got richer and richer.