Motorcycle Helmet Campaign

[wildoates]

Big C,. what part of CA are you from?? All of the state I rode in required a helment. If you look at the US most states have some sort of helment laws see link http://www.usff.com/hldl/frames/50state.html

It has to be enforced to make it work. Not just a 100 baht fine, and drive away, a fine, and bike stays put until you produce a helment. but that is the same with all traffic laws, Drunk, car/bike parks, no license, car.bike parks it all comes down to enforcement.

[ParanoidPete]

I think campaigning to have permanent police checkpoints is the only answer. When tourists get here they see 90% of riders without a helmet. Noone wants to feel like a nerd or the odd one out in any situation, so many tourists won't wear a helmet simply to blend in with everyone else. Plus in the UK and many other countries where it is so much colder than in Thailand, helmets are a real blessing when there's a bitterly cold wind freezing your ears off. But here a helmet can feel stifingly hot to people not acclimatised to the heat here. Even coming from Australia where I rode sportsbikes for 10 years and the climate is already quite warm, when I first got here the freedom of no helmet and the wind in my face was such a great feeling. But 4 years later I wear one everyday after hearing of so many people dying at very low speeds. However the tourists don't know the stats, and when they hear that the fine is only 400 baht (a laughable $15) and there is little or no enforcement of it, and see nearly everyone else without a helmet, then no internet campaign will change their minds.

I would actually be quite sad if the law was strictly enforced on Samui- one of the many joys of riding around here is seeing all the pretty girls whizzing around on their bikes. But all it needs is a full month of fines everyday and very soon everyone will be wearing helmets, even Big C, and when tourists stepping off the plane see that they won't hesitate to wear them either. As an aside, we've been looking to buy kids' helmets the last few days, they don't even stock them at Tesco.

I recently went out looking for kid's motorbike helmets and could'nt find them here. By chance i was over in Khanom and there easily available on the mainland. Why there, and not here i can't fathom!

Regards the rest of your post, i think you've hit the nail on the head, except i can't envisage the day when we'll see regular police checks, sad to say.

You people baffle me, you talk about using helmets for safety but skip over protective clothing use because it doesn't suit you in this climate... & here we have a guy looking for helmets for kids! Please... If you're talking road safety then don't pick & choose between aspects, it's either all or.. shut the <deleted> up. If you want to take your own life in your hands by riding around on a moped on Samui please yourself but risking the life of your child is another question. Buy a cheap car like you would back home & take your kids lives seriously if you really do care.

Along with the head injuries in Samui hospitals you will find MANY MORE broken bones, lost limbs & torn flesh so I'd suggest that those preaching helmet use don a full set of leathers & a good pair of boots before they get on their high horses (& start talking bo11ocks), I doubt whether many of you even hold a licence do ride a moped here in Thailand or anywhere else, unless the statistics regarding the number of european/yank/aussie motorists, expat or not, holding a bike licence is MASSIVELY disproportionate on the cosy isle of Samui.

Now if you're talking tourist injuries....how you think you can convince an idiot tourist who's come over for 2 weeks of fun in the sun to wear a helmet when he hasn't even sat on a bike before & not only is HE willing to jump on but the FOOLS who are renting it to him UNINSURED don't care whether he's sat on one before either is completely beyond me but then... some of you really do not ever make much sense anyway, you just post pollitically correct nonesense for kudos.

Helmets are not a "quick fix" & there are so many more important issues to be addressed concerning road safety in this country that you'll forgive me for pointing out that your "campaign" is little more than a marketing pitch (with kudos) for your company using a popular subject.

A previous poster had it right when he said that freedom of choice has been taken away in other parts of the world purely based on government healthcare spending costs.. Wake up kids, this is not Europe & one of the things that keeps you here is the FREEDOM that these people enjoy compared to some western countries. It's not going to change in the near future & if you want an expat haven like Gibraltar or the costa del chav then please... GO there & stop thinking you can move to a warm, pretty country & bring your own ideas with you.

By the way... it's perfectly legal to wear a tin hat on your head & ride a motorbike in Thailand so your comments about obeying "the law" really are immaterial for obvious reasons.

i agree. i was shown and told on my bike lessons in th u.k that more people die from body and flesh woounds aswell as helmets. when u hit the road and slide down the concrete it is like rubbing your body against sand paper or worse at 40 kph. some people die form the pain. also my brother broke his leg on a bike out here took 1 year to heel. don't think a helmet would have stopped that.

Doh! lol lol are you for real? I've just realised I'm wasting my time on this forum... the levels of venom, spite, ignorance and arrogance is astonishing... as is the level of spelling ability...... jeez... I know England's education system isn't perfect, but come on... please! lol. Anyway, I am 'outee', and I wish all you helmetless (ie: brainless) riders the best of luck on Samui's roads. (see... the 'spite' thing is contageous!).

Edited October 29, 2009 by ParanoidPete

[BigC]

i agree. i was shown and told on my bike lessons in th u.k that more people die from body and flesh woounds aswell as helmets. when u hit the road and slide down the concrete it is like rubbing your body against sand paper or worse at 40 kph. some people die form the pain. also my brother broke his leg on a bike out here took 1 year to heel. don't think a helmet would have stopped that.

Doh! lol lol are you for real? I've just realised I'm wasting my time on this forum... the levels of venom, spite, ignorance and arrogance is astonishing... as is the level of spelling ability...... jeez... I know England's education system isn't perfect, but come on... please! lol. Anyway, I am 'outee', and I wish all you helmetless (ie: brainless) riders the best of luck on Samui's roads. (see... the 'spite' thing is contageous!).

u have alot of words wih no meaning. just commplaning about peoples posts. maybe u have run out of things to say. i only get spite full when forgeiners try to enforce things from their own country over here. i cam to thailand for a reason. i haven't left for a reason. that reason is. More freedome. inall honesty i do where a helmt. specially when i drive long didtance around the island. because it could make a difference on paying a fine. sitting around in the sun all day waitig to pay it. i also have a thai otor bike and car liscnece but i don't force other peoplke to do what i do. i gave uo smoking years agoo yet i let people somoke in my house.

people know the dangers. at least let them enjoy the time they have while they are push canser into their lungs or riding with out a helmet.

My advice is. if u want to drive around the island all day and not get a pull from a random police heck point thenwear a helmet get a bike liscence do everthing legal. yes a helmet might stop a serious head injury. (that is if those place peaces of rubbush with a small buckle stay on your head) . u could save your self 300 k in hospital fees. or u might die.

also obviously do not drive drunk. as i have had many friends die or lose an eye from driving drunk.

if u do not care. then don't listen but at least u know before it happens. that something bad might happen should u not obay by the rules. also the people in lamui plase don't go the wrong way down the 1 way road. i get really angry and if i hit any motor bikes head on. i will be in the right. i will have no problem they might b dead. and i don't care.

becare full i ain;t the only cold blooded person on this island. so uo to up 2 u as the hais say