Motorcycle Helmet Campaign

[BigC]

How about starting some campains first about avoiding accidents than rather do these funny campaings about the results ?

Learn to drive a motorbike campaign

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike campaign

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike campaign

Learn to be careful on a motorbike campaign

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike campaign

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike campaign

No no no ... it's allways the same old story, beter talk about the popular things which are sooooo much easier to tell everybody: "Don't lern how to do it, just wear a helmet and you are fine."

Sorry, but that's pretty naive.

BTW ... I am quite happy to NOT us a hlmet and it's MY decission. And I would prefer if I could keep this choice of NOT wearing a helmet !!! [maybe you should spend a minute or two tofind out WHY eerybody has to wear a helmet in europe ... and NO, the REAL reason is NOT because it' good for you !!! It's because social security systems save huge amounts of money. That's why they took the liberty from you to make a free choice.

And plase, spare me the whole discussion until you can tell me where in Tailand I can buy a real SAFETY helmet .... or do you realy think the 300 THB helmets from tesco will help you anything els than giving you a false impression of being safer ?

Start making a campaign about the real traffic problems plaese before always comming up with the same useless stories. Just becaus the europeans forced this apon every sheep there [for completely diferent reasons than the sheep think btw] doesn't mean it is good.

A helmet is NOT at any kind a solution to the real problem ... and it is NOT good to tell people otherwise.

Your reply is pathetic wearing a helmet might just save your life when you come accross people that dont do any of the following.

Learn to drive a motorbike

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike

Learn to be careful on a motorbike

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike

sorry but i think that his reply was not pathic. i have a full bike liscence in th uk. it took me 3 days for 8 am till 5 pm then the test on the llast day. If u know the roads rules and are awhere of other people and don't drive like a loonatic. then there is no rason to have a crash. part of being a good driver is to be able to watch out for other drivers that drive bad and be able to re-act in the right way if a situation happens.

i have seen alot of bad accidents alot of friends have had serious ones one even died because he didn't wear a seat belt in his car. But i choose to not wear one. should i have a bike injury. Up to me !

[carmine]

How about starting some campains first about avoiding accidents than rather do these funny campaings about the results ?

Learn to drive a motorbike campaign

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike campaign

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike campaign

Learn to be careful on a motorbike campaign

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike campaign

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike campaign

No no no ... it's allways the same old story, beter talk about the popular things which are sooooo much easier to tell everybody: "Don't lern how to do it, just wear a helmet and you are fine."

Sorry, but that's pretty naive.

BTW ... I am quite happy to NOT us a hlmet and it's MY decission. And I would prefer if I could keep this choice of NOT wearing a helmet !!! [maybe you should spend a minute or two tofind out WHY eerybody has to wear a helmet in europe ... and NO, the REAL reason is NOT because it' good for you !!! It's because social security systems save huge amounts of money. That's why they took the liberty from you to make a free choice.

And plase, spare me the whole discussion until you can tell me where in Tailand I can buy a real SAFETY helmet .... or do you realy think the 300 THB helmets from tesco will help you anything els than giving you a false impression of being safer ?

Start making a campaign about the real traffic problems plaese before always comming up with the same useless stories. Just becaus the europeans forced this apon every sheep there [for completely diferent reasons than the sheep think btw] doesn't mean it is good.

A helmet is NOT at any kind a solution to the real problem ... and it is NOT good to tell people otherwise.

Your reply is pathetic wearing a helmet might just save your life when you come accross people that dont do any of the following.

Learn to drive a motorbike

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike

Learn to be careful on a motorbike

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike

sorry but i think that his reply was not pathic. i have a full bike liscence in th uk. it took me 3 days for 8 am till 5 pm then the test on the llast day. If u know the roads rules and are awhere of other people and don't drive like a loonatic. then there is no rason to have a crash. part of being a good driver is to be able to watch out for other drivers that drive bad and be able to re-act in the right way if a situation happens.

i have seen alot of bad accidents alot of friends have had serious ones one even died because he didn't wear a seat belt in his car. But i choose to not wear one. should i have a bike injury. Up to me !

You have every right to your opinions, but this campaign if i'm correct is about trying to reduce the amount of serious injuries on the roads, and i don't think you are really adding any value to this.

[BusyBee123]

how about this as an advert.

" use your common sense while you are still lucky enough to have a brain or you might not have a brain to use, should you not wear a helmet."

Or

" don't wear a helmet and spend your parradise holiday in a wheel chair. "

Or

Drive parrarletic and wake up parralised

hope this helps. tough words for togh situation

I don't think that would work as 'Smoking Kills' adverts run in the uk for 10 years, never changed a thing nor do pictures on packets of cigarettes. Now they have adverts on the radio with kids asking their parents to stop smoking as they want a daddy in a few years... which seem more effective, maybe this would be one way to go.. takes away the selfish attitude should you still have parents or a family too...

To the guy on this thread letting everyone know how 'Stupid' they are whilst he can't wake up in the morning without a cigarrette, you already know what is going to kill you, think you should sort your own life out first.

[Gatorade]

How about starting some campains first about avoiding accidents than rather do these funny campaings about the results ?

Learn to drive a motorbike campaign

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike campaign

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike campaign

Learn to be careful on a motorbike campaign

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike campaign

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike campaign

No no no ... it's allways the same old story, beter talk about the popular things which are sooooo much easier to tell everybody: "Don't lern how to do it, just wear a helmet and you are fine."

Sorry, but that's pretty naive.

BTW ... I am quite happy to NOT us a hlmet and it's MY decission. And I would prefer if I could keep this choice of NOT wearing a helmet !!! [maybe you should spend a minute or two tofind out WHY eerybody has to wear a helmet in europe ... and NO, the REAL reason is NOT because it' good for you !!! It's because social security systems save huge amounts of money. That's why they took the liberty from you to make a free choice.

And plase, spare me the whole discussion until you can tell me where in Tailand I can buy a real SAFETY helmet .... or do you realy think the 300 THB helmets from tesco will help you anything els than giving you a false impression of being safer ?

Start making a campaign about the real traffic problems plaese before always comming up with the same useless stories. Just becaus the europeans forced this apon every sheep there [for completely diferent reasons than the sheep think btw] doesn't mean it is good.

A helmet is NOT at any kind a solution to the real problem ... and it is NOT good to tell people otherwise.

Your reply is pathetic wearing a helmet might just save your life when you come accross people that dont do any of the following.

Learn to drive a motorbike

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike

Learn to be careful on a motorbike

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike

sorry but i think that his reply was not pathic. i have a full bike liscence in th uk. it took me 3 days for 8 am till 5 pm then the test on the llast day. If u know the roads rules and are awhere of other people and don't drive like a loonatic. then there is no rason to have a crash. part of being a good driver is to be able to watch out for other drivers that drive bad and be able to re-act in the right way if a situation happens.

i have seen alot of bad accidents alot of friends have had serious ones one even died because he didn't wear a seat belt in his car. But i choose to not wear one. should i have a bike injury. Up to me !

So having a full UK motorbike licence totally protects you from having a crash!! Quote "No reason to have a crash"... What a ridiculous argument!

A dog hurled out in front of me while I was driving in the UK on my motorbike on a full licence at around 20MPH and managed to get its head into the front forks and spokes. Instant stop and I was over the handlebars landing on my head, closely followed by dying dog on top of me. My crash helmet took the full impact and was a write off. However I only suffered from concussion.

Had I not been wearing one I would have been like the many people here I have seen over the last six years who have left most of their brains

slopped out over the road. However I admire your obviously superb abilities to detect a forthcoming crash under all circumstances. I wish I had this gift.

We choose to live in Thailand where the laws are lax/non-existent and simply because they are not enforced many of us don't wear a helmet or put on a seat belt.

All the logical reasons for doing so go out of the window simply because we don't have to conform. No logic at all. I wear a seat belt and on my bike wear a helmet not because I am a bad driver but to try and protect me from all those who are really not very good. Plus all the suicidal dogs and Testosterone filled 14 year old kids 4 up on a Honda Wave.

There is a very good reason why the Samui Brain Surgeons are some of the best in the world. You might be able to work that one out!

Rant over.

[pammy123]

How about starting some campains first about avoiding accidents than rather do these funny campaings about the results ?

Learn to drive a motorbike campaign

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike campaign

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike campaign

Learn to be careful on a motorbike campaign

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike campaign

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike campaign

No no no ... it's allways the same old story, beter talk about the popular things which are sooooo much easier to tell everybody: "Don't lern how to do it, just wear a helmet and you are fine."

Sorry, but that's pretty naive.

BTW ... I am quite happy to NOT us a hlmet and it's MY decission. And I would prefer if I could keep this choice of NOT wearing a helmet !!! [maybe you should spend a minute or two tofind out WHY eerybody has to wear a helmet in europe ... and NO, the REAL reason is NOT because it' good for you !!! It's because social security systems save huge amounts of money. That's why they took the liberty from you to make a free choice.

And plase, spare me the whole discussion until you can tell me where in Tailand I can buy a real SAFETY helmet .... or do you realy think the 300 THB helmets from tesco will help you anything els than giving you a false impression of being safer ?

Start making a campaign about the real traffic problems plaese before always comming up with the same useless stories. Just becaus the europeans forced this apon every sheep there [for completely diferent reasons than the sheep think btw] doesn't mean it is good.

A helmet is NOT at any kind a solution to the real problem ... and it is NOT good to tell people otherwise.

Your reply is pathetic wearing a helmet might just save your life when you come accross people that dont do any of the following.

Learn to drive a motorbike

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike

Learn to be careful on a motorbike

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike

sorry but i think that his reply was not pathic. i have a full bike liscence in th uk. it took me 3 days for 8 am till 5 pm then the test on the llast day. If u know the roads rules and are awhere of other people and don't drive like a loonatic. then there is no rason to have a crash. part of being a good driver is to be able to watch out for other drivers that drive bad and be able to re-act in the right way if a situation happens.

i have seen alot of bad accidents alot of friends have had serious ones one even died because he didn't wear a seat belt in his car. But i choose to not wear one. should i have a bike injury. Up to me !

Well bully for you, do you attatch your full license to your skull for protection and you dont really have a choice its the law to wear a helmet

[smallprawn]

How about starting some campains first about avoiding accidents than rather do these funny campaings about the results ?

Learn to drive a motorbike campaign

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike campaign

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike campaign

Learn to be careful on a motorbike campaign

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike campaign

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike campaign

No no no ... it's allways the same old story, beter talk about the popular things which are sooooo much easier to tell everybody: "Don't lern how to do it, just wear a helmet and you are fine."

Sorry, but that's pretty naive.

BTW ... I am quite happy to NOT us a hlmet and it's MY decission. And I would prefer if I could keep this choice of NOT wearing a helmet !!! [maybe you should spend a minute or two tofind out WHY eerybody has to wear a helmet in europe ... and NO, the REAL reason is NOT because it' good for you !!! It's because social security systems save huge amounts of money. That's why they took the liberty from you to make a free choice.

And plase, spare me the whole discussion until you can tell me where in Tailand I can buy a real SAFETY helmet .... or do you realy think the 300 THB helmets from tesco will help you anything els than giving you a false impression of being safer ?

Start making a campaign about the real traffic problems plaese before always comming up with the same useless stories. Just becaus the europeans forced this apon every sheep there [for completely diferent reasons than the sheep think btw] doesn't mean it is good.

A helmet is NOT at any kind a solution to the real problem ... and it is NOT good to tell people otherwise.

Your reply is pathetic wearing a helmet might just save your life when you come accross people that dont do any of the following.

Learn to drive a motorbike

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike

Learn to be careful on a motorbike

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike

sorry but i think that his reply was not pathic. i have a full bike liscence in th uk. it took me 3 days for 8 am till 5 pm then the test on the llast day. If u know the roads rules and are awhere of other people and don't drive like a loonatic. then there is no rason to have a crash. part of being a good driver is to be able to watch out for other drivers that drive bad and be able to re-act in the right way if a situation happens.

i have seen alot of bad accidents alot of friends have had serious ones one even died because he didn't wear a seat belt in his car. But i choose to not wear one. should i have a bike injury. Up to me !

I struggle to see your point and beg to differ and your post could be mistaken as being deliberately antagonistic.

While licensed drivers might be better placed to deal with driving conditions, an accident is precisely that. Accidents do not require licenses or expirience. although you say having a bike injury is up to you , Please bear in mind, the results of any accident you might have will hurt not only you. do you have any children, mother or father who might have to deal with their loss after the event?

When you gained your lisence in the u.k were you required to wear a helmet?

[NALAK]

How about starting some campains first about avoiding accidents than rather do these funny campaings about the results ?

Learn to drive a motorbike campaign

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike campaign

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike campaign

Learn to be careful on a motorbike campaign

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike campaign

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike campaign

No no no ... it's allways the same old story, beter talk about the popular things which are sooooo much easier to tell everybody: "Don't lern how to do it, just wear a helmet and you are fine."

Sorry, but that's pretty naive.

BTW ... I am quite happy to NOT us a hlmet and it's MY decission. And I would prefer if I could keep this choice of NOT wearing a helmet !!! [maybe you should spend a minute or two tofind out WHY eerybody has to wear a helmet in europe ... and NO, the REAL reason is NOT because it' good for you !!! It's because social security systems save huge amounts of money. That's why they took the liberty from you to make a free choice.

And plase, spare me the whole discussion until you can tell me where in Tailand I can buy a real SAFETY helmet .... or do you realy think the 300 THB helmets from tesco will help you anything els than giving you a false impression of being safer ?

Start making a campaign about the real traffic problems plaese before always comming up with the same useless stories. Just becaus the europeans forced this apon every sheep there [for completely diferent reasons than the sheep think btw] doesn't mean it is good.

A helmet is NOT at any kind a solution to the real problem ... and it is NOT good to tell people otherwise.

Your reply is pathetic wearing a helmet might just save your life when you come accross people that dont do any of the following.

Learn to drive a motorbike

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike

Learn to be careful on a motorbike

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike

sorry but i think that his reply was not pathic. i have a full bike liscence in th uk. it took me 3 days for 8 am till 5 pm then the test on the llast day. If u know the roads rules and are awhere of other people and don't drive like a loonatic. then there is no rason to have a crash. part of being a good driver is to be able to watch out for other drivers that drive bad and be able to re-act in the right way if a situation happens.

i have seen alot of bad accidents alot of friends have had serious ones one even died because he didn't wear a seat belt in his car. But i choose to not wear one. should i have a bike injury. Up to me !

So having a full UK motorbike licence totally protects you from having a crash!! Quote "No reason to have a crash"... What a ridiculous argument!

A dog hurled out in front of me while I was driving in the UK on my motorbike on a full licence at around 20MPH and managed to get its head into the front forks and spokes. Instant stop and I was over the handlebars landing on my head, closely followed by dying dog on top of me. My crash helmet took the full impact and was a write off. However I only suffered from concussion.

Had I not been wearing one I would have been like the many people here I have seen over the last six years who have left most of their brains

slopped out over the road. However I admire your obviously superb abilities to detect a forthcoming crash under all circumstances. I wish I had this gift.

We choose to live in Thailand where the laws are lax/non-existent and simply because they are not enforced many of us don't wear a helmet or put on a seat belt.

All the logical reasons for doing so go out of the window simply because we don't have to conform. No logic at all. I wear a seat belt and on my bike wear a helmet not because I am a bad driver but to try and protect me from all those who are really not very good. Plus all the suicidal dogs and Testosterone filled 14 year old kids 4 up on a Honda Wave.

There is a very good reason why the Samui Brain Surgeons are some of the best in the world. You might be able to work that one out!

Rant over.

people with serious brain damage taken to Bangkok, no brain surgeon worth his/her salt is going to work in Samui. more brain damage and death from drinking alcohol. lets ban alcohol. for me is interesting in the west nobody thinks twice about putting the hat on but as soon as they have the freedom to choose they do not.

[mustafa]

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.

[carmine]

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.

[PoorSucker]

They have kids helmets in BigC.

Cheap stuff but better than nothing.

[samuijimmy]

The Honda Motorcycle Shops sell a better quality helmet than Big C or Tesco... (Nanton & Maenam) They also do or did have smaller kid size helmets earlier this year...

The Susuki (sp) helmets are crap!

These Honda ones are not "top of the line" but certainly better than Tesco!

[R1CH]

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.

[BigC]

How about starting some campains first about avoiding accidents than rather do these funny campaings about the results ?

Learn to drive a motorbike campaign

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike campaign

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike campaign

Learn to be careful on a motorbike campaign

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike campaign

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike campaign

No no no ... it's allways the same old story, beter talk about the popular things which are sooooo much easier to tell everybody: "Don't lern how to do it, just wear a helmet and you are fine."

Sorry, but that's pretty naive.

BTW ... I am quite happy to NOT us a hlmet and it's MY decission. And I would prefer if I could keep this choice of NOT wearing a helmet !!! [maybe you should spend a minute or two tofind out WHY eerybody has to wear a helmet in europe ... and NO, the REAL reason is NOT because it' good for you !!! It's because social security systems save huge amounts of money. That's why they took the liberty from you to make a free choice.

And plase, spare me the whole discussion until you can tell me where in Tailand I can buy a real SAFETY helmet .... or do you realy think the 300 THB helmets from tesco will help you anything els than giving you a false impression of being safer ?

Start making a campaign about the real traffic problems plaese before always comming up with the same useless stories. Just becaus the europeans forced this apon every sheep there [for completely diferent reasons than the sheep think btw] doesn't mean it is good.

A helmet is NOT at any kind a solution to the real problem ... and it is NOT good to tell people otherwise.

Your reply is pathetic wearing a helmet might just save your life when you come accross people that dont do any of the following.

Learn to drive a motorbike

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike

Learn to be careful on a motorbike

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike

sorry but i think that his reply was not pathic. i have a full bike liscence in th uk. it took me 3 days for 8 am till 5 pm then the test on the llast day. If u know the roads rules and are awhere of other people and don't drive like a loonatic. then there is no rason to have a crash. part of being a good driver is to be able to watch out for other drivers that drive bad and be able to re-act in the right way if a situation happens.

i have seen alot of bad accidents alot of friends have had serious ones one even died because he didn't wear a seat belt in his car. But i choose to not wear one. should i have a bike injury. Up to me !

You have every right to your opinions, but this campaign if i'm correct is about trying to reduce the amount of serious injuries on the roads, and i don't think you are really adding any value to this.

i value freedome over health and saftey. sorry but that is the reason i chose to turn my back on my own country becuase of too many stupid rules and rugluation.s i am up for show people information but then adults are not babies. up to them if they choose to risk it.

[BigC]

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.

agree with what u r saying. just like to add. that when i did my full bike test in the u.k. they told me that alot of people die not just from head injuries but also from body injuries from not wearing leather gear. then die because half their body get ripped off and the body goes into shock and they die. now i can't really predict that people are going to be goig round with full bike gear on in this climat.

all i can say is again. give people the info. thenup to them. should i find myslef in hospital with my arm missing or my brain hanging out. i will not blame thailand. ii willblame myself. my choice

[ParanoidPete]

For those interested... if you are on the road between ByLaem and Nathon, you will hear a Samui Rescue ambulance go past at this very moment.... carrying a Thai with a broken leg and a very badly broken head... no helmet was worn in this low speed crash. (I am listening to the details on my radio at the moment). The person is unconcious, with serious head injuries, and severe blood loss from both ears and skull fracture... not good!

Personally, I have been to 4 accidents in the Maenam area in the last 3 days (5 people... all went to hospital) ... 3 of them involved serious head injuries (no helmet) and only minor scrapes to the rest of the body... if a helmet had been worn, I am certain that a trip to the hospital would not have been required, and the scrapes could have been treated 'on-scene'. The 4th accident (Bantai) involved a young lady who's attention wandered momentarily as she was riding her motorbike, (no sexist comments please!) and she ended up careering down into that huge deep (and bloody dangerous) 'storm drain' at the side of the road - at 40 kms+... smashing head-on into one of the stone/concrete 'bridges' !! Her bike was in pieces, her left leg with a suspected fracture, and - despite being catapulted face-first into the concrete/stone bridge - not one scratch or problem with her face/head! Guess what? SHE WORE A HELMET!!! I took some pics at the scene, including 1 or 2 of the helmet, and will be putting them up on YouTube soon (search for 'samuirescue' once on the YouTube site).

To all of you bleating about human rights and personal choice... GROW UP and take some responsibility for your actions! If you genuinely believe that it is 'ok' (for whatever reason) NOT to wear a helmet in the 'accident capital of Thailand' then you are misguided and irresponsible. I have been a biker since 1969, and I really can't believe some of the fatuous and (frankly) idiotic responses written on this subject here... amazing! Still... as my Mum (bless her) always used to say... "... the world is full of idiots." Incredible how many of them seem to make their way to Samui though eh? lol..... alan - Samui Rescue ps: I make no apologies for my opinions on this subject... I deal with the results of helmetless riding on a regular basis.. they are my opinions only, and are not necessarily those of Samui Rescue.

[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.

With reference to the last comment above... absolutely unbelievable logic! I don't know whether to laugh or cry... really! amazing!

[Rooo]

I laugh when I read how to address the problem. Just bring your European thoughts and ideas over, run training schools & get them to wear proper riding gear. Yeah right.

Let's face it , half the arguments on here are from people that like to bend the rules.The law states wear a helmet, simple.

You want to break it great, but there is nothing wrong with telling people to abide by the law which is there for a reason.

I don't think people splattered across the road, have an option on who comes to help them either.I take my hat off for people that go & help others. I know it's a job I wouldn't like doing.

[R1CH]

I laugh when I read how to address the problem. Just bring your European thoughts and ideas over, run training schools & get them to wear proper riding gear. Yeah right.

Let's face it , half the arguments on here are from people that like to bend the rules.The law states wear a helmet, simple.

You want to break it great, but there is nothing wrong with telling people to abide by the law which is there for a reason.

I don't think people splattered across the road, have an option on who comes to help them either.I take my hat off for people that go & help others. I know it's a job I wouldn't like doing.

I think you'd better read again then Roo.. give it some time

[carmine]

Rich. no one is trying to force you to wear a helmet. This thread is simply trying to raise awareness to the fact that wearing a helmet might just reduce the chance of a serious head injury. And by the way, it's the law.

[Rooo]

I laugh when I read how to address the problem. Just bring your European thoughts and ideas over, run training schools & get them to wear proper riding gear. Yeah right.

Let's face it , half the arguments on here are from people that like to bend the rules.The law states wear a helmet, simple.

You want to break it great, but there is nothing wrong with telling people to abide by the law which is there for a reason.

I don't think people splattered across the road, have an option on who comes to help them either.I take my hat off for people that go & help others. I know it's a job I wouldn't like doing.

I think you'd better read again then Roo.. give it some time

I'm very aware of what I have read so far on this topic from it's inception.I am also aware that people are starting to use unwarranted tones in some of the postings.I have not edited any so far.I will not go back & quote every snipet.

If people wish to take every post personally, so be it, but I would strongly advise to tone it down.

[R1CH]

I laugh when I read how to address the problem. Just bring your European thoughts and ideas over, run training schools & get them to wear proper riding gear. Yeah right.

Let's face it , half the arguments on here are from people that like to bend the rules.The law states wear a helmet, simple.

You want to break it great, but there is nothing wrong with telling people to abide by the law which is there for a reason.

I don't think people splattered across the road, have an option on who comes to help them either.I take my hat off for people that go & help others. I know it's a job I wouldn't like doing.

I think you'd better read again then Roo.. give it some time

I'm very aware of what I have read so far on this topic from it's inception.I am also aware that people are starting to use unwarranted tones in some of the postings.I have not edited any so far.I will not go back & quote every snipet.

If people wish to take every post personally, so be it, but I would strongly advise to tone it down.

You're obviously not.

[ParanoidPete]

I laugh when I read how to address the problem. Just bring your European thoughts and ideas over, run training schools & get them to wear proper riding gear. Yeah right.

Let's face it , half the arguments on here are from people that like to bend the rules.The law states wear a helmet, simple.

You want to break it great, but there is nothing wrong with telling people to abide by the law which is there for a reason.

I don't think people splattered across the road, have an option on who comes to help them either.I take my hat off for people that go & help others. I know it's a job I wouldn't like doing.

Thank you Rooo... They are all amazing people for sure, and they deserve recognition for what they do... I am proud to work with them. Your sentiments are appreciated.

[BigC]

How about starting some campains first about avoiding accidents than rather do these funny campaings about the results ?

Learn to drive a motorbike campaign

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike campaign

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike campaign

Learn to be careful on a motorbike campaign

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike campaign

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike campaign

No no no ... it's allways the same old story, beter talk about the popular things which are sooooo much easier to tell everybody: "Don't lern how to do it, just wear a helmet and you are fine."

Sorry, but that's pretty naive.

BTW ... I am quite happy to NOT us a hlmet and it's MY decission. And I would prefer if I could keep this choice of NOT wearing a helmet !!! [maybe you should spend a minute or two tofind out WHY eerybody has to wear a helmet in europe ... and NO, the REAL reason is NOT because it' good for you !!! It's because social security systems save huge amounts of money. That's why they took the liberty from you to make a free choice.

And plase, spare me the whole discussion until you can tell me where in Tailand I can buy a real SAFETY helmet .... or do you realy think the 300 THB helmets from tesco will help you anything els than giving you a false impression of being safer ?

Start making a campaign about the real traffic problems plaese before always comming up with the same useless stories. Just becaus the europeans forced this apon every sheep there [for completely diferent reasons than the sheep think btw] doesn't mean it is good.

A helmet is NOT at any kind a solution to the real problem ... and it is NOT good to tell people otherwise.

Your reply is pathetic wearing a helmet might just save your life when you come accross people that dont do any of the following.

Learn to drive a motorbike

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike

Learn to be careful on a motorbike

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike

sorry but i think that his reply was not pathic. i have a full bike liscence in th uk. it took me 3 days for 8 am till 5 pm then the test on the llast day. If u know the roads rules and are awhere of other people and don't drive like a loonatic. then there is no rason to have a crash. part of being a good driver is to be able to watch out for other drivers that drive bad and be able to re-act in the right way if a situation happens.

i have seen alot of bad accidents alot of friends have had serious ones one even died because he didn't wear a seat belt in his car. But i choose to not wear one. should i have a bike injury. Up to me !

You have every right to your opinions, but this campaign if i'm correct is about trying to reduce the amount of serious injuries on the roads, and i don't think you are really adding any value to this.

don't want to add value to this i like thailand the way it is otherwise i would have been here for so long. i hate people trying to inforce their western ways over here. yes warn people give them the iformation. ride round on your motor bike and promote your information but don't fiddle with the laws or the way police enforce them. this is a foreign country and it has its own style. don't mess with it

[BigC]

How about starting some campains first about avoiding accidents than rather do these funny campaings about the results ?

Learn to drive a motorbike campaign

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike campaign

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike campaign

Learn to be careful on a motorbike campaign

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike campaign

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike campaign

No no no ... it's allways the same old story, beter talk about the popular things which are sooooo much easier to tell everybody: "Don't lern how to do it, just wear a helmet and you are fine."

Sorry, but that's pretty naive.

BTW ... I am quite happy to NOT us a hlmet and it's MY decission. And I would prefer if I could keep this choice of NOT wearing a helmet !!! [maybe you should spend a minute or two tofind out WHY eerybody has to wear a helmet in europe ... and NO, the REAL reason is NOT because it' good for you !!! It's because social security systems save huge amounts of money. That's why they took the liberty from you to make a free choice.

And plase, spare me the whole discussion until you can tell me where in Tailand I can buy a real SAFETY helmet .... or do you realy think the 300 THB helmets from tesco will help you anything els than giving you a false impression of being safer ?

Start making a campaign about the real traffic problems plaese before always comming up with the same useless stories. Just becaus the europeans forced this apon every sheep there [for completely diferent reasons than the sheep think btw] doesn't mean it is good.

A helmet is NOT at any kind a solution to the real problem ... and it is NOT good to tell people otherwise.

Your reply is pathetic wearing a helmet might just save your life when you come accross people that dont do any of the following.

Learn to drive a motorbike

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike

Learn to be careful on a motorbike

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike

sorry but i think that his reply was not pathic. i have a full bike liscence in th uk. it took me 3 days for 8 am till 5 pm then the test on the llast day. If u know the roads rules and are awhere of other people and don't drive like a loonatic. then there is no rason to have a crash. part of being a good driver is to be able to watch out for other drivers that drive bad and be able to re-act in the right way if a situation happens.

i have seen alot of bad accidents alot of friends have had serious ones one even died because he didn't wear a seat belt in his car. But i choose to not wear one. should i have a bike injury. Up to me !

So having a full UK motorbike licence totally protects you from having a crash!! Quote "No reason to have a crash"... What a ridiculous argument!

A dog hurled out in front of me while I was driving in the UK on my motorbike on a full licence at around 20MPH and managed to get its head into the front forks and spokes. Instant stop and I was over the handlebars landing on my head, closely followed by dying dog on top of me. My crash helmet took the full impact and was a write off. However I only suffered from concussion.

Had I not been wearing one I would have been like the many people here I have seen over the last six years who have left most of their brains

slopped out over the road. However I admire your obviously superb abilities to detect a forthcoming crash under all circumstances. I wish I had this gift.

We choose to live in Thailand where the laws are lax/non-existent and simply because they are not enforced many of us don't wear a helmet or put on a seat belt.

All the logical reasons for doing so go out of the window simply because we don't have to conform. No logic at all. I wear a seat belt and on my bike wear a helmet not because I am a bad driver but to try and protect me from all those who are really not very good. Plus all the suicidal dogs and Testosterone filled 14 year old kids 4 up on a Honda Wave.

There is a very good reason why the Samui Brain Surgeons are some of the best in the world. You might be able to work that one out!

Rant over.

well maybe u are not a good driver then. being a good driver is being aware of whats going on around you. like checking over your should before u change lanes. covering the brake should u be in a busy town. i am not imune from having accidents. though i do accept responablityfor my own actions. i know the risk. so up to me. i don't need a law breathing down my neck telling me what i can and can't with regards to saftey. as for the hospitals brain surgery is big money and big business. so i think that they are not too bothered about the accidents when they give the hosiptal bill for 300 k. my moto is if u can't be good be careful. funnily enough i do wear a helmet sometimes. like i said up to me. my life my saftey

[BigC]

How about starting some campains first about avoiding accidents than rather do these funny campaings about the results ?

Learn to drive a motorbike campaign

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike campaign

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike campaign

Learn to be careful on a motorbike campaign

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike campaign

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike campaign

No no no ... it's allways the same old story, beter talk about the popular things which are sooooo much easier to tell everybody: "Don't lern how to do it, just wear a helmet and you are fine."

Sorry, but that's pretty naive.

BTW ... I am quite happy to NOT us a hlmet and it's MY decission. And I would prefer if I could keep this choice of NOT wearing a helmet !!! [maybe you should spend a minute or two tofind out WHY eerybody has to wear a helmet in europe ... and NO, the REAL reason is NOT because it' good for you !!! It's because social security systems save huge amounts of money. That's why they took the liberty from you to make a free choice.

And plase, spare me the whole discussion until you can tell me where in Tailand I can buy a real SAFETY helmet .... or do you realy think the 300 THB helmets from tesco will help you anything els than giving you a false impression of being safer ?

Start making a campaign about the real traffic problems plaese before always comming up with the same useless stories. Just becaus the europeans forced this apon every sheep there [for completely diferent reasons than the sheep think btw] doesn't mean it is good.

A helmet is NOT at any kind a solution to the real problem ... and it is NOT good to tell people otherwise.

Your reply is pathetic wearing a helmet might just save your life when you come accross people that dont do any of the following.

Learn to drive a motorbike

Learn not to use your mobile phone on a motorbike

Learn the rules of traffic befor riding a motorbike

Learn to be careful on a motorbike

Learn not to drive piss-drunk on a motorbike

Learn to respect others in traffic on a motorbike

sorry but i think that his reply was not pathic. i have a full bike liscence in th uk. it took me 3 days for 8 am till 5 pm then the test on the llast day. If u know the roads rules and are awhere of other people and don't drive like a loonatic. then there is no rason to have a crash. part of being a good driver is to be able to watch out for other drivers that drive bad and be able to re-act in the right way if a situation happens.

i have seen alot of bad accidents alot of friends have had serious ones one even died because he didn't wear a seat belt in his car. But i choose to not wear one. should i have a bike injury. Up to me !

I struggle to see your point and beg to differ and your post could be mistaken as being deliberately antagonistic.

While licensed drivers might be better placed to deal with driving conditions, an accident is precisely that. Accidents do not require licenses or expirience. although you say having a bike injury is up to you , Please bear in mind, the results of any accident you might have will hurt not only you. do you have any children, mother or father who might have to deal with their loss after the event?

When you gained your lisence in the u.k were you required to wear a helmet?

my mother and farther all family died in bike accidents. don't lay on a trip to me. i don't care. you are side treking the point. it is not up to me to have an injury it is up to me to wear a helmet. spare me your nanny B.S. I think in the u.k you should have the freedome to make your own choice about your life. same in calfoorinia in the u.s.

Why do i need u to lecture me on how i would feel about my family. we are all adults to we can make our own choices. i grow out of napps long time ago. i can wipe my own bum. brush my own teeth ride my own bike. simple!!

[Rooo]

Can we stop using so many multiple quotes please. Just specify the section you are refering too.

[BigC]

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.

No check points. poeple can check themselves before they go out. they not need to be forced to wear them. anyway. if every body had a liscence the road would be safer. 80 % people out here do not have liscences. so of coarse it is going to be dangerous. anyon can jump in a bike or car a drive off into the winde. most people see crash lock up their front wheel on a sandy corner with the front brake. they simpley would not do that if they knew not to use their fron brake on a corner. then u have drunk people who drive in zig zags.

all i can say. if they have a crash. with no license and no helmet then hiope they are rich cause they have expensive times ahead. but these are the things peple should know. facts about driving safley. not beging forced to wear a helmet. but be given the choice.

they should not only publish the amount of accidents but the cost to the person after the accident. people are more worried about money here than safty. maybe a leaflet on the law should u crash with out helmet and liscence whilst being drunk. u might not only have to pay a fortune for yourself but also for the other person u crashed into. then u have to negtociate while your body is hanging out all over the floor and half your face missing.

[BigC]

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.

[BigC]

Can we stop using so many multiple quotes please. Just specify the section you are refering too.

sorry just sore your message after posted multipal quotes. noted for future though

[BigC]

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.

With reference to the last comment above... absolutely unbelievable logic! I don't know whether to laugh or cry... really! amazing!

yout repsonse is that of nothing. no opinion just a fact about nothing. sounds like u have been caught out and have no answer. maybe u don't weather to laught or cry because u have nothing to say. this sorte of thing normally happens to polictaclly correct people. when u argue your point across they can not answer back and just give answers that mean nothing