27 Road Deaths On First Day Of Holiday Period

[ovenman]

Deputy Interior Ministry Sermsak Pongpanit said motorcycles were involved in most of the accidents -- 86.74 percent.

The failure to wear helmets, drunken driving and speeding were primary risk factors, Minister Sermsak explained, reasons that made an accident lead to a fatality.

OK, I can buy into the failure to wear a helmet turning a serious motorbike accident into a fatal accident, but the truth is that until something is done about allowing motorbike riders to drive as they please, the number of accidents will never decrease. More checkpoints to see whether riders are wearing helmets or have a proper license do jack-squat to solve the underlying problem of piss-poor driving.

125 dead and counting.  Hey, I've got and idea.  Why don't the Thai government claim this, "Thailand is the leader in senseless road death in the world!"

The phrase you were looking for is "Thailand is the one-stop hub of senseless road death."

[Golf]

Deputy Interior Ministry Sermsak Pongpanit said motorcycles were involved in most of the accidents -- 86.74 percent.

The failure to wear helmets, drunken driving and speeding were primary risk factors, Minister Sermsak explained, reasons that made an accident lead to a fatality.

OK, I can buy into the failure to wear a helmet turning a serious motorbike accident into a fatal accident, but the truth is that until something is done about allowing motorbike riders to drive as they please, the number of accidents will never decrease. More checkpoints to see whether riders are wearing helmets or have a proper license do jack-squat to solve the underlying problem of piss-poor driving.

125 dead and counting.  Hey, I've got and idea.  Why don't the Thai government claim this, "Thailand is the leader in senseless road death in the world!"

The phrase you were looking for is "Thailand is the one-stop hub of senseless road death."

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Can't agree more! Some said if you want to know about the locals in the area, just look at the way they drive.

Golf

[sonthaya]

Deputy Interior Ministry Sermsak Pongpanit said motorcycles were involved in most of the accidents -- 86.74 percent.

The failure to wear helmets, drunken driving and speeding were primary risk factors, Minister Sermsak explained, reasons that made an accident lead to a fatality.

OK, I can buy into the failure to wear a helmet turning a serious motorbike accident into a fatal accident, but the truth is that until something is done about allowing motorbike riders to drive as they please, the number of accidents will never decrease. More checkpoints to see whether riders are wearing helmets or have a proper license do jack-squat to solve the underlying problem of piss-poor driving.

125 dead and counting.  Hey, I've got and idea.  Why don't the Thai government claim this, "Thailand is the leader in senseless road death in the world!"

The phrase you were looking for is "Thailand is the one-stop hub of senseless road death."

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Can't agree more! Some said if you want to know about the locals in the area, just look at the way they drive.

Golf

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It's sad, if just they could stay off the alcohol for the period, it would be a safer place to be

[sammo]

"Thailand is the one-stop hub of senseless road death."

........Or maybe......"Thailand. Asia's Road Carnage Hub"!

....or....."Be our Guest. Become a statistic"

[mcfester]

I'm saying 999 deaths for the whole Songkran.

Anyone else for the Sweepstake?

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The wife tells me that Thai television news last night (Monday) over 200 deaths already in Nakorn Sawan.

If this is true I'd say that over 2000 for the duration.

[Golf]

I think today Thai news said "170 dead". Last year was 200 in the first 4 days. Jeez!

Golf

[Golf]

Like I said on the previous post, "Who can tell Thais want to do?"

Golf

[taxexile]

as well as a lack of training for drivers , drunk driving , overloading of motorccles and cars and little or no enforcement of traffic laws , the appalling state of a lot of the roads should also be added into the equation.

such as.

poor and irregular lighting , poorly maintained vehicles , unmarked hazards such as roadworks and unfenced ditches and bridges , potholes , stray animals , no safety barriers to prevent drivers hitting trees , and poorly sited concrete posts , tight radii on bends , selfish parking on bends and near to junctions , poor signposting of junctions , junctions rendered invisible by large advertising billboards or vendors umbrellas etc and all but invisible traffic lights.

add to the equation the seemingly god given right of thai people to do whatever they want , wherever they want , whenever they want without giving a hoot for the consequences of their actions and its no surprise that so many are killed and injured on the roads here.

road deaths in europe have come down due to a combination of good driver training , strict enforcement of laws and thoughtful road construction and upgrading and signage.

things are very different here and in most of asia where life is cheap and people just cant understand the dangers.

my sister in law regularly drives around chatting on her phone with her two year old standing on the front passenger seat. try telling her that it could be detrimental to his well being and she grins and tells me to stop being so serious , and its bad luck to talk of such things , she is university educated and holds a responsible job.

she has an expensive european car seat but wont fit it in the car for some reason.

go figure.

when i drive the family around , if i ask for the kids to be put in the back seat , the family grin amongst themselves and look at me as if i'm mad.

when i say to them that if they really love the kids they will put them in the back they quickly lose the grins and move the kids from crawling around on the dashboard and put them on the back seat.

it took about two months to "train" them to understand that when i drive , the kids go in the back.

[mcfester]

as well as a lack of training for drivers , drunk driving , overloading of motorccles and cars and little or no enforcement of traffic laws , the appalling state of a lot of the roads should also be added into the equation.

such as.

poor and irregular lighting , poorly maintained vehicles , unmarked hazards such as roadworks and unfenced ditches and bridges , potholes , stray animals , no safety barriers to prevent drivers hitting trees , and poorly sited concrete posts , tight radii on bends , selfish parking on bends and near to junctions , poor signposting of junctions , junctions rendered invisible by large advertising billboards or vendors umbrellas etc and all but invisible traffic lights.

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Did you forget police road blocks on a blind curve with 200 lights blinding you?

[RDN]

... poorly sited concrete posts ...

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Don't know what you mean...

[taxexile]

good post , rdn.!

Edited April 14, 2005 by taxexile

[maerim]

I was told that if someone dies at the scene of an accident they are "a road traffic death" but if they die in hospital as a result of the accident they are not counted anyone know if this the case?

From what I have seen after accidents if you are not dead at the scene there is every possibilty you will snuff it on the way to the hospital.

Untrained but willing helpers manhandling people with serious injuries into the back of a pick up but it does have flashing red lights.

[AndyW]

... poorly sited concrete posts ...

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Don't know what you mean...

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At least there's a cone to warn you of its presence!!

[pomchopkao]

... poorly sited concrete posts ...

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Don't know what you mean...

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At least there's a cone to warn you of its presence!!

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and lets not forget the white stripes on the pole itself