Thailand To Reduce Traffic Death Rate By Half

[junglist]

One time well driving with my family we were passed by a family of four on a scooter. The father driving his obese wife and two obese sons each with there own chicken on a stick. Not part or half each had there own full chicken on a stick. My wife looked at me and simple said "Amazing Thailand".

I can fix all these motorcycle problems. Its simple Sidecars.

[TGIR]

It's ridiculous to expect traffic deaths and accidents to be reduced by adding additional enforcement personnel. What exactly are they to enforce?

Thailand has to my knowledge no enforceable traffic rules and regulations. To acquire a driver's license one is required to be breathing, that's about all.

A realistic approach to minimizing accidents and injuries would be to begin some sort of driver education program, both for an initial license application and renewals.

Promulgation of a pamphlet with driving rules and regulations would be substantially cheaper and more effective than just adding additional enforcement units. Once there are publicized rules and regulations enforcement personnel could be trained to enforce them.

Of course it might be generations before western rules and observation of such rules could be learned but you have to start somewhere. In my opinion teaching Thais HOW to drive should be the first thing the Government works on.

[edwinchester]

1) Can those advocating no more than two on a motorcycle please explain how these families are going to get around -- they do not have the money for a car.

There is nothing inherently unsafe about three or even four on a motorcycle when the weight is not too high.

2) If I want to ride my motorcycle without a helmet then that is my business not yours. For those of you who object I suggest you return to your own fascist led country i.e. most of Europe and the USA. Yes it is more dangerous to be on a motorcycle and even more so without a helmet but I repeat, mind your own business. And to further distress some of you the same applies to me taking one or more of my daughters on the motorcycle; neither you nor 'society' own my daughters.

3) Alcohol: If you have only 1 or 2 units you are not more dangerous as has been proved in tests. In fact some nervous drivers drove better after 1 or 2 units. However because the results of these experiments were not what the agenda required they were buried. However, after 5 or 6 units you are more of a danger to others because your perception and reaction time are reduced, but not to that of your granny who is, of course, still driving at 75. Some (and I emphasise some) drunks will still be safer than many sober drivers who may be just plain useless at driving, lacking spatial awarenes, sleepy, stressed, distracted by children or any one of a number of other factors. Some may also reckognise their reduced awareness and drive more slowly and carefully, thus explaining how so many (99.9%+?) arrive home without incident.

The "we know what is best for you" western fascists now want a zero alcohol driving limit as "this will save lives." There is I admit a good argument that it is the 'safest option' but so would 'not driving at all' or 'not ever driving over 20mph' or 'staying permanently at home wrapped in cotton wool'. The correct option is that those who cause death or injury through reckless or drunken driving receive more than a slap on the wrist – maybe hard labour (for the rest of their life in the case of causing death) with the fruits of that labour paying first for their incarceration at subsistence level only, and the balance paid to the victims. The victims or dependents solely having the right to compassion, not some touchy-feely living in another world pinko softy.

What do we do in the west? We put them in a hotel (aka prison) and charge the victims a share of the cost. Then we employ at even more expense an army of parasites (i.e. psychologists, social workers and so-called academics conducting research) who are paid vastly more than those that pay for them, have pension schemes that could not possibly be funded in the private sector and the senior parasites then arrange conferences at five star hotels throughout the world and travel there in the front of the plane. These costs far exceed the costs of corruption here.

I love it here and I much prefer driving here. I try to mind my own business and suggest some of you should do the same or go home.

Sorry to break the news but more than 2 on a motorcycle is illegal, even in Thailand, riding a motorcycle without a helmet is illegal, even in Thailand and drunk driving is illegal too, even in Thailand.

[Netfan]

Won't happen. Too much apathy. No one in the general public gives two s***s. The government might start by putting public service spots on the comedy shows and soaps about drunk driving / tailgating / helmets on bikes, etc. But they won't. They might start a drivers ed program in schools, including not letting any motorcycle on school grounds unless the driver and passenger are wearing helmets, but they won't. They might test bus / truck drivers for drugs but they won't. They might improve the roads but they won't. They might pay the police a decent wage so they don't rely on graft,....And on and on....just be careful out there - its every man and woman for themselves.

[cook]

in the mean time i will enjoy riding my bike (defensively) here without the over-regulated system in the west, and without the road rage in the west.

Enjoy riding your bicycle, except for about 10 days per year when people are throwing buckets full of water at bicyclists and everyone else.

my bike is a motorbike. songkran is great, i've had tons of fun joining in, on my bike.

[Bagwan]

If the Government are serious about reducing traffic accidents and subsequent deaths they might consider arranging about 60 million brain transplants.

[PeaceBlondie]

The Thai government announced this would happen. Therefore, it won't.

[Bagwan]

The Thai government announced this would happen. Therefore, it won't.

Unassailable farang logic.

Please allow me to add to your vision of the future. After a suitable period of time, a bored civil servant will issue some massaged figures and claim that the campaign was a complete success. He/she will of course then be promptly promoted or transferred to be some phu yai's Press officer and PR person. The farang community will then be convulsed with laughter.

It occurs to me that we could, with profit, combine our prospicient talents and set up a pitch on Sukhumvit making economic forecasts, forecasting the results of professional sporting activities and telling personal fortunes - for cash only of course. I suggest that you take care of the playing and tarot card business while I concentrate on rolling the dice (for our US clientèle) and throw bones on the floor and read tea leaves for the third world element.

Who knows? Maybe a certain overweight virago will suggest to her ex-husband, who has a long history of making honest mistakes, that he abandons the Chang Mai charlatan who hitherto guided him, and gives his trade to us. All that we now need is a military/police advisor and away we go. What do you think?

P.S. This was written when temporarily released, under licence, from my strait jacket by 'her that does the ironing' on grounds not entirely removed from her penchant for the occasional bout of passion.

[ArthurPewty]

I recall about a year ago there were yellow bike helmets made with a sale price of 88 baht in celebration of something or other. They were made to high standard and all in the name of some celebration or other (hence the 8s).

Did anyone ever see any of them? There were supposed to be 88,000 or some other lucky number. They seem to have vanished.

[salty]

Maybe there was a crackdown on them.