Thai Survey Shows Many Youngsters Drive After Drinking

[webfact]

ACCIDENTS

Survey shows many youngsters drive after drinking

By PONGPHON SARNSAMAK

THE NATION

Alcohol, drugs and confrontations are the leading causes of deaths and severe injury among the young, the Public Health Ministry has discovered.

The ministry's Department of Disease Control's Bureau of Epidemiology conducted a survey between 2005 and 2009 to study behaviour that can be linked to death and injury among teens. The study covered 234,483 teens between the ages of 16 and 17 studying at vocational colleges or high school.

It found that 50 per cent of deaths among youths could be put down to boozing, followed by confrontations (23 per cent) and drug abuse (19 per cent).

Permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry Dr Paijit Warachit also expressed concern about youths' driving habits, especially after the study found most students drive motorcycles and only one in seven - 14 per cent - wore a helmet. Also, up to 14 per cent drank before driving, while only 23 per cent fastened their seatbelt while driving a car.

Paijit cited a survey done by the Thailand Accident Research Centre, saying most teens don't bother wearing a helmet, especially at night. Reports from 30 central hospitals across the country showed most severely wounded patients were above the age of 15 and came in with head injuries caused by not wearing a helmet. On average, each patient spent about Bt16,000 on treatment.

"Car and motorcycle drivers should fasten their seatbelt or wear a helmet, regardless of whether they are travelling long or short distances," he said.

The Public Health Ministry has declared 2011 as the year of wearing helmets, and will aim to enforce the law on all motorcyclists, especially teenagers. Parents were urged to get their children to wear a helmet.

THIRD OF LATET CRASHES |BLAMED ON DRUNK DRIVERS

A further 44 people were killed and 362 others injured as holiday-makers headed back to work on Monday.

The Road Safety Centre yesterday blamed drunk driving for 32 per cent of these accidents. Speed was the second most common cause, accounting for 22 per cent of crashes.

Casualties were highest in cases where victims failed to wear crash helmets and most of the accidents involved motorcycles. More than half the victims were of working age.

Phitsanulok saw the highest number of accidents on Monday with 18 crashes recorded, while Chiang Mai had the most deaths - four.

To date, only five provinces have been free of road accidents during the so-called "Seven Dangerous Days" of the New Year, which started on December 29. These provinces are Chaiyaphum, Nonthaburi, Yasothon, Sa Kaew and Sukhothai.

On Monday, checkpoints manned by the Road Safety Centre found 89,822 motorists on the roads without licences. And some 26,808 motorcyclists were nabbed for not wearing crash helmets.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Wiboon Sanguanpong, who is also secretary of the Road Safety Centre, urged motorists yesterday to drive carefully and refrain from speeding.

"Respect traffic laws and be kind to other motorists," was his advice.

Wiboon told drivers to avoid medicine that could induce drowsiness and to take a lot of rest before starting their trip. "If you feel exhausted, please stop at rest areas along the way," he said.

In Lamphun, a tour bus crashed into two pickups yesterday morning, injuring 10 people. The accident took place on a road on the slope of Doi Khun Tan.

-- The Nation 2011-01-05

[richieudon]

"Respect traffic laws and be kind to other motorists," was his advice.

This will never happen......

[OzMick]

"The study covered 234,483 teens between the ages of 16 and 17.............."

"............... while only 23 per cent fastened their seatbelt while driving a car."

And not one of them has a bloody licence!

[Kernow86]

Where I come from people pick their noses when they are driving because they don't think anyone can see through the window. Here, people lose all respect for others.

[ginjag]

"Respect traffic laws and be kind to other motorists," was his advice.

This will never happen......

" many youngsters drive after drinking"---near ALL younsters drive after drinking. I live in Issan- this is fact. Also it stated 5 provinces were free of accidents during the days of monitoring.....................WHAT... all these areas are teatotal ???? where people walk around and trafic free zones. sorry if I read it wrong.

[trogers]

"The study covered 234,483 teens between the ages of 16 and 17.............."

"............... while only 23 per cent fastened their seatbelt while driving a car."

And not one of them has a bloody licence!

Licenses can be easily bought. This report states the symptoms and not the cause. And the main cause is corruption, leading to issuing licenses to unqualified drivers/riders, and non-enforcement of traffic rules and regulations.

[Lannatyne]

"Respect traffic laws and be kind to other motorists," was his advice.

This will never happen......

The first move is for the Royal Thai Police to 'respect traffic laws' by acting on them, I'd suggest.

[OzMick]

"The study covered 234,483 teens between the ages of 16 and 17.............."

"............... while only 23 per cent fastened their seatbelt while driving a car."

And not one of them has a bloody licence!

Licenses can be easily bought. This report states the symptoms and not the cause. And the main cause is corruption, leading to issuing licenses to unqualified drivers/riders, and non-enforcement of traffic rules and regulations.

But you have to be 18 to apply/get/buy.

[OzMick]

Isn't just a little ironic that yesterday's editorial was about under-age driving, and todays' article indicating nearly 60,000 under-age drivers passes without comment?

Edited January 5, 2011 by OzMick

[Misterwhisper]

Yeah, we really need a survey to find that out.

[asiawatcher]

Isn't just a little ironic that yesterday's editorial was about under-age driving, and todays' article indicating nearly 60,000 under-age drivers passes without comment?

Agree - why interview this demography anyway! Are they 'all' driving-riding? And are they at this age all drinking as well? Seems this report has a few explanations needed.