1st Day Of 7 Road Accident Danger Days See 34 Deaths, 501 Injuries: Thailand

[GamLing]

a device that disables the engine if the seat belt is not fastened!!!??? a lot of lives would be saved.

The Thais will find a way to disable this in next to no time.

[a10ams]

It's okay to ride a motorcycle without a helmet.

It's okay to ride with three, four or even five on a motorcycle built for two.

It's okay if the person at the front is probably not the one in control.

It's okay to ride against the flow of traffic.

It's okay to fly out of a side road and turn left without stopping or looking.

It's okay to drive a motorcycle while holding an umbrella or a phone or both.

It's okay to sit side-saddle on a motorcycle.

It's okay to ride at night with defective lights.

It's okay to cram six people into a pick-up and another fifteen in the bed.

It's okay to cram a songthaew full of schoolkids, then six more on the home-made extension at the rear.

It's okay to pack a mini-bus full of people and drive as fast as you can five metres behind the bus in front.

It's okay to drive at 25kms an hour in the outside lane in a decrepit old pickup stacked 5m high with pineapples.

It's okay to fill old buses with obviously twisted chassis' full of people from one end of the country to another.

All of which can be done without a licence or insurance.

Mai pen rai.

[rfukata]

In Thailand, threr were 11048 fatalities from road traffic accident in 2009.

11 048 / 365 = 30.3

Only 4 more than the 2009 average...

EVERYDAY IS BAD DAY ON THAI ROAD!

Those figures are only those dead at the scene. They do not include those that die on the way to hospital or later as a result of their injuries.

There are also claims that those figures are kept deliberately low by the Police.

I just read a similar article yesterday and certainly reflects your comment above.

[apetley]

a device that disables the engine if the seat belt is not fastened!!!??? a lot of lives would be saved.

Yeah right and every dealer would be offering the 'hack' before you even drove it off the forecourt:-)

Edited December 30, 2011 by apetley

[finnomick1]

There is so much bad driving, that this figure isn't suprising. I only feel sorry for the innocent victims of road death and injury. Most are not innocent, their just idiots who benefit us by being off the roads permanently. The more the merrier. I drive a Volvo at the speed limit. Everyone else is on their own. Good luck!

Exactly. One cannot feel anything but sorrow for innocent victims, but the more idiots who are now permanently removed from the roads makes it just a tad safer to be on the road for everyone else. What a load of balloney -- police monitoring drivers at checkpoints. Get them out in patrol cars and stop offending motorists especially those guilty of dangerous driving. They'll be very busy !

[Dellboy218]

Provinces Launch Road Safety Centers

Many provinces are opening road assistance centers to welcome the New Year holiday.

Motorists will be encouraged to wear helmets, fasten seat belts, to drive within the speed limit, to drive only with a license, and not to drink and drive.

Encouraged?? They should be forced with horrendous penalties if found in breach. It is after all the LAW!!!

[koto]

a breath tester moulded in the door panel!!! over the limit, it locks the engine and doors. would save many lives.

Yes it would, 80% of drivers, would be locked out of their cars, trucks, buses, tuk, tuks, baht buses, taxis, no traffic jams, open highways, also needed, to start a motorcycle.

I could be off on the percentage, lets say 50%, there are some educated drivers out there, I seldom see them, but I hear they are out there.

They don't travel on major holidays, they take their trips, before or after the holidays, if they have jobs they offer to work on the holidays so they can take a brake, during the safer times.

Edited December 30, 2011 by koto

[Dellboy218]

Provinces Launch Road Safety Centers

Many provinces are opening road assistance centers to welcome the New Year holiday.

Motorists will be encouraged to wear helmets, fasten seat belts, to drive within the speed limit, to drive only with a license, and not to drink and drive.

Encouraged?? They should be forced with horrendous penalties if found in breach. It is after all the LAW!!!

Sorry, have I missed something or perhaps this is a language issue. When did it become law for a motorist to wear a helmet (a motorist being one who is driving a car). To the list perhaps could be added ''Stay left of centre, especially on blind corners''

[louialive]

Couple of things I would like to ask is if the roads are so packed how do people manage to crash as they seem to be driving more or less bumper to bumper. Are the stats for accidents worse when people are leaving say BKK to go their home towns or when they are on their way back.

[Jerry555]

Just compared it to the numbers in Holland:

In 2009 720 died, in 2010 'only' 640. As Holland has 4.16 times less people this would add up to 2995 casualties in 2009 and 2662 in 2010.

In short: In a western country it is about 75% saver on the road than in Thailand! So be careful out there!!!

I heared you could even 'buy' a license here. No wonder the Dutch police won't accept a Thai drivers license in Holland.

Dutch police do accept Thai International Licence..... they have to..!

You can even buy a Dutch license in Thailand ....

[SwaziBird]

Bakseedaa

Dutch police do accept Thai International Licence..... they have to..!

---------------------------

It would seem that various countries view the International Drivers Licence differently.

For instance, in Oz only certain foreign licences are recognised and those must have an English translation. An International Drivers Licence will have an English transcription and will satisfy that particular requirement for those recognised country licences. It does not, in itself mean that the drivers licence held nor the International Licence will be accepted for use in the country.

This was explained to me when I argued, like Bakseeda, that an International Licence must be accepted. One of my USA friend advises something similar in his country.

I often wonder why on earth the drivers training and tests are so obviously insufficient in Thailand.

[DieterWiehe]

a device that disables the engine if the seat belt is not fastened!!!??? a lot of lives would be saved.

It could be disabled in less than a minute, and would be!

MMM! Yes quite right unless built into the car in a way it cannot be disabled....hope some engineers are working on it!

and a breath analyzer should be build in too a whiff of booze and the car wouldn't start.

[moskito]

Terrible numbers !

Uneducated, drunk and reckless driving causing the death of many innocent people on the streets here every day.

More and more Farangs are hitting the streets day by day, the main reason are the insane TukTuk and Taxi fares and no busses at all in

the tourism centers. For driving by TukTuk in Phuket about 500meters one will pay up to 200.-Baht....so for 200.-Baht, many tourists renting

motobikes the whole day, sometimes it is even cheaper. Traffic in Thailand is insane...and nobody start solving the problem on its roots.

This is only valid for Phuket. In Bangkok you can always catch a taxi meter for cheap travel, or bus if you are backpacker.

and Krabi? Koh Samui? Phang Nga? Chiang Mai.....etc etc ? everywhere where tourists need taxis they are overpriced - even in Bkk where many Taxis switch on Meters only on request or tourists are cheatet with little foamflies IN the meter (:

[moskito]

Just compared it to the numbers in Holland:

In 2009 720 died, in 2010 'only' 640. As Holland has 4.16 times less people this would add up to 2995 casualties in 2009 and 2662 in 2010.

In short: In a western country it is about 75% saver on the road than in Thailand! So be careful out there!!!

I heared you could even 'buy' a license here. No wonder the Dutch police won't accept a Thai drivers license in Holland.

absolutely.... and in Germany you cant drive with a Thai International Driving License....most other countries in Europe no Problem.

[anterian]

In Europe to politely decline a drink, accompanied by the statement, I'm driving, is normal for friends to accept. In Thailand it is extremely bad manners to refuse a drink under any circumstances, the only excuse they will accept, and then reluctantly, is that you are ill.

[osiboy]

Just compared it to the numbers in Holland:

In 2009 720 died, in 2010 'only' 640. As Holland has 4.16 times less people this would add up to 2995 casualties in 2009 and 2662 in 2010.

In short: In a western country it is about 75% saver on the road than in Thailand! So be careful out there!!!

I heared you could even 'buy' a license here. No wonder the Dutch police won't accept a Thai drivers license in Holland.

You are wrong. You forget that in Holland just 6 mill people. And in Thailand 75 mill. So in Thailand population in 12.5 times more than in Holland. If in 2009 died 720 x 12.5 =9,000 opposite 11048 in Thailand.

So in your country with more higher taxes and salaries for police just 19% saver than in Thailand.

Sorry, but I did my reseach. You obviously did not. There are 16.612.213 people in Holland compared to 69.122.234 in Thailand! So the factor is indeed exactly 4,16 ! And for that matter: In Holland people live a lot closer together than the Thai. After Malta the Dutch are the most populated country in the EU (484 per square kilometer) as to Thailand (124 per square kilometer). So, I think you can even add to to this factor because the roads in Holland are a lot busier.

and the UK has figures showing it is 6 x safer than thai roads, ......600% , and the numbers are pretty accurate , .......only yesterday an op on here stated three fatalities that were never reported/accounted for bye the BIB , i have spent about 9 yrs of my life in thailand over 13 yrs and witnessed at least 20 road deaths,....... ive seen one in the UK in the remaining 36 yrs , .. To me , the answer is simple; MAKE THE DRIVING TEST COMPARABLE TO WESTERN STANDARDS; , if you are caught by the police with no license, your car will be confiscated until you pass the test which can be arranged in the next 48 hrs, if there were independant monitors { preferably someone who has lost a child through bad driving} at these test centers to check the new test rules are correctly followed , and with better trained traffic police this would go a looooooong way to cutting the fatalities at little cost...........but who cares ??...............mai penrai !

" we dont need no education".......

Edited December 30, 2011 by osiboy

[flyinghigh]

I dont think drink is the only problem ....went on visa run last friday from pattaya to cambodia border ,mini bus driver ,drove hell for leather to get back to pattaya......drove far to close to vechile in front, cutting in front of slower moving vechiles, jumping lights and he was middle aged.....yea ok ..TIT,,,, but for fuc_ks sake .....drunk or sobre just bad driveing habits, shame is most dont give a flying fuc_k!!!!

[khaan]

To me , the answer is simple; MAKE THE DRIVING TEST COMPARABLE TO WESTERN STANDARDS; , if you are caught by the police with no license, your car will be confiscated until you pass the test which can be arranged in the next 48 hrs, if there were independant monitors { preferably someone who has lost a child through bad driving} at these test centers to check the new test rules are correctly followed , and with better trained traffic police this would go a looooooong way to cutting the fatalities at little cost...........but who cares ??...............mai penrai !

" we dont need no education".......

totally agree ! but the same people who don't seem to want to introduce these higher standards are the same ones who

don't see the importance of enforcing speeding restrictions such as in built-up areas.

[baboon]

Terrible numbers !

Uneducated, drunk and reckless driving causing the death of many innocent people on the streets here every day.

You`re not kidding. Hello to the c### in the SUV who nearly killed me earlier.

[ripstanley]

I live near Phayoa. Every year I am told they close an intersection for 9 days where cars heading to Lampung from the lagoon area can do a U turn. This makes vehicle travel an extra Km to make a U turn at the next set of traffic lights..The sign at those says NO U TURN. which everybody ignores. This also adds pressure to the vehicles turning right at these lights with about 4 cars running red lights. The decisions makers have very poor judgement. With these decision I am no wonder that there are more accidents

[maiphedmaiaroi]

Is this thread going to be updated for the next 6 days with the death count?

I find it quite disturbing how news sites always love to update death counts.

Edited December 30, 2011 by maiphedmaiaroi

[maiphedmaiaroi]

It's okay to ride a motorcycle without a helmet.

It's okay to ride with three, four or even five on a motorcycle built for two.

It's okay if the person at the front is probably not the one in control.

It's okay to ride against the flow of traffic.

It's okay to fly out of a side road and turn left without stopping or looking.

It's okay to drive a motorcycle while holding an umbrella or a phone or both.

It's okay to sit side-saddle on a motorcycle.

It's okay to ride at night with defective lights.

It's okay to cram six people into a pick-up and another fifteen in the bed.

It's okay to cram a songthaew full of schoolkids, then six more on the home-made extension at the rear.

It's okay to pack a mini-bus full of people and drive as fast as you can five metres behind the bus in front.

It's okay to drive at 25kms an hour in the outside lane in a decrepit old pickup stacked 5m high with pineapples.

It's okay to fill old buses with obviously twisted chassis' full of people from one end of the country to another.

All of which can be done without a licence or insurance.

Mai pen rai.

True but u cant change them. Its upto them to learn.

[Chalard]

It's okay to ride a motorcycle without a helmet.

It's okay to ride with three, four or even five on a motorcycle built for two.

It's okay if the person at the front is probably not the one in control.

It's okay to ride against the flow of traffic.

It's okay to fly out of a side road and turn left without stopping or looking.

It's okay to drive a motorcycle while holding an umbrella or a phone or both.

It's okay to sit side-saddle on a motorcycle.

It's okay to ride at night with defective lights.

It's okay to cram six people into a pick-up and another fifteen in the bed.

It's okay to cram a songthaew full of schoolkids, then six more on the home-made extension at the rear.

It's okay to pack a mini-bus full of people and drive as fast as you can five metres behind the bus in front.

It's okay to drive at 25kms an hour in the outside lane in a decrepit old pickup stacked 5m high with pineapples.

It's okay to fill old buses with obviously twisted chassis' full of people from one end of the country to another.

All of which can be done without a licence or insurance.

Mai pen rai.

True but u cant change them. Its up to them to learn.

Spot on. But will take a long time to change their bad habits.

[hyperdimension]

Is this thread going to be updated for the next 6 days with the death count?

I find it quite disturbing how news sites always love to update death counts.

All road deaths should be published every day to emphasize the danger that exists on the roads here. 34 deaths in one day is actually around the daily average for Thailand, so this news article isn't actually news.

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

Terrible numbers !

Uneducated, drunk and reckless driving causing the death of many innocent people on the streets here every day.

More and more Farangs are hitting the streets day by day, the main reason are the insane TukTuk and Taxi fares and no busses at all in

the tourism centers. For driving by TukTuk in Phuket about 500meters one will pay up to 200.-Baht....so for 200.-Baht, many tourists renting

motobikes the whole day, sometimes it is even cheaper. Traffic in Thailand is insane...and nobody start solving the problem on its roots.

It is not about being "uneducated"...These people know what happens when you get behind the wheel or hadle of anything while drunk...They just don't give a crap...

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

It's okay to ride a motorcycle without a helmet.

It's okay to ride with three, four or even five on a motorcycle built for two.

It's okay if the person at the front is probably not the one in control.

It's okay to ride against the flow of traffic.

It's okay to fly out of a side road and turn left without stopping or looking.

It's okay to drive a motorcycle while holding an umbrella or a phone or both.

It's okay to sit side-saddle on a motorcycle.

It's okay to ride at night with defective lights.

It's okay to cram six people into a pick-up and another fifteen in the bed.

It's okay to cram a songthaew full of schoolkids, then six more on the home-made extension at the rear.

It's okay to pack a mini-bus full of people and drive as fast as you can five metres behind the bus in front.

It's okay to drive at 25kms an hour in the outside lane in a decrepit old pickup stacked 5m high with pineapples.

It's okay to fill old buses with obviously twisted chassis' full of people from one end of the country to another.

All of which can be done without a licence or insurance.

Mai pen rai.

True but u cant change them. Its up to them to learn.

Spot on. But will take a long time to change their bad habits.

You forgot the it's ok to ride a moto bike while holding an intravenous bottle...

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

Shocking.

Somebody actually DO something about this please

Like what...? Ban alcohol...?

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

If the authorities are monitoring the road accidents in order to minimize the toll...Then someone, pray tell, what are they doing to minimize it... ??

[livingthedream]

My car is stuffed full of amulets and lucky charms and has been blessed - I'm f***ing invicible get outta way !! - a typical scenario ?

[Interman]

I'm tired of all the golden girls on here complaining about the Thai driving. It's true freedom driving here and if you don't like it, well.... you know where your from and how to get to BKK.

Yes the accidents are mainly caused from drunk driving and speeding, but I would also assume from my experience that the bunch of them these times of year are from the lower un-educated class, stupidity on the driving skills themselves. The actual THAI style kicks ass over North America.

and the ratio of Holland to Thailand is ludicrous... how long does it take to drive across Holland? like 2 hours maybe?