Road Toll Reaches 144 Three Days Into Songkran Holidays

[Lite Beer]

Road toll reaches 144 three days into Songkran holidays

The Nation on Sunday

Revellers join a foam party at a stadium in Buri Ram.

Casualties so far go well beyond 116 killed in same period last year

Some 144 people were killed on the first three days of the Songkran holiday with another 1,668 people injured in 1,554 road accidents from Wednesday to Friday.

The number of fatalities was well over the toll for the first three days last year, which was 116.

Phichit had the most deaths at eight persons, while Nakhon Si Thammarat had the most injuries at 85 persons, as well as the most accidents (80), the Road Safety Centre announced yesterday.

Pol Lt-General Borihan Siang-arom, the assistant National Police chief, told a press conference yesterday that only four provinces - Chaiyaphum, Yasothon, Nong Khai and Nong Bua Lamphu - had no road accidents.

On Friday, 56 people were killed and 778 others injured in 730 road accidents, he said. Most accidents resulted from drunk driving followed by speeding.

On Friday, police also arrested 196 drunk drivers aged under 20. Police would investigate these and trace the sellers of alcohol to punish them too, he added.

Drunk driving continued to be the number one cause of accidents at 41 per cent on Friday (or 38 per cent for the period from April 11-13) followed by speeding at 20 per cent. Most accidents involved motorcycles at 83 per cent and took place on a straight stretch of road (63 per cent). About 31 per cent of accident victims were youths under 20 while working-aged people (20-49 years old) accounted for 56 per cent.

Some 761,102 vehicles were stopped at 2,400 checkpoints and 108,459 traffic law violators arrested. Most were bikers who failed to wear helmets or people who failed to present a driver’s licence.

Meanwhile, an Abac Poll of 2,144 people over 18 in 17 provinces including Bangkok from April 1-13, found most of those interviewed - 78 per cent - had witnessed road accidents during the previous Songkran. They cited the cause of accidents as: speeding and reckless driving or riding at 98 per cent; a lack of police to enforce traffic laws (96 per cent); drunk driving (94 per cent); water splashing while a vehicle was moving (86 per cent) and motorists' violating traffic laws (74 per cent).

Close to 88 per cent of those interviewed urged stronger laws to punish wrongdoers, followed by stricter law-enforcement at 86 per cent, while 72 per cent said police should use speed-detecting technology and arrest offenders without discrimination.

The poll also interviewed 215 police, most of whom (88.5 per cent), cited drunk driving as the problem they mostly found. This was followed by motorists who broke the law and boasted of higher authority and influence so police had to release them (61 per cent), and a lack of support from their supervisors (59 per cent).

Respondents also suggested a campaign to get all vehicles to turn on their headlights when visibility is dim and for police to use technology and severe fines for all law-violating motorists without discrimination.

In related news, a total of 4,184 homeowners joined the police's "Leaving Houses under police's care" project from April 8-17, said deputy police chief General Pongsapat Pongcharoen. Bangkok had some 1,930 homeowners participating with Chockchai precinct having the most participants (87 houses).

-- The Nation 2012-04-15

[mca]

Pol Lt-General Borihan Siang-arom, the assistant National Police chief, told a press conference yesterday that only four provinces - Chaiyaphum, Yasothon, Nong Khai and Nong Bua Lamphu - had no road accidents.

Something either wrong here or lost in translation I feel.

[edwinchester]

No accidents in Chaiyaphum? Maybe he should visit my friends brother in hospital there and tell him to stop pretending to be seriously ill after being knocked off his bike.

[1weatherman]

And just what exactly has the picture accompanying the article have to do with road deaths by vehicle crashes? How about showing the Thai people mangled wreckage and give them something to think about before drinking and driving. Ok, I'm asking too much.

[Yunla]

The other sorrowful statistic is the 1,668 injured, because in Thailand it is bikes with no helmets and it is cars with no seatbelts or airbags. My common sense guess would be that injuries from road accidents are much more severe in this country than in countries with safer cars and bike helms. In other countries 'injury' might just mean whiplash or bruises but over here I'm not so sure. F.ex. I still haven't seen a taxi with seatbelts in the back since visiting here.

My prayers are with the injured & the families of the dead, and for the travellers in the days ahead.

[noitom]

Of course. More drugs, more alcohol, more reckless, lawless driving, more bribing. Why should motorists care about road behavior?" Watch out for me is the prevailing attitude. As this attitude , drugs , and alcohol increase, so does the loss of Thai lives.

[warfie]

The stratagy of restricting alcohol SALES is working really really well, isn't it...

Since a large part of the problem is drink DRIVING why not ban the sale of motor vehicles?

[anterian]

I really don't see why we bother to discuss this issue, it will never change until either Thai culture changes or Thai males stop worrying about the size of their penises.

[chrissables]

The other sorrowful statistic is the 1,668 injured, because in Thailand it is bikes with no helmets and it is cars with no seatbelts or airbags. My common sense guess would be that injuries from road accidents are much more severe in this country than in countries with safer cars and bike helms. In other countries 'injury' might just mean whiplash or bruises but over here I'm not so sure. F.ex. I still haven't seen a taxi with seatbelts in the back since visiting here.

My prayers are with the injured & the families of the dead, and for the travellers in the days ahead.

BUT not wearing a helmet or a seatbelt does not cause accidents!!! Surely the answer is to train the drivers to drive with care, and keep the roads roadworthy!

[Thai at Heart]

Amazing what happens when you focus on a problem. The statistics from before didn't count up accurately. Give it two more years of counting properly and the fatalities caused by songkran will be ten times higher.

[Payboy]

It's time someone invented some kind of a hard hat that a biker could wear to protect the head in an accident.

[animatic]

I really don't see why we bother to discuss this issue, it will never change until either Thai culture changes or Thai males stop worrying about the size of their penises.

Neither of which will happen in our lifetimes.

[MarkCyr]

I'm surprised the fatality toll is not higher with all the f'n morons -- farang definitely included -- who think it's hilarious to shoot water cannons at people speeding by on motorbikes. My buddy down in Krabi got hit with a high powered water cannon while driving home with his wife and baby on board. Yes, I know -- <deleted> are people doing driving a motorbike while holding a child -- but that aside, what kind of D-bag shoots a cannon at somebody like that?

[EyesWideOpen]

I have alway said if you wanted to create a holiday that would kill the most amount of people, Songkran is perfect. Everybody gets drunk, rides around on motorbikes, then people standing on the road throw buckets of ice water into the faces of the riders. Not really sure why, but somehow a charming and beautiful Thai holiday has morphed into a killing machine. But things will not change unless there is bad international press about a holiday that kills so many people. Then the concept of national face will kick in, and action may occur.....

[voodoomagicman]

I think this could be the new pay per view sport. Thai Speedway, start by being out of your head on drink, jump on a speedway bike and go as fast as you possibly can, whilst the crowd throws cold water in your face for good luck ( or death ). Last man alive wins, a years supply of Chang.

[OZEMADE]

Up to 210 at 11.53 AM today and it will get worse. A pity as all seem to be having a good time. I will hate to see the figures when they start to return after Songkran. Always seems to get really bad then.

[GentlemanJim]

I am not sure how many deaths there have been in our town but it is a few, and lots of accidents. I have seen a couple of pile ups in the last few days. I continue to find it very distressing when attending an accident to render assistance and in the front of a car you see a 4 year old child or less that has been used to cushion the impact of the mother on the dashboard. Dead, or massive head/facial injuries, broken necks, all because they were sat on someones knee in the front and that person, lets say 60kg and unrestrained suddenly becomes a 120-400 kg hammer that the small child absorbs the full impact of.

It is all bloody senseless. Yes there is drink driving and idiots on bikes, but if people would take the smallest precautions with themselves and their children the deaths and injuries would be nowhere near as many.

In our town I still get strange looks when I load my two children in the back of the fortuner into large robust child safety seats. Thais ask, 'but how do you get them to sit there without complaining'? answer....'they have no choice! They have been in a car seat since they were born everytime they have traveled in a car, it is part of their routine, they don't know any different and they are happy, never cry, never complain, and god forbid if we are in a smash, I have some chance of getting my children out relatively unharmed. It is education! Thais need to see road safety advertising campaigns as in the UK and the states. Wrecked cars, wrecked lives and family train wrecks left behind. To be honest it would be much easier than in the UK. The authorities need to get to the women! It must be 90% of women do not drink in Thailand and most get very pissed off that their husbands drink to destruction. The wives could go a long way in helping to stop the carnage. Rant over! Still feel helpless and sad.

[beerchang]

It'll be different next year f'sure!

[belg]

108,459 traffic law violators arrested

that must be a mounting of tea money

maybe BIB can start a tea party ?

[Pib]

The poll also interviewed 215 police, most of whom (88.5 per cent), cited drunk driving as the problem they mostly found. This was followed by motorists who broke the law and boasted of higher authority and influence so police had to release them (61 per cent), and a lack of support from their supervisors (59 per cent).

OK, now I know how to keep from getting a ticket or getting arrested: I just boast higher authority and influence, then the BIB will let me go...but I expect I still have to pay a 200 baht fee for an "unissued" ticket.

[allan michaud]

I have alway said if you wanted to create a holiday that would kill the most amount of people, Songkran is perfect. Everybody gets drunk, rides around on motorbikes, then people standing on the road throw buckets of ice water into the faces of the riders. Not really sure why, but somehow a charming and beautiful Thai holiday has morphed into a killing machine. But things will not change unless there is bad international press about a holiday that kills so many people. Then the concept of national face will kick in, and action may occur.....

Agreed but "May occur" are the operative words here. I think its disgraceful how a buddhist ritual has been turned into this annual slaughter.

[Felt 35]

I'm surprised the fatality toll is not higher with all the f'n morons -- farang definitely included -- who think it's hilarious to shoot water cannons at people speeding by on motorbikes. My buddy down in Krabi got hit with a high powered water cannon while driving home with his wife and baby on board. Yes, I know -- <deleted> are people doing driving a motorbike while holding a child -- but that aside, what kind of D-bag shoots a cannon at somebody like that?

Its called modification

[nickjam]

108,459 traffic law violators arrested

that must be a mounting of tea money

maybe BIB can start a tea party ?

I can guarantee that none of that has been collected in Chiang Rai. There would have to be at least one person on duty!

[lucjoker]

But things will not change unless there is bad international press about a holiday that kills so many people.

it is not the holliday that kills,they kill themselfs ....every day of the year !

Hopefully the drunk drivers are killed at their first accident ,so they can not kill innocent people in their

following accidents !

[how241]

R.I.P.

[NoshowJones]

But things will not change unless there is bad international press about a holiday that kills so many people.

it is not the holliday that kills,they kill themselfs ....every day of the year !

Hopefully the drunk drivers are killed at their first accident ,so they can not kill innocent people in their

following accidents !

Yes, I agree with you Lucjoker. The more drunk drivers that are killed, the better, these potential murderers deserve to die and hopefully during their first "accident", the more drunk drivers that die, the less innocent people will die. A quick death also to those who throw water at moving vehicles, especially motorbikes.

[LuckyLew]

I'm surprised the fatality toll is not higher with all the f'n morons -- farang definitely included -- who think it's hilarious to shoot water cannons at people speeding by on motorbikes. My buddy down in Krabi got hit with a high powered water cannon while driving home with his wife and baby on board. Yes, I know -- <deleted> are people doing driving a motorbike while holding a child -- but that aside, what kind of D-bag shoots a cannon at somebody like that?

Takes a careless person to drive a moped with two passengers

Takes a careless person to blast them with a water cannon

Either way, seems Thailand is full of careless people.

Were the two passengers both wearing helmets???

Ask your friends if the really thought it was smart to drive

a moped with three people during Songkran .... they surely

know everything is fair game for blasting with water ...

[sirchai]

"On Friday, police also arrested 196 drunk drivers aged under 20. Police would investigate these and trace the sellers of alcohol to punish them too, he added.

Time to arrest all producers of cars, motorcycles and Kubotas, as those are the real reasons for accidents.

[MEL1]

But things will not change unless there is bad international press about a holiday that kills so many people.

it is not the holliday that kills,they kill themselfs ....every day of the year !

Hopefully the drunk drivers are killed at their first accident ,so they can not kill innocent people in their

following accidents !

Yes, I agree with you Lucjoker. The more drunk drivers that are killed, the better, these potential murderers deserve to die and hopefully during their first "accident", the more drunk drivers that die, the less innocent people will die. A quick death also to those who throw water at moving vehicles, especially motorbikes.

Sorry, but that's a bit harsh!

It's usually the drunk drivers in their big 4x4s who hit and cause death to others, but are so drunkenly relaxed themselves that they walk away with a bruised foot from the throttle kick-back!

Can't say I've seen motorbikes throwing water at moving vehicles either.

-mel.

[PoodMaiDai]

The ONLY people I feel sorry for is the innocent victims who are sober and have accidents due to drunks, and the family members who lose a loved one, be it an idiot or an innocent.

As for the drunks... this is just Darwin doing what Darwin does best, weeding out the weak and stupid. A drunk taken today is one less a-hole who may crash into an innocent family and kill them tomorrow.

IMHO, they should have a weekend once a month where only drunks go out to party. Everyone else stays inside. No police. No road checks. Just 100% drunk driving morons. Let them take care of themselves.