Dozens Of Youths Among 66 Killed On Roads In Thailand On Saturday

[webfact]

Dozens of youths among 66 killed on roads on Saturday

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Sixty-six people were killed in multiple road accidents around the country on Saturday, which sent the total death toll to 210 for the four days starting last Wednesday, an official update on road casualties said yesterday.

Many of the victims - 39 - were underage, according to Education Ministry data linking road trauma statistics over the Songkran holiday to students. An inspector-general, Supphakorn Wongprat, said 30,027 minors had been fined or prosecuted among more than 110,000 offenders.

Some 620 other people were also injured in 580 accidents on Saturday. The death toll of 210 may include an unspecified number reported yesterday, according to a government centre campaigning for minimal or zero road deaths over the four-day holiday break.

In all, 2,134 accidents had been reported, with 2,288 people in total sustaining various types of injuries.

Phichit reported the most deaths - nine - while Chiang Rai and Nakhon Si Thammarat had the most injuries at 94, the centre said.

More than 749,000 vehicles and motorbikes had been stopped at 2,414 checkpoints set up on roads across the country, for vehicle and body searches. Over 112,000 people had been fined or arrested. The most common offences were not wearing safety helmets and not carrying a driver's licence.

The risk of a large number of accidents and further casualties remains as motorists and commuters are due to return to Bangkok today, Phaijt Warachit, the permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry, said.

He warned drivers to be careful not to fall asleep, as that problem was often underestimated by those hurrying to get back to the capital today in time for work on Tuesday.

"Drivers should sleep for at least eight hours, and must not drink either the night before or while driving. They should have companions staying awake to keep chatting with drivers and passengers. Drivers should rest every 150 kilometres or every two hours," he advised.

"There should be a second driver to take over if the first appears drowsy or shows signs of going to sleep, while other passengers should take watch for various symptoms, such as frequent use of brakes and yawning," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-04-16

[MEL1]

Because they are all of the silly attitude "It won't happen to me!" :@

-mel.

[Greer]

Very sad that people have died, but at least glad to see that the death toll is slightly lower than last year - so far.

Lets hope it doesnt climb much further, although I know it will...

Its terribly sad that this happens every year, but let us not forget that every day drivers are in peril on the nations roads, not just at Songkran.

I can only hope that people remain safe, and drive carefully.

[w11guy]

Because they are all of the silly attitude "It won't happen to me!" :@

-mel.

And that's why most of the western world drinks, smokes and eats junk food. Because they believe that they won't be the ones that get cancer and heart disease, etc. It's a common problem.

[LuckyLew]

I really feel sorry for the innocent people the

stupid drunk drivers kill or injure

[animatic]

I thought this was running higher, average for several years 48 a day and Sat was 66....

So sad.

RIP all those who will never have another new year

[tukkytuktuk]

Helmet, helmet, helmet, always wear a helmet when riding your motorbike whether to quickly nip down to the 7/11 or whether to take a long ride on the highway. The amount of people killed in Thailand becauwe they didn't wear their helmet is staggering.

[villagefarang]

We had a friend come up to Chiang Rai from Bangkok. That meant two trips to the airport and another day of driving around and we did not come across a single policeman or police stop during that time. Many buckets of water and many children standing in the middle of the road but no police. Hopefully they were somewhere doing something more important.

Edited April 16, 2012 by villagefarang

[trainman34014]

'Frequent use of Brakes and Yawning'. Seems to me I meet Thai drivers doing this almost every day !

[belg]

frankly, i was a bit shocked yesterday when i turned to thai news and they showed briefly the mangles face of some thai woman

[yumidesign]

the true cost is the ones that survive and end up as vegetables, a sad horrible case i personally witnessed with the family of a young man unable to talk or move after a motor bike accident, all effected for the rest of their lives

[anterian]

It won't happen to me, it won't happen to me........but just to make sure i have bought two extra amulets!

[ivan96822]

They need to do something about all this reckless activity during songkran. These are unnecessary losses of lives.

[normac44]

What a terrible waste of life.But unfortunately we see them every day speeding, no helmets,4 or 5 on 1 bike and no fear of the consequences should they have an accident. RIP to all.

[chrissables]

Helmet, helmet, helmet, always wear a helmet when riding your motorbike whether to quickly nip down to the 7/11 or whether to take a long ride on the highway. The amount of people killed in Thailand becauwe they didn't wear their helmet is staggering.

So if i wear a helmet, i won't get run over by a drunken car driver! People don't die because of not wearing helmets, they die from getting run over and coming off the bike due to the state of the roads or bad riding!

[KKK]

excuse me while I turn off the computer and have a good cry...it's too sad....

[connda]

"Over 112,000 people had been fined or arrested. The most common offences were not wearing safety helmets and not carrying a driver's licence."

If they'd focus on identifying and removing drunk drivers off the road instead of collecting money for minor traffic offenses, they might actually help decrease the number of accidents. Obviously that's not the focus. The focus as usual is to see how many motorcycles they can pull over and extract 100 or 400 baht fines from the drivers.

[apetley]

Helmet, helmet, helmet, always wear a helmet when riding your motorbike whether to quickly nip down to the 7/11 or whether to take a long ride on the highway. The amount of people killed in Thailand becauwe they didn't wear their helmet is staggering.

So if i wear a helmet, i won't get run over by a drunken car driver! People don't die because of not wearing helmets, they die from getting run over and coming off the bike due to the state of the roads or bad riding!

If you go under the wheels of something yes you could die.

If you get knocked off your bike and are wearing a helmet it will likely save your life if your head hits the ground hard.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[Spalpeen]

the true cost is the ones that survive and end up as vegetables, a sad horrible case i personally witnessed with the family of a young man unable to talk or move after a motor bike accident, all effected for the rest of their lives

That's very true. 66 people got out of bed on saturday morning, only to find themselves in coffins before the sun rose again. And, as you say, probably twice that many will be spending the rest of their life disabled. In just one day.

[strollling]

Haven driven and lived here for over half a decade I find it hard to feel pity.

[HOOD Robin]

We had a friend come up to Chiang Rai from Bangkok. That meant two trips to the airport and another day of driving around and we did not come across a single policeman or police stop during that time. Many buckets of water and many children standing in the middle of the road but no police. Hopefully they were somewhere doing something more important.

Well my friend, actually they DID ! i was also surprised as i know the bib's habitude.... But i have seen (big) checkpoints at several places. Even there was one where i live that reminded me at the big check points in our western places. i haven't seen before so many police guys at one checkpoint, also very clever the way they were acting, never seen before... again i was totally surprised ! Cars that almost arrived at the place couldn't flee anymore, too late, they closed in everybody, even motorbikes who always used to escape couldn't run anymore. Some of them tried, but the bib's where all over the place.

so i guess that this is the reason that there were less deads than other years. AT LAST some positive action of the government/police ! Bravo

[atsiii]

"Many of the victims - 39 - were underage, according to Education Ministry data linking road trauma statistics over the Songkran holiday to students. An inspector-general, Supphakorn Wongprat, said 30,027 minors had been fined or prosecuted among more than 110,000 offenders."

Can this be true? 39 of the 210 killed were underage, or almost 20%, which I assume would include passengers. But then it says 30,027 underage were fined out of 110,000 total, which is almost 30%. You can't be fined for being a passenger, so does this mean 30,027 underage youth were driving without a license? If so, does it suggest that 30% of the people on the roads were/are unlicensed underage drivers?

[HOOD Robin]

They need to do something about all this reckless activity during songkran. These are unnecessary losses of lives.

What can they do ? EVERYBODY is (too much) drinking in TH, not only with Songkran.... This is going on for centuries... Again WHO is gonna stop this ?? Sad, but nothing else than the truth

[HOOD Robin]

Helmet, helmet, helmet, always wear a helmet when riding your motorbike whether to quickly nip down to the 7/11 or whether to take a long ride on the highway. The amount of people killed in Thailand becauwe they didn't wear their helmet is staggering.

So if i wear a helmet, i won't get run over by a drunken car driver! People don't die because of not wearing helmets, they die from getting run over and coming off the bike due to the state of the roads or bad riding!

You are both right, but the intention of tukkytuktuk was OK, actually made sense !

[puck2]

It’s going the wrong way.

A lot of the culprits belong to the splashing id@#ts including children.

It happened here to Chinese people. Motorbike accident because of water splashing. Here in our remote area they asked my gf. for the way to the district hospital, their heads blood tainted.

Will this be a number in the accident statistic? I don't believe.

[strollling]

Let the contents of Dusit Zoo take over the country for 4 days.

There'd be more thought and intelligence shown.

[HOOD Robin]

"Many of the victims - 39 - were underage, according to Education Ministry data linking road trauma statistics over the Songkran holiday to students. An inspector-general, Supphakorn Wongprat, said 30,027 minors had been fined or prosecuted among more than 110,000 offenders."

Can this be true? 39 of the 210 killed were underage, or almost 20%, which I assume would include passengers. But then it says 30,027 underage were fined out of 110,000 total, which is almost 30%. You can't be fined for being a passenger, so does this mean 30,027 underage youth were driving without a license? If so, does it suggest that 30% of the people on the roads were/are unlicensed underage drivers?

You bet it's true ! When they not gonna change the habbits here, it will always stay like this. They check the driver, no dr. license ? ok pay a 100-200 baht fee and continue their way... NO, they should take their motorbike and do'nt give it back before they have a license ! That will make sense !!! But again.... TiT

[toybits]

I get very scared driving during Songkran, and New Year. I may be sober - but the other driver might not be.

[Payboy]

Let the contents of Dusit Zoo take over the country for 4 days.

Please provide proof that they aren't already in charge.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Payboy

[Jimmu]

Helmet, helmet, helmet, always wear a helmet when riding your motorbike whether to quickly nip down to the 7/11 or whether to take a long ride on the highway. The amount of people killed in Thailand becauwe they didn't wear their helmet is staggering.

Absolute nonsense! Current scientific and political thinking considers this as old fashioned and incorrect and this is when discussing top quality helmets. The thin sheets of plastic used in Thailand and called crash helmets is a joke. Albeit a sad one as it gives people a false sense of invulnerability. If you crash and hit your head,your head stops, unfortunately your brain floating in its cerebrospinal fluid is pulped inside your cranium. You may look alright but you are either a vegetable or dead, helmet or no helmet! Many Countries and States that first introduced helmet laws are removing them from statute and many others are debating doing so. Some are giving the choice to adults who have the proper insurance to cover medical bills. And so on!