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

[Nisa]

"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.

More than

749,000 vehicles

and motorbikes had been

stopped

Just because the leading violation were not wearing a helmet and not licensed doesn't mean they weren't after drunk drivers. The majority of deaths in Thailand on the road are those on motorbikes. Things like wearing helmets and safety belts are HUGE factors in reducing road deaths around the globe.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Nisa

[Nisa]

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!

I'd be interested in your providing one link to any location that has rescinded helmet laws because they didn't seriously reduce injury and death.

http://www.nytimes.c...elmet.html?_r=1

Wearing an approved helmet cuts the risk of death by 37 percent, studies have shown. States that have dropped the requirement have seen helmet use fall by half, the board said. That and the popularity of motorcycles have pushed deaths up by more than 100 percent in the past 10 years, according to government statistics.

The

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

has produced studies showing that death rates jump when helmet laws are repealed.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Nisa

[chrisinth]

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.

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I am impressed that you took the time to explain that to him.

[dpeti73]

My idea is if somebody not wearing helmet or drunk, the hospital have to charge for him the full amount of the madication expense and insurance dont cover it. Bcose Thai people just learn from the money.

[chrisinth]

"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

Unfortunately kids are issued with their ID cards on their 15th birthday and once they have them, they can legally take their bike test on the same day.

[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.

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I am impressed that you took the time to explain that to him.

As my old mum says "you can't teach pork" but it may be be worth a try now and again.

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[chrisinth]

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!

Just out of interest, I would really like to see a link to this current scientific and political thinking. I would be extremely interested in what the political thinking is to this.

[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!

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

Interesting, i must wear a helmet in case a drunk driver knocks me off my bike. I don't wear a helmet i must pay 200bht? They drive off, nothing happens! Sine i was young i always found this concept wrong, and still do.

[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.

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!

At last a person who agrees with me! And can put my thoughts in writing better than i can!

[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!

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

I am impressed that you took the time to explain that to him.

Explain what! I should wear a helmet incase i get knocked of bike. Maybe if they gave automatic prison sentences and confiscated the cars, the knoking off would stop!

[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

Interesting, i must wear a helmet in case a drunk driver knocks me off my bike. I don't wear a helmet i must pay 200bht? They drive off, nothing happens! Sine i was young i always found this concept wrong, and still do.

As said above "you can't teach pork".

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[edwinchester]

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

Interesting, i must wear a helmet in case a drunk driver knocks me off my bike. I don't wear a helmet i must pay 200bht? They drive off, nothing happens! Sine i was young i always found this concept wrong, and still do.

How about wearing a helmet because in the event of you having an accident and your unprotected head hitting the road hard you could easily die or suffer catastrophic brain damage?

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[redroo]

instead of

" NO DRINK DRIVING "

It should be

" NO DRINKING BEFORE DRIVING "

This could help as most thai's

think their not drinking wilste driving and therefore

not breaking the law.....!

[chrissables]

In reply to edwhinchester: How about being my business and nothing to do with governments. If they want to stop deaths on roads, stop the cause, don't make people wear helmets that we do very little to help.

[animatic]

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.

Another benefit of a helmet on Songkran is you don't get the water square in the face while riding.

I walked around days 3-4 of my first Chaing Mai Songrkaran with a full face and chin helmet, mask latched.

I could see, my glasses were never hit and I could go where I wished with ease.

Thought a few people actually tried to squirt it UNDER my chin to get my faced wet. No success.

When riding a bike, it doesn't stop the frozen ice water on your body, but you can still see perfectly.

[tukkytuktuk]

A nice shiny helmet is always the best idea.

[edwinchester]

In reply to edwhinchester: How about being my business and nothing to do with governments. If they want to stop deaths on roads, stop the cause, don't make people wear helmets that we do very little to help.

Of course it's your own choice if you want to wear a helmet or not although there is the small matter of the law requiring you to wear one here aswell. And if you should be knocked down by some drunkard and not killed outright I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy living life in a vegetive state.

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[Kananga]

I was on Suk soi 77 yesterday and amazed that for a busy four lane road there were people allowing their children to stand in the road throwing water on cars. It really does astound me that they think this is ok. All it takes is for one person who was not looking straight ahead or swerving around another drunken idiot/motorbike etc to wipe out a family of children. Police were regularly going up and down the road as Phrakanong police station is round the corner, yet the parents and police were blissfully unaware of the danger these children were in.

[chrissables]

In reply to edwhinchester: How about being my business and nothing to do with governments. If they want to stop deaths on roads, stop the cause, don't make people wear helmets that we do very little to help.

Of course it's your own choice if you want to wear a helmet or not although there is the small matter of the law requiring you to wear one here aswell. And if you should be knocked down by some drunkard and not killed outright I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy living life in a vegetive state.

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So wearing a hat is going to stop me being knocked off is it! The answer to stopping the carnage is not the wearing of a helmet.

[apetley]

In reply to edwhinchester: How about being my business and nothing to do with governments. If they want to stop deaths on roads, stop the cause, don't make people wear helmets that we do very little to help.

Of course it's your own choice if you want to wear a helmet or not although there is the small matter of the law requiring you to wear one here aswell. And if you should be knocked down by some drunkard and not killed outright I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy living life in a vegetive state.

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So wearing a hat is going to stop me being knocked off is it! The answer to stopping the carnage is not the wearing of a helmet.

Jees, some people have the right to be thick but you're starting to abuse the privelige. No, wearing a helmet will not stop you being knocked off your bike. What it may do is save your life should your head impact the road or save you from serious brain injury.

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Edited April 16, 2012 by apetley

[edwinchester]

In reply to edwhinchester: How about being my business and nothing to do with governments. If they want to stop deaths on roads, stop the cause, don't make people wear helmets that we do very little to help.

Of course it's your own choice if you want to wear a helmet or not although there is the small matter of the law requiring you to wear one here aswell. And if you should be knocked down by some drunkard and not killed outright I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy living life in a vegetive state.

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

So wearing a hat is going to stop me being knocked off is it! The answer to stopping the carnage is not the wearing of a helmet.

Ask yourself this. Is an entire nation going to start driving responsibly overnight? Is the Royal Thai Police Force going to strictly enforce drink driving laws? Personally I suspect no on both counts. Will wearing a helmet give me added protection from death by head injury or the suffering of brain damage should a pissed up somchai knock me off my bike causing my head to impact the road? I believe yes and in my humble opinion is a sensible precaution in Thailand.

I am in no way denying you the right to ride helmetless but please make sure you have the insurance to pay for medical care because likely hood is somchai hasnt and please make sure you have caring family who'll look after you if you're permanantly disabled through head trauma.

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Edited April 16, 2012 by edwinchester

[GentlemanJim]

In reply to edwhinchester: How about being my business and nothing to do with governments. If they want to stop deaths on roads, stop the cause, don't make people wear helmets that we do very little to help.

Of course it's your own choice if you want to wear a helmet or not although there is the small matter of the law requiring you to wear one here aswell. And if you should be knocked down by some drunkard and not killed outright I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy living life in a vegetive state.

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So wearing a hat is going to stop me being knocked off is it! The answer to stopping the carnage is not the wearing of a helmet.

That comment (both of them chrissables) puts you in the running for a Darwin Award. It's just a matter of time now

Edited April 16, 2012 by GentlemanJim

[beerchang]

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!

Sorry, just gotta say this....chriss....i'm gonna hit u in the head with a ball pein hammer! Would you prefer some protection, i.e a crash helmet, or no protection at all? If you chose 2nd option, then Darwin was soooo right!

[metisdead]

A profanity post containing overly derogatory comments directed towards Thais has been removed.

[alfredthegreat]

Helmet, helmet, helmet. Safety belt, safety belt, safety belt. TREAD on tyres, TREAD on tyres, TREAD on tyres. Clunk click! every trip! (Quoted by the late Jimmy Saville.

[coma]

Maybe taking the Songkran festival [ particularly the water throwing element ] off the roads and streets of all the towns and cities around the country, then opening up all the large parks, sport staduims etc etc for the annual water fight could be the way to go . In a controlled environment only.

[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.

More than

749,000 vehicles

and motorbikes had been

stopped

Just because the leading violation were not wearing a helmet and not licensed doesn't mean they weren't after drunk drivers. The majority of deaths in Thailand on the road are those on motorbikes. Things like wearing helmets and safety belts are HUGE factors in reducing road deaths around the globe.

I wear a seat belt in my car and a helmet on my bike. My choice.

Others choose not to. Their choice.

Fining motorcycle drivers takes time and doesn't lead to significant amounts of adherence to the law. If it wasn't about the money, the cops would insist that the driver leave the motorcycle parked where it is until they have a helmet prior to driving away. But that ain't the case. The drivers are stopped, fined, and released -- without wearing helmets. In fact, they can use the ticket receipt as a fee pass for the rest of the day. It IS about the money. Nothing more.

On Songkran, they should just check for alcohol. Don't tie up cops processing fines. Use all the cops to process traffic specifically looking for drunks on motorcycles and cars -- and get them the hell off the road. The more traffic processed, the more likely they will identify more intoxicated drivers.

Anyone thinks helmet and seat-belt laws are about protecting the public from itself is either self-deluded or has been smoking too much of that stuff that will get you tossed in jail too. It's about revenue generation. BIB: "Show me the money."

The day I see a cop refuse to let drivers and passengers back on a bike unless they are all wearing helmets, is the day I'll change my opinion. That day isn't coming any time soon.

Edited April 16, 2012 by connda

[moonbarman]

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.

Agree totally tukky but unfortunately the standard of helmets available to the general public in thailand is far from appropriate protection on the roads here, and decent kite marked or equivalent ones are probably priced out of average joes pocket, though i will say anything is better than nowt at all, and as i keep shouting at my missus everytime she gets on the bike put your bloody helmet on, i won't let her take our daughter on the bike wothout a helmet and she looks at me like i'm mad and says we're only going to talad,7/11 etc. but i stand my ground and thank god no accidents yet!

[moonbarman]

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!

Headbutt the floor without an helmet on and then if you're still conscious do it again wearing one and tell me which hurt the most, I've been riding bikes for 40 years and i'm telling you from experience helmets save lives.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts have been removed. This topic is not about obesity rates or fast food restaurants.