Crackdown On People Who Watch Movies Or Use Mobile Phones While Driving: Thailand

[webfact]

ROAD SAFETY

Police crackdown on use of phones, TV by drivers

SUPARAT IAMTAN,

JITARPA SUWANATAT

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- People who watch movies or talk on their mobile phones while driving may face negligence charges, polie said yesterday.

Metropolitan Police deputy chief Pol Maj-General Worasak Noppasitthiporn said: "The police plan to launch a campaign against watching TV and talking on mobile phones while driving in order to cut down on road accidents."

Worasak said the law prohibiting the use of mobile phones while driving had not been strictly enforced, and police often turned a blind-eye to motorists who watch television.

"These habits distract commuters and cause accidents," traffic police chief Pol Maj-General Uthaiwan Kaewsaard said. "There is no law against watching TV while driving, but motorists can be charged with negligent driving.

"The traffic police plan to revise and amend traffic laws that have been in force since 1979," he added.

A motorist known as Kai said: "I agree that if they fix the laws it will benefit everybody, helping them drive safely."

Kai's car has a DVD player, though he says he only uses it to listen to music. However, he did admit to watching movies sometimes during long journeys.

"The police should strictly enforce laws and not take bribes. Then the laws will be effective," he advised, referring to the prohibition on using mobile phones that has been in place for a long time, but drivers could still be seen talking on the phone while behind the wheel.

-- The Nation 2012-05-11

[mca]

I always did think those aftermarket DVD players were madness. I nearly got sideswiped last week overtaking some moron in a pickup who wandered over the white line of a dual carriageway because he was watching the TV. At the risk of being a "Thai knocker" you definitely need both eyes on the road driving in LOS. At least with the factory fitted ones you can't watch them from the front while the vehicle is in gear. As it should be.

[x5david]

I always did think those aftermarket DVD players were madness. I nearly got sideswiped last week overtaking some moron in a pickup who wandered over the white line of a dual carriageway because he was watching the TV. At the risk of being a "Thai knocker" you definitely need both eyes on the road driving in LOS. At least with the factory fitted ones you can't watch them from the front while the vehicle is in gear. As it should be.

Unless you pay to have it modified to be viewed from the front also. My wife insisted we do that in our Wish so she could watch from the front passenger seat. Doesn't bother me though, disciplined enough to keep my eyes on the road. Comes in handy at those 5 minute red lights though.

[mca]

Doesn't bother me though, disciplined enough to keep my eyes on the road..

But it's not you though is it david.....

[rkidlad]

I see lots of people watching tv in their cars here. I saw one woman playing some game on her tablet as she very slowly went through traffic. How are they going to have a crackdown? Take more tea money every time someone is caught?

They might start pulling people over for a week or two, and then things will be back to the way they were before.

[konfuzed]

But the police play with the traffic in such a way that they make it worse.

And when they don't change traffic lights for 20mins what do they expect people to do?

[sirchai]

"The police plan to launch a campaign against watching TV and talking on mobile phones while driving in order to cut down on road accidents

Might be the best explanation for their driving skills. Guess most of them are watching Thai Visa when driving.

You gotta love these stories............

Edited May 11, 2012 by sirchai

[OzMick]

I see lots of people watching tv in their cars here. I saw one woman playing some game on her tablet as she very slowly went through traffic. How are they going to have a crackdown? Take more tea money every time someone is caught?

They might start pulling people over for a week or two, and then things will be back to the way they were before.

It is my understanding that DVD players are to be installed in all police stations. BIB will study all the latest releases, and anybody caught watching a DVD in a vehicle will be pulled over, severely chastised and told how the story finishes.

[Semper]

How are they going to have a crackdown? Take more tea money every time someone is caught?

By confiscating the monitor! Should include these ever popular GPS thingies too.

[2unique]

There is a single wire connected to the hand/parking brake that a large number of people connect elsewhere to circumvent the screen going blank.

With the Kenwood you can't access most of the better phone functions like address book and redial which makes no sense as you then have to pick up your phone to dial!

Admittedly I used to bring a book for the 45 minutes it took to cross Saphan Taksin. Are audio books safer? Should one be concentrating on plot rather than traffic!

[2unique]

How are they going to have a crackdown? Take more tea money every time someone is caught?

By confiscating the monitor! Should include these ever popular GPS thingies too.

For many their phone is their gps...

[Semper]

Are audio books safer?

Compared to what? If listening to a nagging wife, I'd say yes.

[2unique]

Are audio books safer?

Compared to what? If listening to a nagging wife, I'd say yes.

I enjoy the sounds of sulky silence as I side with gps woman's directions over wife's. Tis an unforgiveable breach of trust.

Whenever I see someone driving badly, changing lanes erraticly or divvering I give them the benefit of the doubt. Either they are on the phone or they're getting directions from a partner with a sense of direction like mine.

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

[Thai at Heart]

How about cracking down on idiots who put after market white or blue coloured brake lights on the back of their cars?

[sparebox2]

No wonder so many BiB children go to International schools like ISB, Bangkok Patana, Shrewsbury, etc.

More tea money on the way.

Edited May 11, 2012 by sparebox2

[BookMan]

Watching TV while you are driving is a whole new level of dumbness.

[petedk]

How about cracking down on idiots who put after market white or blue coloured brake lights on the back of their cars?

Or red headlights as I have seen a few times.

[noitom]

They are "cracking down" again. This was news at least five years ago in this same newspaper. The newspaper is always writing about various "crackdowns" on this and that. But never following up to put pressure on the sources of the problem and doing the right thing.

[GentlemanJim]

I always did think those aftermarket DVD players were madness. I nearly got sideswiped last week overtaking some moron in a pickup who wandered over the white line of a dual carriageway because he was watching the TV. At the risk of being a "Thai knocker" you definitely need both eyes on the road driving in LOS. At least with the factory fitted ones you can't watch them from the front while the vehicle is in gear. As it should be.

Unless you pay to have it modified to be viewed from the front also. My wife insisted we do that in our Wish so she could watch from the front passenger seat. Doesn't bother me though, disciplined enough to keep my eyes on the road. Comes in handy at those 5 minute red lights though.

We have a DVD player that we use as it then operates a DVD player in the back of the car for the kids. I can honestly say that in 4 years of driving the vehicle I have never looked at what is on the screen whilst the vehicle is in motion. That seems to be the difference, in that Thais have little concept of risk management, what is safe, what is not safe.

Has anyone seen Thai women putting on make up in slow moving traffic in the morning? That was always a favourite one to observe when I lived around London with the Essex girls commuting in to town.

[Thai at Heart]

I always did think those aftermarket DVD players were madness. I nearly got sideswiped last week overtaking some moron in a pickup who wandered over the white line of a dual carriageway because he was watching the TV. At the risk of being a "Thai knocker" you definitely need both eyes on the road driving in LOS. At least with the factory fitted ones you can't watch them from the front while the vehicle is in gear. As it should be.

Unless you pay to have it modified to be viewed from the front also. My wife insisted we do that in our Wish so she could watch from the front passenger seat. Doesn't bother me though, disciplined enough to keep my eyes on the road. Comes in handy at those 5 minute red lights though.

We have a DVD player that we use as it then operates a DVD player in the back of the car for the kids. I can honestly say that in 4 years of driving the vehicle I have never looked at what is on the screen whilst the vehicle is in motion. That seems to be the difference, in that Thais have little concept of risk management, what is safe, what is not safe.

Has anyone seen Thai women putting on make up in slow moving traffic in the morning? That was always a favourite one to observe when I lived around London with the Essex girls commuting in to town.

I cannot help but groan when I see hiso drivers with their kids standing in the foot well next to the airbag.

[Morch]

Police will crackdown, Thailand will become a hub, a politician will vow to something or another.

[lensta]

"The traffic police plan to revise and amend traffic laws that have been in force since 1979,"

Even though I agree whole heartedly with banning people using mobile phones and watching tv

while driving, I thought it was the government that made, revised, and amended laws, not the police.

The police are there to enforce the laws, so maybe if they concentrated on doing their job instead of

sitting in their little dog boxes or extorting money from people road safety would improve.

I know, I know TIT.

[pisico]

No wonder so many BiB children go to International schools like ISB, Bangkok Patana, Shrewsbury, etc.

More tea money on the way.

A sad reality.

You exposed the root of why Thailand will continue to be a developing country for decades to come.

Corruption: from street level, customs to high places in government.

[Payboy]

The police should strictly enforce laws and not take bribes.

What a wonderful idea.

[Aasim]

How about those people who hold a phone to see the map (GPS) .... does that include in the so called crackdown / more tea money ?

[Considered Opinion]

I always did think those aftermarket DVD players were madness. I nearly got sideswiped last week overtaking some moron in a pickup who wandered over the white line of a dual carriageway because he was watching the TV. At the risk of being a "Thai knocker" you definitely need both eyes on the road driving in LOS. At least with the factory fitted ones you can't watch them from the front while the vehicle is in gear. As it should be.

Actually, after market DVD players are quite a useful tool, the lower they are being used by tools. The one in my car doesn't start to operate until the handbrake is on, which is of course the requirement to make the appliance legal.

[remobb]

I have one of these, I don't watch t but my son does on long journeys. Am I going to be nicked for this? No I do not watch it, he watches kids cartoons that have no interest to me and I do not have any other videos in the car.

Guess it's just another 200baht for the pockets! who's pockets? i did not say

[carvets]

For the police to catch these offenders, they will need to look up from their mobile phones, disengage from the latest village gossip, put down the somtam and stop telling jokes about the stoopidity of Farangs . The job has to be sanuk after all .

[haybilly]

I always did think those aftermarket DVD players were madness. I nearly got sideswiped last week overtaking some moron in a pickup who wandered over the white line of a dual carriageway because he was watching the TV. At the risk of being a "Thai knocker" you definitely need both eyes on the road driving in LOS. At least with the factory fitted ones you can't watch them from the front while the vehicle is in gear. As it should be.

Unless you pay to have it modified to be viewed from the front also. My wife insisted we do that in our Wish so she could watch from the front passenger seat. Doesn't bother me though, disciplined enough to keep my eyes on the road. Comes in handy at those 5 minute red lights though.

I disagree--if the thing is in the front on the dashboard/sunvisor then at some point or other EVERYONE will take a look--and that's just the moment that you miss the dumb kid/dog/ buffalo etc.. that jumps out.

[haybilly]

I have one of these, I don't watch t but my son does on long journeys. Am I going to be nicked for this? No I do not watch it, he watches kids cartoons that have no interest to me and I do not have any other videos in the car.

Guess it's just another 200baht for the pockets! who's pockets? i did not say

No problem--put it behind the front seats and make your kid sit in the rear--safer all round.