GPS devices in public transport might cut road deaths: minister

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Transport Ministry has launched a study to see if installing global positioning systems (GPS) will help improve the public transport system.

"We hope the GPS devices will boost safety, lower operation costs and raise satisfaction among the public," Deputy Transport Minister Chatchart Sithipan said yesterday.

According to him, the study will explore guidelines and measures on how best to use the GPS devices in public transport vehicles and those carrying hazardous substances.

Chatchart expects the study to provide answers within four months.

"GPS installation should also be able to cut down road accidents," Somchai Siriwattanachok, directorgeneral of the Land Transport Department, said confidently.

King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi will be providing academic cooperation.

Chatchart and Somchai were speaking at an event held to announce the launch of the study, which attracted about 250 participants from many relevant authorities, including bus service providers.

Chatchart said that apart from installing GPS devices, publictransport vehicles might also be required to have radiofrequency identification in the future.

"This system will detect speeding," he said, adding that speeding was one of the leading causes of road accidents in addition to drivers falling asleep behind the wheel or driving recklessly.

-- The Nation 2012-06-07

The study "attracted" about 250 participants from "many" relevant authorities.

He was confident that the study "should also be able to cut down on road accidents."

The statements are preposterous and don't correlate to the headline about "cutting road deaths." A good place to start to cut down on road deaths is enforcing a law that hit and run is illegal and will be enforced with severe penalties of serious jail time, fines, revocation of license, and criminal record. So too drunk driving and vehicle standards.

Runners often flee the scene of an accident with severely injured people who later die as the result of no timely treatment or assistance. By having strict enforced laws on hit and run, potential runners will think twice before they speed, swerve, put a car on the road with bald tires, drink and drive..etc. It won't solve the problem, but it is the place to start.

"Launching a survey with over 250 diverse people and training people on GPS at the Transport Ministry won't cut down deaths on the highway. Dreaming up a King Mongkut University study with 250 "relevant" people and bus service providers is merely a blue print to propose a money grab of some sort. GPS has little to do with road deaths and foundational issues like hit and run penalties, severe drunk driving penalties, and vehicle safety regulations that actually get enforced with severe penalties. All the GPS systems in the world won't cut down on drunk and drugged driving, unsafe vehicles, and speeding. Even if they were free and everyone was trained.

Edited June 7, 201214 yr by noitom

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18349499 Hmm a very revealing comparison .

http://www.bbc.com/n...nology-18349499 Hmm a very revealing comparison .

Thanks for posting this informative article. One would assume that putting a GPS device in a Thai vehicle with a Thai driver would only add to the road death count by adding this distraction.

http://www.bbc.com/n...nology-18349499 Hmm a very revealing comparison .

Thanks for posting this informative article. One would assume that putting a GPS device in a Thai vehicle with a Thai driver would only add to the road death count by adding this distraction.

You mean it could get worse? Is that possible?

http://www.bbc.com/n...nology-18349499 Hmm a very revealing comparison .

Perhaps the Transport Ministry might want to review that study before proceeding any further.

How many drivers in Thailand don't have a license or have never passed a test? And the solution is GPS?

The study "attracted" about 250 participants from "many" relevant authorities.

He was confident that the study "should also be able to cut down on road accidents."

The statements are preposterous and don't correlate to the headline about "cutting road deaths." A good place to start to cut down on road deaths is enforcing a law that hit and run is illegal and will be enforced with severe penalties of serious jail time, fines, revocation of license, and criminal record. So too drunk driving and vehicle standards.

Runners often flee the scene of an accident with severely injured people who later die as the result of no timely treatment or assistance. By having strict enforced laws on hit and run, potential runners will think twice before they speed, swerve, put a car on the road with bald tires, drink and drive..etc. It won't solve the problem, but it is the place to start.

"Launching a survey with over 250 diverse people and training people on GPS at the Transport Ministry won't cut down deaths on the highway. Dreaming up a King Mongkut University study with 250 "relevant" people and bus service providers is merely a blue print to propose a money grab of some sort. GPS has little to do with road deaths and foundational issues like hit and run penalties, severe drunk driving penalties, and vehicle safety regulations that actually get enforced with severe penalties. All the GPS systems in the world won't cut down on drunk and drugged driving, unsafe vehicles, and speeding. Even if they were free and everyone was trained.

All it needs is tachographs in trucks and buses and trucks as in a lot of western countries so speeding and driving for too long can be detected. I can see this being transferred to cars as well soon what with advanced technology. Also an update of laws to make them relevant. Oh and a police force to properly enforce it all. ..................... Ahh I think I'll just go and rethink that.

I've noticed here in Mahasarakham posters of various sizes showing a motorcycle helmet and 100% plus some Thai. I've also seen police stopping people without helmets but then letting them ride off while still breaking the law. It does seem to have worked a bit though. There a lot more helmets on the main roads. It's just a pity that some police are so uneducated that they can't understand the simple signs.

Edited June 7, 201214 yr by kimamey

http://www.bbc.com/n...nology-18349499 Hmm a very revealing comparison .

Thanks for posting this informative article. One would assume that putting a GPS device in a Thai vehicle with a Thai driver would only add to the road death count by adding this distraction.

Only if it includes a VDU. A simple unit signalling location and reporting excessive speed could curb some of the mini-van, bus and truck cowboys.

BTW a friend had one fitted to his Phantom motorcycle. It indicated around 20% lower speeds than the speedometer.

Only if it includes enforcement

start with the test for driving licens.Biggest joke ever.I did my driving test a couple of months ago,about 15 people, and me and one more person was the only one that could park the car between 2 cones,big enough for 2 cars, but all the others could not get the car in place, what a joke and guess what??They all get the licens.Start with education how to drive.

How many drivers in Thailand don't have a license or have never passed a test? And the solution is GPS?

Looks like uncle Somchai is sitting on a stockpile of old model Garmins.

True, but how many drivers would not follow the instructions blindly after which they figure out that the Thai police has changed the the rules of the game (one way streets, blocked u turns)? Educating the traffic police would be a better starting point than taking money from Garmin or TomTom

how can a GPS system in a car or bus reduce accidents or deaths??

- I don't understand.

as if people are checking their GPS screen if there is any lorry with hazardous waste! you dont have the time to check these things when you are driving...

actually, you probably get more distracted! (which would cause more accidents!)

or is there some government centre monitoring the entire roads of thailand for fast cars? and if it sees a fast car, what can be done about it? can they shut the car down? or will they send a police car to stop it (20 minutes too late).??

I just dont understand the idea behind this.

how can a GPS system in a car or bus reduce accidents or deaths??

- I don't understand.

as if people are checking their GPS screen if there is any lorry with hazardous waste! you dont have the time to check these things when you are driving...

actually, you probably get more distracted! (which would cause more accidents!)

or is there some government centre monitoring the entire roads of thailand for fast cars? and if it sees a fast car, what can be done about it? can they shut the car down? or will they send a police car to stop it (20 minutes too late).??

I just dont understand the idea behind this.

It's not a video unit for the driver. It's a GPS tracker for the authorities. Speeding can be detected and fines issued. A good deterrent

Idiotic idea...typical for most ministers.

Hey cool!

That's another 2.4 Billion baht gratuity investment to be investigated, by his truly.

It might might not work but, hey, what does it matter? It's his cool idea that's worth about 130M Yorkshire tea-bags for his back pocket.

-mel.

I'm not given to commenting often at the frequent statements attributed to government officials because I think that often the reporters are at fault.

I have had to read the Nation report several times before understanding that the study is into installing GPS 'tracker' units into public service vehicles (buses and mini-buses) so that their movements can be tracked by the authorities and monitor speed limit compliance. This implies a central computer control and reporting system to identify individual vehicles exceeding limits.

Like the one tablet per child scheme; it's just a dream.

The study "attracted" about 250 participants from "many" relevant authorities.

He was confident that the study "should also be able to cut down on road accidents."

The statements are preposterous and don't correlate to the headline about "cutting road deaths." A good place to start to cut down on road deaths is enforcing a law that hit and run is illegal and will be enforced with severe penalties of serious jail time, fines, revocation of license, and criminal record. So too drunk driving and vehicle standards.

Runners often flee the scene of an accident with severely injured people who later die as the result of no timely treatment or assistance. By having strict enforced laws on hit and run, potential runners will think twice before they speed, swerve, put a car on the road with bald tires, drink and drive..etc. It won't solve the problem, but it is the place to start.

"Launching a survey with over 250 diverse people and training people on GPS at the Transport Ministry won't cut down deaths on the highway. Dreaming up a King Mongkut University study with 250 "relevant" people and bus service providers is merely a blue print to propose a money grab of some sort. GPS has little to do with road deaths and foundational issues like hit and run penalties, severe drunk driving penalties, and vehicle safety regulations that actually get enforced with severe penalties. All the GPS systems in the world won't cut down on drunk and drugged driving, unsafe vehicles, and speeding. Even if they were free and everyone was trained.

Amen motion, and it sounds like the enthusiasm is sort of like the submarines and bomb detectors, raising the question of any % skim accruing to advocates.

I'm not given to commenting often at the frequent statements attributed to government officials because I think that often the reporters are at fault.

I have had to read the Nation report several times before understanding that the study is into installing GPS 'tracker' units into public service vehicles (buses and mini-buses) so that their movements can be tracked by the authorities and monitor speed limit compliance. This implies a central computer control and reporting system to identify individual vehicles exceeding limits.

Like the one tablet per child scheme; it's just a dream.

Not necessary to read it several times to understand that knowing how fast a vehicle has traveled is more likely to earn a bonus and that GPS is no deterrent to speeding. Only engine governors that limit vehicle speed can deter speeding by making it impossible, except maybe downhill with a tailwind.

I belive NCA have this on their buses to control that they don't drive faster than 90. It seems to work for them.

By the time that successive Thai Governments have decided who will sit on the plethora of committees to sort this GPS matter out, not forgetting deciding upon the percentages of the skim payable to committee members, the World may well have moved into an entirely different dimension.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_car

Maybe it would be decided that this is a system for stupid farangs and there is no need for such since Thais are all expert drivers and the very epitome of road safety experts in both theory and practice.

http://www.bbc.com/n...nology-18349499 Hmm a very revealing comparison .

Perhaps the Transport Ministry might want to review that study before proceeding any further.

To be fair, that study was only published today. I saw the rsearcher explain it on the BBC Breakfast show. It's a fairly limited study and the finding tentative. It's not clear of it's validity to the UK, never mind an entirely different driving environment and culture such as Thailand.

Further, it seems that the Minister is not only talking about driver directing systems but has driver monitoring systems in mind.

Instant excuse, The GPS told me to do it. Remember the aircraft tragedy over the Swiss air space. The Russian pilots listened to to the ACAS. The UPS guys listened to the ATC.

I assume we are referring to the iniquitous PSV, or mini bus. God alive! The by-and-large moronic drivers of those vehicles are bad enough already, and the idea is to provide them with an onboard toy, and another distraction? The chances are that by the time they have worked out where they are, they will already be somewhere else . . .

how can a GPS system in a car or bus reduce accidents or deaths??

- I don't understand.

as if people are checking their GPS screen if there is any lorry with hazardous waste! you dont have the time to check these things when you are driving...

actually, you probably get more distracted! (which would cause more accidents!)

or is there some government centre monitoring the entire roads of thailand for fast cars? and if it sees a fast car, what can be done about it? can they shut the car down? or will they send a police car to stop it (20 minutes too late).??

I just dont understand the idea behind this.

It's not a video unit for the driver. It's a GPS tracker for the authorities. Speeding can be detected and fines issued. A good deterrent

And good in theory.

"This system will detect speeding," he said, adding that speeding was one of the leading causes of road accidents in addition to drivers falling asleep behind the wheel or driving recklessly.

A problem when the system is faced with all three at the same time . . .

These GPS units will distract him from watching his TV.

http://www.bbc.com/n...nology-18349499 Hmm a very revealing comparison .

Thanks for posting this informative article. One would assume that putting a GPS device in a Thai vehicle with a Thai driver would only add to the road death count by adding this distraction.

You mean it could get worse? Is that possible?

Put simply ..... Yes!

Edited June 7, 201214 yr by GeorgeO

I would think collision avoidance systems (auto braking with ABS) would be more effective. If buses, trucks and pubic vans had them there would be less collisions between vehicles, or at least less impact speed.

Speed governors could actually make things more dangerous, drivers would just put the pedal to the floor with a brick and let the governor control the speed.

But one thing I've learned: You usually can't get killed sitting in a traffic jam.

I could see someone blasting through an intersection because the GPS didn't say stop for red light.