Phuket Opinion: Time To Roll On Traffic Law Enforcement

[Lite Beer]

Phuket Opinion: Time to roll on traffic law enforcement

Phuket Gazette –

Learning the law of the road in Phuket is more often than not a matter of survival. Image: Gazette Graphics

PHUKET: Any serious effort to improve road safety in Phuket will need a major shift away from the existing “police checkpoint” method of enforcing traffic law and instead move towards catching violators in the act.

Results of a recent Phuket Gazette online poll revealed that three-quarters of those taking part had never been fined for a moving violation of traffic law in Phuket.

Even more remarkably, the majority of these (42%) did not even know of anyone who had. While the figures may be skewed by the large number of tourists who took part, the results are nonetheless quite revealing.

In fact, the Gazette poll editor received a number of queries from curious Thai readers asking exactly what the term “moving violation” meant – as no equivalent term to describe such a set of infractions appears to exist in Thai language.

To keep all of our readers in the loop, we define a moving violation as any violation of traffic law committed by the operator of a vehicle while it is in motion: speeding, running red lights, dangerous overtaking and drunk driving are just a few of the infractions that exist under Thailand’s comprehensive traffic law. Unfortunately, these laws are far too poorly enforced where they are needed most: out on the open road.

It is unlikely that Phuket drivers from western countries, who are all too familiar with the term “moving violation”, would like to see Thai police adopt a US-style approach that involves pulling over drivers who fail to come to a complete stop at stop signs on deserted roads late at night, “speed traps” or similar tactics just to generate revenue by writing tickets to drivers who pose no real threat to others.

When enforcement reaches that extreme it makes a mockery of the “spirit of the law”, turns the public against police and relegates driving – which can be a pleasurable experience – into just another anxiety-laced routine to plod through.

Unfortunately, here in Phuket the rule of the road seems to be almost the polar opposite. The almost complete disregard by police in regard to moving violations has allowed an extremely dangerous driving culture to develop – with near daily fatal results.

Phuket already has numerous factors that contribute to making it among the most dangerous places to drive in the Kingdom: roadways that are among the worst in Thailand; ever-increasing traffic congestion; lack of public transport that forces may visitors onto unfamiliar roads, including many on motorbikes for the first time. The list goes on.

Instilling just a small measure of cognizance among drivers that speeding, driving on the wrong side of the road and a host of other violations could result in fines or arrest is a necessary first step to making our roads safer for one and all.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ment-16878.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-09-09

[BookMan]

Having the police focus on public revenue raising rather than personal revenue raising might also help things along

[NomadJoe]

Excellent editorial and spot on on every point.

You hit the nail on the head BookMan. I don't want a nanny state either, but something has to be done about the body count. I have driven all over Thailand and Phuket is by far the worst. Even though catching gross violators is like shooting fish in a barrel, it is far to time consuming and less revenue generating to pull over legitimate speeders, red light runners, unsafe overtakers etc., one by one when you can just pull them over en mass and make up offenses as needed. I sure everyone has seen, as I have, crazy drivers committing multiple moving violations endangering all the other road users come upon a check point and suddenly became safe and slow drivers, then once through the checkpoint it's F1 time again. Checkpoints for moving violations are completely ineffective. And when most every cop will let you off with a 200B, maybe 500B bribe, what is the point? There also needs to be a point system so drivers understand that too many violations and they lose their license.

Another problem which was pointed out by the chief of the Highway Police office in Phuket is that every time one of his officers pulled over a vehicle, the driver claimed to be connected to someone, the brother of a politician, cousin of a cop, etc. And the main violators, airport taxi's, are all untouchable as they pay for protection. Trying to enforce traffic laws in Phuket has become so pointless for the Highway Police that they only have 6 officers stationed in all of Phuket, a province with and estimated 750k to 1 million people depending on the season. By comparison Phang Na province, with a population of 250k, has 30 officers.

Turning the 5x overpriced tuk tuks into baht buses like in Krabi or Pattaya will greatly reduce traffic and the need for hapless tourists to rent dangerous motorbikes.

I will celebrate the day a Phuket Traffic Police or Highway Police pulls me over for a legitimate moving violation. Almost 12 years now and I'm still waiting.

.

Edited September 9, 2012 by NomadJoe

[BookMan]

Trying to enforce traffic laws in Phuket has become so pointless for the Highway Police that they only have 6 officers stationed in all of Phuket, a province with and estimated 750k to 1 million people depending on the season. By comparison Phang Na province, with a population of 250k, has 30 officers.

I was not aware of those stats NomadJoe: also crazy when you think that Phuket is getting 4.3 million tourist visitors a year.

Not only do many of the tourists need policing on the roads, many of the tourists need protection from local drivers on the road.

[Stanley Jerd]

I think there already is a point system, dont you get 50 points on a Thai licence?

[NomadJoe]

I think there already is a point system, dont you get 50 points on a Thai licence?

There is, but it isn't widely used:

"Starting from January 2002 Thailand introduced a point system for traffic offences. This is graduated depending upon severity of the offence with a point assignment between 10 and 40 points. If 60 points are given, a driving ban of 90 days is enforced. Drivers who receive the ban twice or more in the same year with the same offences, must participate in driver training."

http://www.siam-info.com/english/driving-licence.html

And driving without a license is no big deal anyway. 500B to 1000B bribe on the spot or 800B ticket (it varies) then drive off again!!