EDITORIAL

Tragic deaths will certainly not be the last

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Our roads are perilous because of the widespread irresponsibility of Thai drivers; when will standards and laws be enforced to prevent unnecessary accidents and deaths?

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It is tragic indeed that a planned round-the-world cycling odyssey by a British couple ended in their deaths because of the carelessness of an irresponsible driver in Thailand.

Peter Root and Mary Thompson, both 34, left Britain in July 2011 to cycle around the world. They passed through Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and China. The couple had just finished a trip to Cambodia and planned to go to New Zealand next.

However, their amazing journey ended in Thailand when Worapong Sangkawat, a 25-year-old truck driver, crashed into them in Chachoengsao province. The once-in-a-lifetime trip ended with the couple's bodies and their bicycles smashed on the roadside.

This is heartbreaking because the tragedy could have been avoided if only Worapong had not been so careless. Worapong was quoted by the police as saying he crashed into the cyclists as he was reaching down to pick up a phone. His reason shows gross irresponsibility and makes no sense - he should have stopped the truck first before trying to retrieve the phone. His reasoning cannot justify the accident.

The tragedy has brought the issue of road safety and accidents in Thailand to international attention. Associated Press quoted the father of Peter Root as saying that the couple spent six years planning and saving up for their amazing journey around the world. But their lives were taken in a careless moment.

The incident has made national headlines not only because the victims were foreigners, but also because it shows how Thai commuters are at high risk on the nation's roads. The death toll on the roads here over long weekends and during holiday periods is telling - and just as tragic. Several hundred people are killed or injured during Songkran and other holidays every year in spite of the annual campaigns for safety.

Some motorists are simply not qualified to drive. Some are under the influence of alcohol. Truck drivers regularly go without adequate sleep because they must complete numerous round trips per day, so they resort to stimulants to stay awake, further hampering their driving skills.

The penalties for drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs must be increased and enforced without hesitation. The issuance of driving licences should be stricter to ensure the recipients are qualified to get behind the wheel. Truck and bus drivers should undergo more stringent practical tests, as well as an additional one to ensure they are mature enough to be responsible for the lives of passengers.

Most importantly, motorists need to be made aware of the consequences of careless behaviour on the lives of others. Road accidents have become one of the top three public-health problems in Thailand. Several thousand people die and many more are injured on our roads every year. Many of these accidents could have been avoided if drivers were more sensible.

Thailand is a popular tourist destination, and the number of foreign visitors having accidents is increasing. As Assistant Professor Thaweesak Taekratok of the Crash Scene Investigation Project at Naresuan University has said: "They should know that travelling in Thailand is often different from their own countries." Indeed, it is time that all foreign tourists were informed frankly about the risks of travel in Thailand. And we also have to admit that road safety campaigns have been unsuccessful.

The tragedy of the British couple will fade from the international spotlight and from our memories. But without strong law enforcement and a serious campaign to instil a sense of responsibility in Thai drivers, the roads will continue to be highly dangerous and the deaths of the unfortunate couple will certainly not be the last.

Not only foreigners but countless Thais have lost their lives, or lost loved ones, because of accidents that could easily have been avoided. Imagine if Worapong, the driver, had decided to do the right thing and stop his vehicle before picking up his phone from the floor.

-- The Nation 2013-02-21

In a land where everything is dictated by cost, lives will never figure highly in the thoughts of people.

Early mortality on the road is accepted as readily as corruption & prostitution in daily life.

A bit like cancer really, almost every family knows of a victim.

Developed countries encourage road safety, by enforcing driving tuition with qualified instructors until a required level of competence has been reached, then various tests undertaken to pass a series of driving skills, written tests to show a knowledge of road signs & law, even oral tests.

Some countries go further by requiring the inclusion of night time driving, some even bad weather conditions.

As for commercial drivers, again developed countries impose some kind of driving restrictions to keep the hours at the wheel down to safe levels, inclusive of rest periods after certain hours, minimum sleep breaks & longer breaks after longer distances covered before taking to the road again.

Yes road safety comes at a personal cost which hits the pocket, the man on the street cannot get a licence without proper instruction & testing.

The commercial driver cannot keep driving until he drops asleep at the wheel, or worse he has an accident.

Companies must bear the cost of extra vehicles or drivers to operate 24 hours a day from one end of the country to the other.

Vehicles must be properly maintained, fit for purpose & roadworthy.

But this is Thailand.. and nothing must get in the way of getting somebody mobile at the lowest cost possible.

A quick lap around an empty space to show a driver can start a car find a gear & move forward is adequate as a driving test.

Many vehicles are poorly maintained to keep operating costs down.

Overloading a vehicle to twice it's capacity to save money is common practice, never mind that it cannot stop in an emergency situation.

Driver hours are not monitored, just keep going till you drop.. when you drop take alcohol, medication, stimulants anything you can find to keep going, but not sleep !!

The government shows concern, but never shows a new policy!!

It say's every year "please don't be stupid at festival times" but never changes anything!

At best it catches a few idiots at road blocks, but only fines them.. but doesn't ban them from driving !

Until the government implements proper driving instruction & enforces it.. nothing will change.

Until the government enforces driving hour restrictions.. nothing will change.

Until the government enforces correct vehicle use.. nothing will change.

Until the government enforces annual vehicle maintenance/certificates & regular spot checks.. nothing will change.

Until the government starts taking dangerous drivers off the road.. nothing will change.

This is Thailand.. one thing you can guarantee . NOTHING WILL CHANGE !!

This is one such tragic case that can't be blamed on the Thai's.

Surely this educated British couple did extensive research on the places (roads) they would be visiting on their global trek.

Asia is not the west with its dedicated bicycle lanes ,compulsory helmets and rigid safety laws and police enforcement,

Anyone studying Thailand over the net for a few days would quickly realise this not the place to ride bicycles or even a car for that matter.

Thousands of Thais drive around under the influence of drugs or alcohol day and night expecially upcountry.

They took a gamble as Thailand is the keystone of any S E Asian trip and unfortunately they lost.

As always too much analysis leads to paralysis. The Government cannot change anything because the Police are simply unable and unwilling to implement rule of law. It is too easy to take a bribe and not work than to actually uphold the law. It starts with education and that does not exist here for driving under any circumstances. Doing the driving test being a roll the pencil flick and tick, and they want to check reaction time sitting in a seat watching a light bulb? What ever happened about going out and driving for 15-20 minutes with an officer who was capable of assessing your capacity as a driver. And the bike license even more stupid, riding along a 6" strip of concrete for 20 metres?

I ride my scooter all over Thailand, my safety is my responsibility, always be aware of what is happening around you and if possible get as far off the road you can when stopping. In the west if you smoke your insurance is higher, why because smoking is a distraction especially if you drop the butt and go looking for it, We will not even talk about cell phones and the distraction they cause, in the states almost hit by a lady talking on her cell phone and I did tell her where to put it.

Please be carefull in Thailand wwhile doing anything here, driving, walking, riding a bicycle, and a scooter/motorcycle. Because you are a farange doesn't mean they have it out for you they kill and hurt more thais everyday than farangs

As a cyclist I question their decision to ride along a highway.

It's a calculated risk for sure that might save them time over selecting safer routes. Sometimes cyclists want a simple route over researching and implementing a safer but more complicated route.

Does anyone have a GPS location of the accident?

Doesn't change the fact Thai drivers are irresponsible and unskilled but I think the cyclists share some of the blame.

I see Thai and Farang riding road bicycles along routes with high speed traffic. That strategy might work for a while but everyones luck can run out.

Each time a cyclist navigates a dangerous route and nothing happens it lulls them into a false sense of security....

RIP...

I ride my scooter all over Thailand, my safety is my responsibility...

Right up until the time somebody runs you over because they were distracted or asleep.

I hope it doesn't happen to you (or anyone), but the factors within your control are exceeded by the factors outside of your control.

You can do everything absolutely perfectly, and still some nimrod can orphan your kids and send your family into mourning.

Edited February 21, 201313 yr by impulse

This accident could of happened anywhere.

It happens many times daily.

The big fuss is about the high profile nature of the tourist,that were killed.

The big fuss is about the high profile nature of the tourist,that were killed.

Wrong. The big fuss is about the total lack of law enforcement in this country. Combined with the fact that there is no driver education or training to ensure even a minimum standard, nor any requirement for vehicles to be even road worthy.It all boils down to CORRUPTION. Plain and simple.By the way, in the original stories I read, the driver was reaching down to get his hat, not a phone. So even the 'news' stories change from day to day. Just like law enforcement, the media in this country is incapable of doing it's job properly too.

This editorial is preposterous! The newspaper is always dreaming, wishing, hypothesizing, wondering, imagining, speculating, and blundering. Instead they should be demanding, calling out, and publicizing relentlessly all the time this Thai fleeing and running and behaving with impunity and lack of accountability and responsibility. How can people change , if the media only wishes and dreams instead of naming names and demanding relentlessly?

It is not only Thais that are a danger on the roads. I read all too often that farang cause accidents, even killing people, while driving intoxicated. The Swedish husband of a friend of my wife was bragging the other day how often he drives totally wasted, and added that if he would get caught in Sweden it would cost him a fortune and even jail time, but if he would get stopped in Thailand a few thousand baht would easily settle the matter.

Then there is the fact that even in the safest of countries, the US, the UK, Germany, Holland, the Scandinavian countries, each year thousands of people fall victim in traffic, most of them pedestrians and cyclists, often caused by drunk or careless driving. Of course the odds are better in the West, but traffic is a murderous machine by any standard, with an estimated 1 million victims annually worldwide.

my safety is my responsibility, always be aware of what is happening around you and if possible get as far off the road you can when stopping.

When a car is plowing down the shoulder at 120kms per hour with the driver under the infulence and digging around for a hat or some such thing... I don't think vidulence is going to help.

Edited February 21, 201313 yr by PaulHamon

In a land where everything is dictated by cost, lives will never figure highly in the thoughts of people.

Early mortality on the road is accepted as readily as corruption & prostitution in daily life.

A bit like cancer really, almost every family knows of a victim.

Developed countries encourage road safety, by enforcing driving tuition with qualified instructors until a required level of competence has been reached, then various tests undertaken to pass a series of driving skills, written tests to show a knowledge of road signs & law, even oral tests.

Some countries go further by requiring the inclusion of night time driving, some even bad weather conditions.

As for commercial drivers, again developed countries impose some kind of driving restrictions to keep the hours at the wheel down to safe levels, inclusive of rest periods after certain hours, minimum sleep breaks & longer breaks after longer distances covered before taking to the road again.

Yes road safety comes at a personal cost which hits the pocket, the man on the street cannot get a licence without proper instruction & testing.

The commercial driver cannot keep driving until he drops asleep at the wheel, or worse he has an accident.

Companies must bear the cost of extra vehicles or drivers to operate 24 hours a day from one end of the country to the other.

Vehicles must be properly maintained, fit for purpose & roadworthy.

But this is Thailand.. and nothing must get in the way of getting somebody mobile at the lowest cost possible.

A quick lap around an empty space to show a driver can start a car find a gear & move forward is adequate as a driving test.

Many vehicles are poorly maintained to keep operating costs down.

Overloading a vehicle to twice it's capacity to save money is common practice, never mind that it cannot stop in an emergency situation.

Driver hours are not monitored, just keep going till you drop.. when you drop take alcohol, medication, stimulants anything you can find to keep going, but not sleep !!

The government shows concern, but never shows a new policy!!

It say's every year "please don't be stupid at festival times" but never changes anything!

At best it catches a few idiots at road blocks, but only fines them.. but doesn't ban them from driving !

Until the government implements proper driving instruction & enforces it.. nothing will change.

Until the government enforces driving hour restrictions.. nothing will change.

Until the government enforces correct vehicle use.. nothing will change.

Until the government enforces annual vehicle maintenance/certificates & regular spot checks.. nothing will change.

Until the government starts taking dangerous drivers off the road.. nothing will change.

This is Thailand.. one thing you can guarantee . NOTHING WILL CHANGE !!

What's so hard about stopping parents allowing their underage children to ride motorbikes? If they knew the bikes would be confiscated, it would soon stop. This is happening all the time where I live right under the noses of the BIB.

Not just roads are dangerous in Thailand - sidewalks on Sukhumvit are loaded with vendors and motorcycles - only a matter of time before some tourist gets creamed

This is one such tragic case that can't be blamed on the Thai's.

Surely this educated British couple did extensive research on the places (roads) they would be visiting on their global trek.

Asia is not the west with its dedicated bicycle lanes ,compulsory helmets and rigid safety laws and police enforcement,

Anyone studying Thailand over the net for a few days would quickly realise this not the place to ride bicycles or even a car for that matter.

Thousands of Thais drive around under the influence of drugs or alcohol day and night expecially upcountry.

They took a gamble as Thailand is the keystone of any S E Asian trip and unfortunately they lost.

You can blame the Government which again are the Thais (at least supposed to be) The Government could if they had just a tiny percent of moral,responsibility and respect for human life reduce the road accident statistic in Thailand with more than 50% in less than a year.

This is one such tragic case that can't be blamed on the Thai's.

Surely this educated British couple did extensive research on the places (roads) they would be visiting on their global trek.

Asia is not the west with its dedicated bicycle lanes ,compulsory helmets and rigid safety laws and police enforcement,

Anyone studying Thailand over the net for a few days would quickly realise this not the place to ride bicycles or even a car for that matter.

Thousands of Thais drive around under the influence of drugs or alcohol day and night expecially upcountry.

They took a gamble as Thailand is the keystone of any S E Asian trip and unfortunately they lost.

What horse crap!

As a cyclist I question their decision to ride along a highway.

It's a calculated risk for sure that might save them time over selecting safer routes. Sometimes cyclists want a simple route over researching and implementing a safer but more complicated route.

Does anyone have a GPS location of the accident?

Doesn't change the fact Thai drivers are irresponsible and unskilled but I think the cyclists share some of the blame.

I see Thai and Farang riding road bicycles along routes with high speed traffic. That strategy might work for a while but everyones luck can run out.

Each time a cyclist navigates a dangerous route and nothing happens it lulls them into a false sense of security....

RIP...

So you too have assumed that the riders shouldn't have been on that road, even though you have no idea where they were. This would mean the road between Chiang Mai and Doi Sakhet is too dangerous for cyclists. (I see them on this road all the time).

Hwy 11 down to Lampang - too dangerous for cyclists. How is one to get from here to Lampang?

You are not a real cyclist; you are an inexperienced cyclist who indeed has no business on busy roads. But don't put all cyclists into your pot.

The big fuss is about the high profile nature of the tourist,that were killed.

Wrong. The big fuss is about the total lack of law enforcement in this country. Combined with the fact that there is no driver education or training to ensure even a minimum standard, nor any requirement for vehicles to be even road worthy.It all boils down to CORRUPTION. Plain and simple.By the way, in the original stories I read, the driver was reaching down to get his hat, not a phone. So even the 'news' stories change from day to day. Just like law enforcement, the media in this country is incapable of doing it's job properly too.

Wrong. If this a Thai person on a bike had been killed, it wouldn't even be on the news. The reasons it's high-profile is because they are foreigners on a world cycling tour. That's what makes the story. Old man on bike killed by truck is of no interest whatsoever to the international community. If it was of interest, then why aren't all the other deaths on Thailand's roads in the news?

As a cyclist I question their decision to ride along a highway.

It's a calculated risk for sure that might save them time over selecting safer routes. Sometimes cyclists want a simple route over researching and implementing a safer but more complicated route.

Does anyone have a GPS location of the accident?

Doesn't change the fact Thai drivers are irresponsible and unskilled but I think the cyclists share some of the blame.

I see Thai and Farang riding road bicycles along routes with high speed traffic. That strategy might work for a while but everyones luck can run out.

Each time a cyclist navigates a dangerous route and nothing happens it lulls them into a false sense of security....

RIP...

So you too have assumed that the riders shouldn't have been on that road, even though you have no idea where they were. This would mean the road between Chiang Mai and Doi Sakhet is too dangerous for cyclists. (I see them on this road all the time).

Hwy 11 down to Lampang - too dangerous for cyclists. How is one to get from here to Lampang?

You are not a real cyclist; you are an inexperienced cyclist who indeed has no business on busy roads. But don't put all cyclists into your pot.

what in the world are you talking about? There are side roads everywhere and yes its possible to ride to from Chiang Mai to Doi Saket without being on the main road. I do it all the time. I take the northern route thru Mae Jo.

Can't say if there are or aren't side roads to Lampang as I don't ride there.

You don't think I am serious cyclist? PM me if you want to go for a ride and get hammered like a little bitch.

It doesn't matter if your on a main road or a side road. A pickup truck crashed into my car a week ago. He was coming down a soi on the right side of the road (as opposed to left), talking on the phone, looking in any direction except where he was driving. He didn't attempt to brake until his vehicle was solidly planted into of my car, and when he came out of the car, he said he thought I was on the other side of the road. After the fact, the driver, the police and the bystanders insisted we should share the blame, since he had no money and no insurance. TiT

Worapong was quoted by the police as saying he crashed into the cyclists as he was reaching down to pick up a phone. His reason shows gross irresponsibility and makes no sense - he should have stopped the truck first before trying to retrieve the phone. His reasoning cannot justify the accident.

Couldn't possibly miss that call from the mia about what to have for dinner.

It is not only Thais that are a danger on the roads. I read all too often that farang cause accidents, even killing people, while driving intoxicated. The Swedish husband of a friend of my wife was bragging the other day how often he drives totally wasted, and added that if he would get caught in Sweden it would cost him a fortune and even jail time, but if he would get stopped in Thailand a few thousand baht would easily settle the matter.

Then there is the fact that even in the safest of countries, the US, the UK, Germany, Holland, the Scandinavian countries, each year thousands of people fall victim in traffic, most of them pedestrians and cyclists, often caused by drunk or careless driving. Of course the odds are better in the West, but traffic is a murderous machine by any standard, with an estimated 1 million victims annually worldwide.

\

The US are not safe in comparism with European countries and in Germany the drivers of motorbikes are at the highest risk, especially when the new season starts.

Edited February 21, 201313 yr by hanuman2543

It doesn't matter if your on a main road or a side road. A pickup truck crashed into my car a week ago. He was coming down a soi on the right side of the road (as opposed to left), talking on the phone, looking in any direction except where he was driving. He didn't attempt to brake until his vehicle was solidly planted into of my car, and when he came out of the car, he said he thought I was on the other side of the road. After the fact, the driver, the police and the bystanders insisted we should share the blame, since he had no money and no insurance. TiT

speed x mass measures the force of an accident. If your hit by a vehicle doing 80+ km then its twice the force of being hit by a 40 km vehicle of the same size.

If your going to be hit then what would you prefer?

There are plenty of studies that show when vehicles speed increase then the risk of death and serious injury also greatly increase.

This is not a cartoon physics world we are living in.

Quote "CobraSnakeNecktie"

It doesn't matter if your on a main road or a side road. A pickup truck crashed into my car a week ago. He was coming down a soi on the right side of the road (as opposed to left), talking on the phone, looking in any direction except where he was driving. He didn't attempt to brake until his vehicle was solidly planted into of my car, and when he came out of the car, he said he thought I was on the other side of the road. After the fact, the driver, the police and the bystanders insisted we should share the blame, since he had no money and no insurance. TiT

speed x mass measures the force of an accident. If your hit by a vehicle doing 80+ km then its twice the force of being hit by a 40 km vehicle of the same size.

If your going to be hit then what would you prefer?

There are plenty of studies that show when vehicles speed increase then the risk of death and serious injury also greatly increase.

This is not a cartoon physics world we are living in.

Actually, the equation is 'e=mv^2' so the force for doubling the speed would be FOUR times greater.

Very sad though, I found their blog while Googling a local reservoir and was very sorry to hear the news.

T.

Edited February 21, 201313 yr by Gnasher328

It's an accident.

They happen.

 

This is not a cartoon physics world we are living in.

 

Unfortunately, many drivers in this country seem to think that they live in a cartoon world.

I know several very experienced cyclists with thousands of kilometers behind them in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, and many of them prefer the main roads for safety reasons. The mainiac drivers, those who are most likely to hit you, don't care if the road is wide or narrow. They drive at top speed wherever they go, and on a narrow road, the road has no shoulder so you will be hit. That was what happened to me the other day. On a wider road, I could have gotten away.

Edited February 21, 201313 yr by zakk9

This is one such tragic case that can't be blamed on the Thai's.

Surely this educated British couple did extensive research on the places (roads) they would be visiting on their global trek.

Asia is not the west with its dedicated bicycle lanes ,compulsory helmets and rigid safety laws and police enforcement,

Anyone studying Thailand over the net for a few days would quickly realise this not the place to ride bicycles or even a car for that matter.

Thousands of Thais drive around under the influence of drugs or alcohol day and night expecially upcountry.

They took a gamble as Thailand is the keystone of any S E Asian trip and unfortunately they lost.

Excuse me...?? Are you on drugs...?? Just who the **** would you blame this on then you sanctimonious s**t..?? Did you even read the lst of countries they've cycled through to get here..? If so you've obviously never driven in the Middle East. If you think Thailand's bad, give any M.E country a try. They've got Allah protecting them, so they just go... They were quite obviously not just some old couple popping off to the shops on their bikes, to do what they'd done they were obviously very seasoned cyclists. Then consider for a moment, if you will, the standard of driving on the roads here. Who's to blame for that..?? It certainly wasn't that poor couple on their bicycles. Sorry mate, you're talking out your exhaust pipe...there's no one else to take the blame for this one, especially if the 'thousands of Thais driving around under the influence etc etc" is so acceptable here. Fkn idiot...

and it may rain in a few days too.

I would be curious to see the GPS coordinates of the accident.

Some looking at Google Earth would tell me a lot about their route selection.

Different people have different comfort levels and strategy. Avoiding vehicle risk is easily my biggest concern.

I go with thin tire full suspension 26". Very easy to go offroad at speed or hop up onto a curb.

I have tried full pannier touring bikes and those things don't handle well at all.

I suspect they preferred straight and highway graded roads and not complicated routes with many turns.

As always too much analysis leads to paralysis. The Government cannot change anything because the Police are simply unable and unwilling to implement rule of law. It is too easy to take a bribe and not work than to actually uphold the law. It starts with education and that does not exist here for driving under any circumstances. Doing the driving test being a roll the pencil flick and tick, and they want to check reaction time sitting in a seat watching a light bulb? What ever happened about going out and driving for 15-20 minutes with an officer who was capable of assessing your capacity as a driver. And the bike license even more stupid, riding along a 6" strip of concrete for 20 metres?

The editorial correctly stated what we all know to be true but it won't do any good as there's no will to enforce change. With Songkran just around the corner we can expect the usual hot air about road safety, the police will be told to step enforcement etc and if the statistics are as bad as usual the government use the real Thaksin method of simply altering how many days were classed as official holidays so see the stats aren't really that bad after all