Road Tolls In Thailand Among Highest In The World

[Jimjim]

Can't tell you how many times I've almost been hit by a motorcycle on the freaking sidewalk in Bangkok!

Unheard of in other countries. One of my number one annoyances about Thailand. Sidewalks are for walking, not motorized vehicles. Very annoying and unsafe.

[rattler]

road tolls refers to the fee to use the road as far as i am aware, and yes they seem high

sometimes the fee is MUCH more

[rattler]

You can add a couple more to the stats. I witnessed a horrible crash yesterday between a motorbike, truck, and minivan full of passengers. At least two dead, including a pregnant woman, and 7 or 8 injured. This morning 2 more accidents along the same stretch of road.

There is only one explanation for Thailand's horribly unsafe road design, require no training of drivers, and virtually no enforcement of traffic laws. It is a government population control program.

well they certainly breed like rabbits by me, always seeing VERY young girls with babies, look about 14 at a push

[fxe1200]

Please take in account, that only the Thai statistics do not count any fatalities, who will die either in a hospital after an accident, or due to the injuries up to 30 days later. Other countries count this fatalities as well. The estimated number of unreported / undetected cases in Thailand is about 10%. These cases are privately settled, to avoid legal prosecution.

[Mosha]

Wow number 6 eh. I'd say India proudly sit at No.! Both countries also have some top trauma and A&E surgeons as well which Bangkok Ho$pital and the other private$ are very, very proud$

Actually look at the list above your post Place 3 Thailand 38.1 deaths per 100,000

[Mosha]

Niue population of around 1400. 1 death a year would give them really bad ratings on that list.

[PETERTHEEATER]

The Minister should be mandating a 5 minute road safety series to be shown on every TV Channel before the 'soaps' explaining traffic procedures and the need or safety. The series should be mandatory school viewing for children too. It is no use stating what the causes of accidents are unless parallel action is taken to fix the causes. It has to start somewhere.

[Miami Bob]

As scary as it is seeing young Thai kids flying down the road weaving between cars, at least they really know how to ride [ control the bike] but what scares me even more is all the unskilled tourists riding two abreast half drunk on holiday weaving down the road looking like their going to fall over at any moment. I keep my distance from any tourist I see on a rental bike.

[weescotsguy66]

Should Read "Road Deaths among the highest in the world"

[rotary]

I wonder how many countries are "claiming" this worlds most thing.........Saudi Arabia claims they have the worlds highest death rate on the road.

[Calach]

Drunk driving, speeding, no seatbelt...and also the fact that they drive completely carelessly, without any conscience of nothing. Their absence of care for other users of the roads amazingly differs from the general thai gentleness.

I also rode a bike in India, it looks even more chaotic but I don't remember having had the feeling it was as dangerous as here.

[tominbkk]

As a scarred old biker, i'd just like to note that a huge number of the motorcycle-deaths will of course have been caused by car, truck and bus drivers, not any stupidity on the part of the bikers. Not wearing a helmet is of course, stupid, but in a large number of car - on - bike smashes, death will happen with or without a 'lid'. Having had 'Sorry mate i didn't see ya' actually said to me while i was laying in the flower-bed in the middle of a huge roundabout after being knocked sideways by a car-driver in the middle of the afternoon in the London suburbs...i know for sure that drivers really don't see bikes from time to time.

I don't agree. The majority of two wheeled accidents I am sure happen because the bikes are consistently and constantly taking risks, overtaking, riding int he wrong lane, coming up behind and cutting off from the left, changing lanes willy nilly, taking extreme risks to fit into a wedge of cars. Every day I see 10 near fatalities from bikes riding irresponsibly and erratically. And I'm not saying 4 wheeled vehicles are much better!

[tominbkk]

Can't tell you how many times I've almost been hit by a motorcycle on the freaking sidewalk in Bangkok!

Unheard of in other countries. One of my number one annoyances about Thailand. Sidewalks are for walking, not motorized vehicles. Very annoying and unsafe.

We had a trainer flown in for our company from the States...first day she emerged from her hotel on Sukhumvit 24 was nailed by a bike on the sidewalk, it knocked her over and she nearly broke her arm. Plus shell shocked her all to hell.

[Mosha]

Park yourself by any school when they are coming out for the day, and watch the cops directing the traffic. Mostly young kids around 10 to 14 yrs old, anything up to 4 on a motorbike, no crash helmets and obviously no diving licence. I blaim the stupidity of the Royal Thai Police Force for condoning it.

My mate was married to a Thai teacher.

Her "I'll be late home, police come talk about law.'

Him "What, like telling you to stop the kids driving motor bikes to school?"

Her. "You stupid, how they get to to school if no motor bike?'

Him "Walk?"

Most of the pupils live within a kilometre of that school.

[Pimay1]

Can't tell you how many times I've almost been hit by a motorcycle on the freaking sidewalk in Bangkok!

Unheard of in other countries. One of my number one annoyances about Thailand. Sidewalks are for walking, not motorized vehicles. Very annoying and unsafe.

We had a trainer flown in for our company from the States...first day she emerged from her hotel on Sukhumvit 24 was nailed by a bike on the sidewalk, it knocked her over and she nearly broke her arm. Plus shell shocked her all to hell.

I believe that is called training the trainer

[edwinchester]

So the 'official' annual death toll on Thai roads is maybe 12000 people.

The vice interior minister has just admitted it is more than double that at 26000.

Very soon it will be Songkran with 'official' daily figures of maybe 50 or 60 deaths. It seems reasonable to suggest the true figure will be well over a hundred, probably 120-130 people dieing everyday of the holiday.

Just think if a medium sized airliner were to crash everyday in Thailand.

These stats are truly horrific.

[belg]

26000? i tought it was about 12000 ... 40 per day

and i tought it was about the expensive express way ticket price (toll)

[lujanit]

I haven't read the 100+ replies however if the BIB did their jobs the death number from motorcycles would be far less. I guess money in pocket is more important than lives

[belg]

why not make all those road deaths, donors for organs by default ? the country's problem might get resolved, finally, why not make it default in any country ?

[FarangTalk]

I'm of the opinion that it is road manners and etiquette that is the main problem; most drivers are just arrogant and stupid; running red lights while children are trying to cross the road, not stopping for pedestrians even on the pavement or when they are disembarking buses in traffic, speeding in heavily populated areas, young children on bikes etc. All of which I witness on an almost daily basis in central Bangkok.

Enforcement and driver training is only part of the solution. The real issue is with the mentality and behaviour of drivers which will take decades to change, even with proper enforcement, education and training and I doubt it is possible given the culture of apathy.

[seajae]

Can't tell you how many times I've almost been hit by a motorcycle on the freaking sidewalk in Bangkok!

Unheard of in other countries. One of my number one annoyances about Thailand. Sidewalks are for walking, not motorized vehicles. Very annoying and unsafe.

We had a trainer flown in for our company from the States...first day she emerged from her hotel on Sukhumvit 24 was nailed by a bike on the sidewalk, it knocked her over and she nearly broke her arm. Plus shell shocked her all to hell.

My elbow is shot because some idiot on a bike went through a market flat stick and smashed it as he passed, just kept going.

[ginjag]

i WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE TRUE FIGURES of underaged kids that die on the roads per year, don't think that would be possible and embarrasing.

Most wards in city public hospitals ---orthopaedic--- have a very high per/cent of kids with broken limbs, and most of these will NOT be sport accidents.

[ginjag]

Can't tell you how many times I've almost been hit by a motorcycle on the freaking sidewalk in Bangkok!

Unheard of in other countries. One of my number one annoyances about Thailand. Sidewalks are for walking, not motorized vehicles. Very annoying and unsafe.

We had a trainer flown in for our company from the States...first day she emerged from her hotel on Sukhumvit 24 was nailed by a bike on the sidewalk, it knocked her over and she nearly broke her arm. Plus shell shocked her all to hell.

My elbow is shot because some idiot on a bike went through a market flat stick and smashed it as he passed, just kept going.

It's your fault for being in the market.

[seajae]

well, I drove from Surat Thani to Phuket yesaterday, what a bugger of a trip. I was doing 100K and I was being passed as though I was standing still by idiots in single cabs/dual cabs with a full load and bloody people sitting on top it, one poor bugger looked as though he was about to be blown out of the back. Strangely when we came to the area with lots of corners I actually caught up and passed a lot them because they dont know how to drive around corners. On the return trip we went through Phuket at 4.30pm, what a laugh, bikes everywhere, the riders were kicking other bikes so they knock them out of the way & could pass them, had to ride the brakes because they would cut across the front of me from the side of the road to go right while I was travelling along. One truck with a trailer on as well was changing lanes and the trailer was swaying like crazy, no way in hell was I going to pass him because he was just cutting everyone off. At least it was dark by the time I got across the bridge and all the thais slowed down to around 70k to 80k because they dont know how to drive in the dark either, still had a bugger of a time trying to work out where the road went when bikes/cars/trucks drove along the kerb/inside lane towards me on a divided road with their high beam on. Until these people earn to drive and obey the road rules the death toll will just keep rising, in the last week I have seen several accidents and a lot of damaged cars on the side of the road, these people have no idea how to drive properly.

[TPI]

I believe that the "Darwin " principle applies here! Most of these road deaths will not have produced an heir, so, they have done the gene pool a favour...I think it should be encouraged!

[TPI]

Eureka! It has just come to me like a flash! the young folk ride their bikes like a teenager rides on ice or roller skates! They think because they're going faster than the rest of the traffic that their speed will keep them from harm!

Idiots!

[cycloneJ]

I believe that the "Darwin " principle applies here! Most of these road deaths will not have produced an heir, so, they have done the gene pool a favour...I think it should be encouraged!

Really thought that one through didn't you - so according to you the only people who die on the road are those at fault?

No innocents?

Tell that to the guy killed by a runaway bus in Patong yesterday.

Back to your own gene pool.

[HuaHinHim]

I actually think for the amount of traffic Bangkok drivers are not that bad. I have driven here for 5 years with out incident, but have seen the odd car upside more than likely a 4.30 am drive home after drinking.

Go to Vietnam, you want to see some of the most idiotic drivers in the World they are it, I swear their necks have bolts in them so they cannot turn their heads. Drive on any side of the road, at least India drivers look occasionally they never do. I have even drove in India looks worse that what it is. Would like to know the stats in Vietnam will leave Thailand for dead.

Also if they drove in Thailand they would not last 5 minutes maybe some of the deaths are Vietnamese trying to drive in Thailand.

While I agree driving competency in Vietnam is poor, do you really believe your first sentence?

I see stupidity by Thai's on a daily basis when they are behind the wheel of a car, truck, motorbike, bus or pretty much anything on wheels, however what do you expect when decades of government mismanagement have neglected to provide some form of driver/rider education.

Educate people and maybe there will be less fatalities

[fxe1200]

26000? i tought it was about 12000 ... 40 per day

and i tought it was about the expensive express way ticket price (toll)

The last official statistics of the Thai police dates back to 2005 or 2006. At that time it was about 20.000. Since then I have seen no improvement in the security awareness of the driving folks, either on car or MC. Umbrellas on motorcycles, mobile phone being used on MCs and cars, unusable safety belts in mini busses, passing on intersections when the driver in front slows down because of a stop sign and so on. You name it, you got it. It is all here.

Thai people (there might be some, who take driving seriously, or even turn safe driving or riding into their preferred hobby activities) do not want to learn, the are not aware of the danger, the police is only out for their "fees", and no educational measures had been implemented at all. If this "mai pen rai" society goes on like this, we will see, with more cars and MCs on the road, even more fatalities.

My personal accident rate on an MC here in Thailand during eleven years of riding (around 8.000Km/year):

A dog jumped into the front wheel of the MC forcing me to touch the tarmac.

A lady pulled out of a parking lot and making an instant U-Turn. I could stay on the bike but with the wheel in her door and a damaged front fork.

Slowing down and eventually stopping at a ZEBRA is dangerous. On three occasions my luggage rack, made out of steel, ended up in the radiator of the following pickup and van. On one occasion I received a "thumbs up" from a police officer sitting in the café right next to the ZEBRA.

Be careful, everything is possible, your next surprise waits at the next corner or intersection.

[johnlandy]

I think that you might find that 'per capita' it is the highest in the world..