39 Road Deaths On First Day Of Songkran's Seven Dangerous Days

[kevvy]

And we are off to a roaring start. Every year it is the same. Lack of law enforcement is the biggest problem. The police should be held accountable for their complete lack of interest in enforcing laws that are on the books.

Although i can't say i am a big fan of the police, they don't force these people to drink or ram drugs down them, and it's the drivers who put their feet hard on the gas pedal, overtake on bends, into the face of incoming traffic, pull out without looking, drive long hours over great distances. The police can't be held responsible for low IQ 's or stupidity either.

if they showed more presence then maybe people would slow down, but they just sit in their comfortable tents drinking coffee. so the lead foots slow down and when past the tents they speed up again.

[EyesWideOpen]

Using the WHO numbers of 26,000 traffic deaths per year, and divide out for the year, gives a daily death rate of 71 per day. So if the first day of Songkran gives a death rate of 39 for the day, that represents a terrific savings of lives during Songkran !!!!! So either Songkran saves lives, or some seriously skewed numbers are being given out.

[khaowong1]

could happen anywhere.

Yes and it does happen everywhere, but everywhere don't make a big deal of blasting "No drinking alcohol" announcements every time there's a holiday, that no one pays any attention to anyway. In the US, the cops are out in full force over the holidays and everyone knows it. And they will pull you over and you will go to jail. In Thailand over the holidays, even the cops are drunk. It's like a Pacman game. Try to get through the holidays without gettin eaten.

[starkey_rich]

Using the WHO numbers of 26,000 traffic deaths per year, and divide out for the year, gives a daily death rate of 71 per day. So if the first day of Songkran gives a death rate of 39 for the day, that represents a terrific savings of lives during Songkran !!!!! So either Songkran saves lives, or some seriously skewed numbers are being given out.

Some pretty crap numbers are given out.

The road toll only takes in to account the victims who die at the road side.

Not those who die on their way to hospital or die later from their injuries so multiply all the BS figures by say maybe 5 and you are getting there.

[HOOD Robin]

And we are off to a roaring start. Every year it is the same. Lack of law enforcement is the biggest problem. The police should be held accountable for their complete lack of interest in enforcing laws that are on the books.

Although i can't say i am a big fan of the police, they don't force these people to drink or ram drugs down them, and it's the drivers who put their feet hard on the gas pedal, overtake on bends, into the face of incoming traffic, pull out without looking, drive long hours over great distances. The police can't be held responsible for low IQ 's or stupidity either.

if they showed more presence then maybe people would slow down, but they just sit in their comfortable tents drinking coffee. so the lead foots slow down and when past the tents they speed up again.

Are you sure they drink "coffee" ?

[Thunder26]

I think the road death number is higher than that. I drove 800 km for the last 2 days and the driving is pure madness. The majority of Thai drivers do not know that tailing or driving close to the car in front is dangerous. Also, they don't know that you have to slow down when it rains and be careful while breaking with bald tires. So far I have seen about 10 accidents in 2 days. The major ones are the car that hit a tree on a wet road and an upside down bus in the ditch in Surat Thani, not sure if it made the news, but it looked bad. If you are on the road keep distance and be alert!

[Thunder26]

That's natural selection isn'it?

Agreed, but unfortunately innocent people have to suffer during the natural selection...

[Munger]

could happen anywhere.

A thai apologist has chimed in.

It must be terrible waking up every morning in a country whose population you despise and not being able to do anything about it.

It must be more terrible waking up in any country and trying to defend a pathetic thai apologist. "IT COULD HAPPEN ANYWHERE" There are some things that are impossible to defend, eg. thai driving, and fools trying to defend thai apologists who are defending thai drivers. Peace

[rotorbreeze]

...and so it begins...

SONGKRAN'S

So On Now Goes Karnage Revealing Another Non-logical Selibration

(I know Selibration is a "C" but just had to break down the work SONKRAN'S) LETS SEE WHAT OTHER WORDS "SONGKRAN'S" you can make?

Keep well and avoid un-nessary travel...Ron

[cannonball]

About as much fun as pulling teeth out

yep, without gas or novocaine.

CB

[webfact]

UPDATE:
Road toll at 39 on first day of Songkran
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Road accidents resulted in 39 deaths on Thursday - nine more in comparison to last year's first of the "seven dangerous days" of the long Songkran holiday, the Road Safety Centre reported yesterday.

Thursday saw 39 deaths and 342 injuries in 326 road accidents, and 56 per cent of those killed or injured were working-age people, Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt told a press conference yesterday.

He said on the first day of Songkran last year, there were 30 deaths, but the number of those injured was higher at 375 and there had been 343 road accidents.

The biggest accident yesterday was when the driver of a public bus fell asleep behind the wheel, causing the bus to overturn in Chaiyaphum's Khon Sawan district. Up to 70 passengers sustained injuries. The bus had departed Bangkok for Khon Kaen and Loei.

Even though the authorities have announced the strict enforcement of laws against drunk driving and other traffic violations, drunk driving was still a major cause of deaths at about 29 per cent, followed by speeding at 21 per cent. Around 78 per cent of the accidents involved motorcycles and 12 per cent had to do with pickups.

The highest number of fatalities occurred at Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ayutthaya, Yasothon, Songkhla and Samut Sakhon, with three deaths at each province. The highest number of accidents occurred in Chiang Mai and Nakhon Si Thammarat with 14 each; while Chiang Mai also had the highest number of injuries at 17. So far, 52 provinces have encountered no deaths.

Chadchart said that since most roads and highways were crowded with vehicles as people were either heading to their hometowns or other destinations, relevant authorities have been instructed to give top priority to safety. Police at checkpoints need to enforce the law strictly to help prevent accidents.

He added that bus drivers should be tested before going behind the wheel in line with the government's zero-alcohol campaign. Also their driving speeds would have to be strictly controlled.

Police have stopped 476,651 vehicles at various checkpoints across the country and 82,895 traffic-law violators arrested. Up to 24,469 drivers arrested did not have a valid licence and 23,207 were detained for failing to wear a helmet.

To avoid congestion, police have added more traffic lanes in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district. Downtown Khon Kaen was also crowded with motorists. Many public buses were arriving at destinations late by several hours. For instance, the bus to Buri Ram was three to four hours late. The highway to the North was also congested, as rescue workers helped facilitate traffic flow in Ang Thong.


-- The Nation 2013-04-13

[Thai at Heart]

39 in one day is less than the daily average for the year.

Approx 20,000 / 365 = 54 per day.

Actually the average is about 70 per day according to Thailands own traffic minister.

I for one don't believe the 'official' figure of 39 at all. A friend of wifeys works in the Highway Police and just smiles that Thai smile when we talk about driving here and says well over a hundred die everyday.

Seriously, how come the news stories never make any mention of the regular daily average number of road deaths throughout the year?

Wikipedia lists Thailand at 19.6 annual road deaths per 100,000 people.

If we use their population estimate for 2011 of 66,720,153 people. That gives...

66,720,153 x 19.6 /100,000 = 13,077 per year/365 = 35.8 road deaths per day on average.

which would put the first day of Songkran only 3 over par for the course.

Try 38/100K and you are nearer.WHO figures

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626230-road-tolls-in-thailand-among-highest-in-the-world/page-5?hl=%2B26000#entry6214448

Stats per head of population are too basic anyway, last I looked, Thailand had half the vehicles of say the Uk.

It's a figure but doesn't tell the story.

[gaucho]

could happen anywhere.

A thai apologist has chimed in.

agree totally ...i wouldnt go to thailand during songkran if i had a free ticket ..total stupidity from locals and tourists ...and the roads as though they r not bad enough

[poanoi]

Its not the drunk drivers that scares me the most,

its the prospect of getting a bucket of dirty water in my eyes as i drive my bike and slip on the wet clutch

while being blinded and with loss of references

[finnomick1]

could happen anywhere.

It could but does it ? I'm not disagreeing with you but I wonder if the statistics show such an increase in deaths and accidents for the same period i.e. New Year in western countries ?

[bluegum]

Shame on The Nation for its choice of picture to accompany the above report of early Songkran Road toll figures. The headline "Road toll at 39 on first day of Songkran" followed by a picture of laughing foreigners at water play in some tourist enclave, far from the rural road carnage sites, represents a complete lack of sensitivity. Don't they know that many people only read headlines and look at pictures. Is this yet another another example of how the holiday road tolls are not taken seriously in Thailand?

[culicine]

could happen anywhere.

It could but does it ? I'm not disagreeing with you but I wonder if the statistics show such an increase in deaths and accidents for the same period i.e. New Year in western countries ?

could happen anywhere.

It could but does it ? I'm not disagreeing with you but I wonder if the statistics show such an increase in deaths and accidents for the same period i.e. New Year in western countries ?

In Australia, there was a general increase in accidents around holiday times, but nothing like you get in Thailand. There used to be shock and horror when the yearly road toll exceeded 500. We get almost that here just over Songkran!

[culicine]

could happen anywhere.

A thai apologist has chimed in.

agree totally ...i wouldnt go to thailand during songkran if i had a free ticket ..total stupidity from locals and tourists ...and the roads as though they r not bad enough

For a novice driver, Thailand can be daunting. But after 13 years here I don't have too many problems on the roads. You just expect people to run red lights, ride on the wrong side of the road, etc. Traffic in India is much worse than here:)

[youngXpat]

Main causes of accidents are drunk driving and speeding.

Whose job is it to make sure this doesn't happen?

[Payboy]

could happen anywhere. Yip, even Mars, Saturn or Uranus.....Amazing what happens up Uranus - have a nice Songkran!

Most accidents on Uranus are rear-end collisions, I heard.

Edited April 13, 2013 by Payboy

[meatboy]

Main causes of accidents are drunk driving and speeding.

Whose job is it to make sure this doesn't happen?

what about stupidity,falling asleep,being complacent the list is endless.

[youngXpat]

could happen anywhere. Yip, even Mars, Saturn or Uranus.....Amazing what happens up Uranus - have a nice Songkran!

Most accidents on Uranus are rear-end collisions, I heard.

Ooh er Mrs!

[chooka]

And we are off to a roaring start. Every year it is the same. Lack of law enforcement is the biggest problem. The police should be held accountable for their complete lack of interest in enforcing laws that are on the books.

I haven't even noticed a lone kid with a water pistol yet, seems very quite this year

[youngXpat]

Main causes of accidents are drunk driving and speeding.

Whose job is it to make sure this doesn't happen?

what about stupidity,falling asleep,being complacent the list is endless.

See what you are saying but not my point. There are, like you said, untold reasons for accidents happening.

[Sayonarax]

Death you seem busy lately.

[DocN]

...and so it begins...

SONGKRAN'S

So On Now Goes Karnage Revealing Another Non-logical Selibration

(I know Selibration is a "C" but just had to break down the work SONKRAN'S) LETS SEE WHAT OTHER WORDS "SONGKRAN'S" you can make?

Keep well and avoid un-nessary travel...Ron

Stupidity???

[Keesters]

could happen anywhere.

Everywhere has a Songkran's 'seven dangerous days' !!!!

I don't think so.........

[Rorri]

39 in one day is less than the daily average for the year.

Approx 20,000 / 365 = 54 per day.

Actually the average is about 70 per day according to Thailands own traffic minister.

I for one don't believe the 'official' figure of 39 at all. A friend of wifeys works in the Highway Police and just smiles that Thai smile when we talk about driving here and says well over a hundred die everyday.

Probably true because they do not officially count it as a death unless you die on the day of the accident if a person dies the next day it is not counted.

They also only count those that die at the scene, if they die on the way to, or at, the hospital, then it doesn't count towards the road toll. Well, that is on Phuket, am only assuming it is the same for all of Thailand.

[FarangTalk]

39 in one day is less than the daily average for the year.

Approx 20,000 / 365 = 54 per day.

Actually the average is about 70 per day according to Thailands own traffic minister.

I for one don't believe the 'official' figure of 39 at all. A friend of wifeys works in the Highway Police and just smiles that Thai smile when we talk about driving here and says well over a hundred die everyday.

Probably true because they do not officially count it as a death unless you die on the day of the accident if a person dies the next day it is not counted.

They also only count those that die at the scene, if they die on the way to, or at, the hospital, then it doesn't count towards the road toll. Well, that is on Phuket, am only assuming it is the same for all of Thailand.

That is correct. The actual road deaths are far greater than what gets reported/recorded.

Komnews reporting the death toll is up to 101 now, via Komnews SMS service.

[Signature2013]

Thai logic:

Forgot the Amulet.....no chance - Chok Mai Di.

If it's not you or somebody you know it doesn't matter and probably didn't even happen.

So much for the caring sharing Thais??

I fancy there will be a good crop this year....I can feel it in my (Songkran) water ha ha ha.