Booze Ban Urged To Cut Holiday Toll

[webfact]

Booze ban urged to cut holiday toll
WANNAPA KHAOPA,
TANATPONG KONGSAI,
THE NATION


PEOPLE continue to arrive at Hua Lamphong Railway Station in Bangkok yesterday, which for most people was the first day back at work after Songkran.

BANGKOK: -- Authorities must ban sales of alcohol during long holidays to reduce fatalities and accidents, the head of an anti-alcohol network said yesterday as 285 deaths were reported over six of the seven dangerous days of the Songkran holiday.

Songkran Pakchokdee, director of the Anti-Alcohol Organisations Network, said the severity of accidents during long holidays, like Songkran and New Year, had been a constant story over the years. Drunk driving had been a major factor in these casualties during such celebration periods, especially among youngsters riding motorcycles.

The Road Safety Centre reported 285 deaths and 2,783 injuries in 2,581 road accidents from Thursday to Tuesday. Thursday alone saw 30 deaths, 344 injuries and 291 accidents.

The same period last year reported 282 deaths, 3,059 injuries and 2,872 road accidents.

Pol Lt-General Ruengsak Jarit-ek, assistant commissioner-general, said drunk driving, speeding and reckless driving remained the major cause of accidents, with most deaths and injuries among residents of local neighbourhoods.

Songkran said prohibition |of alcohol sales during the long holiday would prevent intoxicated locals from riding motorcycles or leaving home to buy alcoholic beverages.

"We would not prohibit them from drinking. They could buy alcoholic beverages and store them at home before the holiday. We just want people to drink and stay at home after getting drunk.

"We found fewer accidents in areas with alcohol sale controls in 66 provinces," he said, adding that a survey team found 700-800 vendors selling alcohol on Silom Road, a venue famous for Songkran water celebrations.

"More than 10,000 people are killed in road accidents every year, and 40-50 per cent of them are caused by drunk driving," said Songkran.

"The long celebration periods are seen as high season among big booze companies. They usually offer special promotions and hold attractive events to reach out to more customers," he added.

Thus, his network would continue to propose relevant ministers issue a ban on alcohol sales during the periods.

"The ban will help bring down the number of accidents and losses. Authorities must seriously enforce existing relevant laws as well control the companies and other violators," Songkran added.


-- The Nation 2013-04-18

[meatboy]

where do these policy makers get their brains from 7-11.blame the drink,why not ban all vehicles for the duration,oh i got my brains from tesco.

[Mosha]

Why not keep holidays like Songkran to 3 or 4 days?

[Cloggie]

Ban holidays....

[retell]

simple as it has been said so many times before , police should do their job all year round , heavier fines lose driving licence impound the vehicle ( as it is a tool for murder when driven drunk)

but hey maybe in 200 years they get the idea how to run a country

[Redhawk]

Uneducated people being taught to have no responsebility ruled by people who think they are educated but having no responsebility will always leads to stupid decisions like alcohol bans and so on and in the effect nothing is going to change!

[David48]

Bugger banning the drink ...

Ban the crazy drivers I say ...

[eddie61]

I think there is a Darwinian logic in not banning booze. If motorcyclists get drunk and kill themselves, at least it prevents them from passing on their genes.The problem is drunken car drivers killing motorcyclists, but it would not be impossible to be far more serious about car drivers. Breathalise everybody, and forget about drunken motorcyclists

[DocN]

Ban this, crackdown on that...

What about just following and enforcing existing laws?

I am not good at reading Thai, but I can hardly imagine, that it says in any written law:

"If you approach a red traffic light..maybe you feel like stopping...or not...well...mai pen rai!"

or "Drink and drive or take a taxi...arai godai!"

[asiasurfer]

Quote:

The Road Safety Centre reported 285 deaths and 2,783 injuries in 2,581 road accidents from Thursday to Tuesday. Thursday alone saw 30 deaths, 344 injuries and 291 accidents.

The same period last year reported 282 deaths, 3,059 injuries and 2,872 road accidents.

Let me see if I get the maths right, but according to these figures this year's booze ban didn't work, correct?? So why does anyone assume that it will work next year???

People find their booze anyway if they really want to...

[jbrain]

How about coming off their lazy arse and enforce traffic laws 365 days a year ?

[retell]

Quote:

The Road Safety Centre reported 285 deaths and 2,783 injuries in 2,581 road accidents from Thursday to Tuesday. Thursday alone saw 30 deaths, 344 injuries and 291 accidents.

The same period last year reported 282 deaths, 3,059 injuries and 2,872 road accidents.

Let me see if I get the maths right, but according to these figures this year's booze ban didn't work, correct?? So why does anyone assume that it will work next year???

People find their booze anyway if they really want to...

i think the numbers are pretty right keep also in mind a whooping cars on the roads from their first car scheme can imagine how that is 20 year old guy pick up full with family new car proud as hell drunk as shit

[Payboy]

a survey team found 700-800 vendors selling alcohol on Silom Road

Then the tea-money team moved in?

[prakhonchai nick]

There must be 365 day a year Police enforcement, and fines for all motoring offences should start at 5000bt. That might make a few people think. And nothing to fear if you don't break the law.

[nahkbin]

I made a trip yesterday from PathumThani to just north of Saraburi. Even north bound traffic was heavy.

The thing that I found very obvious was the LACK of police. I did NOT see any checkpoints, police vehicles or police on my entire trip. Where was all of the law enforcement?

[Patanawet]

The article stated >>>>adding that a survey team found 700-800 vendors selling alcohol on Silom Road, a venue famous for Songkran water celebrations.>>>>>

TOSH!

I was in the Silom area of Patpong/ Soi 4 along to to the Skytrain on Saturday.

The area was so dangerously crowded that I cannot imagine how a "survey team" could have shuffled far enough to find 700-800 vendors selling anything legally or illegally.

I didn't see any vendors on the street selling alcohol. The only alcohol being sold was from normally licensed venues.

[pattayadingo]

Stuff a ban.

Get the police to do their work properly every day of the year on drink drivers.

The government should start educating people on the perils of drink driving.

And most of those deaths and injuries were to m/c riders with no helmets. No helmet, hit them damn hard with a big fine.

Oh and get a new spokesperson who has a few brain cells.

[khunken]

These power mad idiots always love to use the ban method instead of actually analysing the problem before wagging their tongue.

Bans don't work in Thailand. Look at the 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm 'ban'. Widely ignored because the police can't or won't enforce it. Of course just ignore the bad driving habits of far too many on the roads. Kids riding motorbikes often on the wrong side of the road. Helmets, licences, insurance - forget it.

Alcohol on its own is only part of the problem but taken with local driving habits it becomes lethal.

Laws with teeth & actually enforced sans tea money might work. But that would take legislators to tackle a problem without a large budget & a police force to actually do their job fairly. Not in my lifetime unfortunately.

[bangon04]

Stuff a ban.

Get the police to do their work properly every day of the year on drink drivers.

The government should start educating people on the perils of drink driving.

And most of those deaths and injuries were to m/c riders with no helmets. No helmet, hit them damn hard with a big fine.

Oh and get a new spokesperson who has a few brain cells.

Let's not get ambitious. If the Police could be made to enforce just one law seriously let it be the drink-driving law. Don't confuse them with any other duties until they have mastered the one.

If it means letting the motorbike riders continue splattering their own brains on the road surface, then as someone has already pointed out - that is Darwinism at work.

[Thai at Heart]

These power mad idiots always love to use the ban method instead of actually analysing the problem before wagging their tongue.

Bans don't work in Thailand. Look at the 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm 'ban'. Widely ignored because the police can't or won't enforce it. Of course just ignore the bad driving habits of far too many on the roads. Kids riding motorbikes often on the wrong side of the road. Helmets, licences, insurance - forget it.

Alcohol on its own is only part of the problem but taken with local driving habits it becomes lethal.

Laws with teeth & actually enforced sans tea money might work. But that would take legislators to tackle a problem without a large budget & a police force to actually do their job fairly. Not in my lifetime unfortunately.

Bans only work to generate tea money and inhibit corporate sellers.

No one else cares.

[DocN]

The article stated >>>>adding that a survey team found 700-800 vendors selling alcohol on Silom Road, a venue famous for Songkran water celebrations.>>>>>

TOSH!

I was in the Silom area of Patpong/ Soi 4 along to to the Skytrain on Saturday.

The area was so dangerously crowded that I cannot imagine how a "survey team" could have shuffled far enough to find 700-800 vendors selling anything legally or illegally.

I didn't see any vendors on the street selling alcohol. The only alcohol being sold was from normally licensed venues.

Sorry, but you must be blind!

I have been there and had absolutely no difficulty finding many!

...and the BiB on their motoycy went by all of them!

[Searat7]

My solution would be to put anyone convicted of Drunk Driving during Songkran in jail for a year. This might make people think twice about drinking and driving the following year.

[retell]

There must be 365 day a year Police enforcement, and fines for all motoring offences should start at 5000bt. That might make a few people think. And nothing to fear if you don't break the law.

serious hard that is ,, my opinion if get caught driving without a helmet (anyone on the bike not only the driver) your not gonna be driving another meter untill the fine is paid and you got a helmet on your head , and if it takes a few days to get the money gotta pay for storage of motorbike also

[drdoom6996]

Put the booze away the way you did the cigarettes.

[thaigold]

Get a handle on this folks. My country, the USA has laws controlling just about everything. A century ago American do gooders banned booze; and we got the mafia. We banned cocaine; and got Columbian drug lords. We banned Ganja; and got the Mexican drug cartels.

No, banning booze is a fool's errand. The US is the world's biggest jailer ... and guess what? It's getting worse every day.

Edited April 18, 2013 by thaigold

[EyesWideOpen]

Get a handle on this folks. My country, the USA has laws controlling just about everything. A century ago American do gooders banned booze; and we got the mafia. We banned cocaine; and got Columbian drug lords. We banned Ganja; and got the Mexican drug cartels.

No, banning booze is a fool's errand. The US is the world's biggest jailer ... and guess what? It's getting worse every day.

Thailand jails a higher percent of the population than America does.

But back to topic. So to do the math, for the same time period, 285 died with the " booze ban" in place, and the year before with no " booze ban" , 282 died. So the magnificent stroke of genius of a "booze ban" has caused the death of three more people this year. So I think this idea can be thrown in the scrap bin.. Hopefully they can come up with a better idea next year.

Edited April 18, 2013 by EyesWideOpen

[Dr Wanchai]

simple as it has been said so many times before , police should do their job all year round , heavier fines lose driving licence impound the vehicle ( as it is a tool for murder when driven drunk)

but hey maybe in 200 years they get the idea how to run a country

One of the many " farangs know all " posts !

[ginjag]

Read this again folks, MOST deaths and injuries occurred locally-and local residents.

Discounting most highways, and major roads. THEY NEAR ALL died near where they lived.

Local knowledge of residents is the bibs job, all local police will know of the families, and should have a good Idea what families would be prone to drink drugs-no licence-or insurance-under age riders.

If the local bib do not know then it proves that they not really care.

My idea on the matter to stop most of this is to give EVERY village a police house.

the control would be immediate. OR should be. every house that not abides--would have a knock on the door --"can I have a word madam"

[culicine]

Don't expect any sense whatsoever from a government that continues that ridiculous 'can't buy alcohol during the day' rule. The only time most appropriate for me to go shopping is the time I can't get booze! I'd like to say, 'stop treating us like children', but for a large portion of the population, it's sadly true...they behave as children.

[DocN]

simple as it has been said so many times before , police should do their job all year round , heavier fines lose driving licence impound the vehicle ( as it is a tool for murder when driven drunk)

but hey maybe in 200 years they get the idea how to run a country

One of the many " farangs know all " posts !

And what...oh, pray tell,, dear Doctor, is "knowitall" about that?Maybe you see any flaw in that thinking, that I can just not make out!

Or are you just another "knowitallbetter"- troll?