Cha-Am: Van driver dozes off, injuring 5 passengers

[webfact]

Van Driver Dozes Off, Injuring 5 Passengers

By Khaosod Online

CHA-AM: -- A public minivan slid off the road on Cha-Am - Pranburi Road, causing 6 injuries including the driver.

The van was running on the Bangkok - Prachuab Kiri Khan van route.

First aid was provided by rescue team to Ms. Kanchana Wongchan, 23, Ms. Pakklong Sakullim, 57, Ms. Bang-Orn Ngarmburi, and Mr. Samroung Gleebgluea, 44. Rescue workers and some civilians transported the injured to Cha-am Hospital

Mr. Anulom Detchpanyanarong, 40, the minivan driver, confessed that he fell asleep while driving, causing the car to slide off the road.

Police will further investigate the accident, and took Mr. Anulom under custody, after charging him with reckless driving.

Thailand has seen frequent accidents involving the minivans, especially the unregistered vehicles which are driven at high speed by unqualified drivers. Just last week, an illegal van crashed into the back of 18 wheeler truck in Chachoengsao Province, killing 9 victims.

Source: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNM09ESXhNemczTUE9PQ==

-- KHAOSOD English 2013-09-04

[lee b]

more coffee required. Its not only your life at risk here !!

[BKS22]

This unfortunate topic is just becoming a regular weekly occurrence. I'll be passing on taking any of these mini vans from now on Period!

[allucero]

I hire a van and driver every year and travel from Burriam to Pattaya to Hua Hin. The drivers I have have families back home also want to be safe and rest when they need to, I also rent a room for them to share with another family member. There is no driver drinking allowed if they are tired they can stop and rest or sleep. We plan our trips so that the driver leaves early in the morning so that we will arrive early afternoon (before 5 pm), then no driving until the next day. I think it helps that my Thai wife has family in the van that speaks with the driver throughout our journey ..

[Cuban]

Thailand has seen frequent accidents involving the minivans, especially the unregistered vehicles which are driven at high speed by unqualified drivers.

Nothing to do with licences, insurance or registrations - ONLY long hours driving and no sleep.

Not that hard to understand is it?

Edited September 4, 2013 by Cuban

[Confuscious]

"Mr. Anulom Detchpanyanarong, 40, the minivan driver, confessed that he fell asleep while driving, causing the car to slide off the road."

"Mr. Anulom Detchpanyanarong, 40, the minivan driver, confessed that he skipped his 30 minutes portion of Red Bull."

Police will further investigate the accident, and see how they can solution the supply of Red Bull to all the public drivers.

[hellodolly]

When I had an accident in British Columbia it was because I had fallen asleep at the wheel.

When I was in the hospital I had a RCMP officer for a room mate. He told me there was as many accidents caused by people falling asleep as there was by drunk driving.

This is not a Thai phenomena.

[sandrabbit]

I've stopped using the minibuses from Rayong to Bangkok now even though they're cheap at 200baht so I get a taxi to the airport then the skytrain into Bangkok. I use the same taxi driver all the time who is a natural defensive driver and is chilled when he gets cut up etc so I can sleep if necessary when I've arrived after an overnight flight. I once had a minibus journey from Victory Monument to Ban Phe which took about 2 hrs 10 mins on a Sunday afternoon which frightened the life out of me as you can imagine the speeds travelled at and traffic light queue jumping.

[recycler]

Since the increase of minivans in public transportation about 6 years now safety hasn't improved on the roads.

In all sectors that use drivers, public transportation, trucking, etc. drivers are forced to work as many (over)hours as they can and to deliver as much cargo or passengers in the shortest time possible causing lots of deadly accidents every week. Not to speak of shoddy or non-existent maintenance.

It would be a great life saver if they would introduce rules about the maximum driving hours for drivers of commercial vehicles of any kind.

It's easy to monitor with a tachograph, mandatory in most European countries for up to 40 to 60 years now. Adding speed limiters to the mandatory equipment would even be better.

The only problem, as always here, will be the enforcement....

[anthobkk]

Well, no surprises here. I took a Van to Pranburi from Bangkok 2 weeks ago. Our driver was driving around 130-140 km/h, it was raining and the road was crowded...My friends and I had to yell at him to slow down but he didn't and none of the Thai passengers were concerned about that.

Maybe a daily van accident will wake them up ?

[Maggusoil]

When I had an accident in British Columbia it was because I had fallen asleep at the wheel.

When I was in the hospital I had a RCMP officer for a room mate. He told me there was as many accidents caused by people falling asleep as there was by drunk driving.

This is not a Thai phenomena.

The only serious accident I nearly had, was from the same cause. It would have been an old VW beetle, head on, no engine protection with a 2 and a half meter wide tree at 65mph or 110kph and in those days. No seat belts. Gravel from the side of the road woke me up. I think that would have ended things for me, pretty much.

It is a major cause of accidents in Australia and hard working truckies being pushed by the bosses, for results.

[hellodolly]

Well, no surprises here. I took a Van to Pranburi from Bangkok 2 weeks ago. Our driver was driving around 130-140 km/h, it was raining and the road was crowded...My friends and I had to yell at him to slow down but he didn't and none of the Thai passengers were concerned about that.

Maybe a daily van accident will wake them up ?

How do you drive on a crowded road at that speed even if it isn't raining. Unless of course every one else is driving at that speed.

[PEP]

"Slid off the road?" Looks to me he ended up on the incorrect side of the road! Lucky no oncoming traffic at that time or possibly there would have been fatalities?

[monkey4u]

Another KNUCKLE HEAD bus driver bites the dust.

Too bad the police dont enforce stricter law enforcement

Sorry Im being silly, to enforce any law you have to work

[slipperylobster]

Need stats here....

Accidents (that made it to the news)

The issue is commercial transportation using the highway and breaking the law by speeding/wreckless driving, drugs and alcohol. (Vans, Taxi's, Tuk-Tuks, Songtaews, Buses)...

Number of deaths and injuries combined. Also involves attacks by drivers of these vehicles (remember..taxi) on their passengers.

I would say for the last 30 days...it has just been unbelievable.

Now add to those figures the injuries/deaths on trains and speedboats.

I would like a fair comparison to a city like Mexico, which also caters to beach and temple goers speeding around the country in local transportation.

[delgarcon]

I recently sold my share of a minivan business in France because of this problem. I often found myself dropping off on the motorway and realised that an accident was waiting to happen. I have wondered for a while now why no one has invented something that can detect drivers falling asleep and warn them in time.

[anthobkk]

Well, no surprises here. I took a Van to Pranburi from Bangkok 2 weeks ago. Our driver was driving around 130-140 km/h, it was raining and the road was crowded...My friends and I had to yell at him to slow down but he didn't and none of the Thai passengers were concerned about that.

Maybe a daily van accident will wake them up ?

How do you drive on a crowded road at that speed even if it isn't raining. Unless of course every one else is driving at that speed.

Yes most of the cars on the road where driving at that speed, and when they didn't, our driver had to jump on the breaks...I feel I will use the train now

[overherebc]

I recently sold my share of a minivan business in France because of this problem. I often found myself dropping off on the motorway and realised that an accident was waiting to happen. I have wondered for a while now why no one has invented something that can detect drivers falling asleep and warn them in time.

it was invented years ago. It's called common sense.

[richardlg]

They have. I saw this on Australia Network TV last night.

http://www.intersystems.com/casestudies/cache/optalert.html

Probably a bit over the top for Thailand but apparently is available and being used in Australia.

[snooky]

"Police will further investigate the accident, and took Mr. Anulom under custody, after charging him with reckless driving."

Good idea but apparently Ferrari drivers are exempt from this procedure!

[delgarcon]

I recently sold my share of a minivan business in France because of this problem. I often found myself dropping off on the motorway and realised that an accident was waiting to happen. I have wondered for a while now why no one has invented something that can detect drivers falling asleep and warn them in time.

it was invented years ago. It's called common sense.

Great answer, should solve everything!

[slipperylobster]

Need stats here....

Accidents (that made it to the news)

The issue is commercial transportation using the highway and breaking the law by speeding/wreckless driving, drugs and alcohol. (Vans, Taxi's, Tuk-Tuks, Songtaews, Buses)...

Number of deaths and injuries combined. Also involves attacks by drivers of these vehicles (remember..taxi) on their passengers.

I would say for the last 30 days...it has just been unbelievable.

Now add to those figures the injuries/deaths on trains and speedboats.

I would like a fair comparison to a city like Mexico, which also caters to beach and temple goers speeding around the country in local transportation.

I was mistaken....its the country of Mexico compared to Thailand....not city....I know I will be reprimanded.

[Asiantravel]

I also have to tell everybody taking a minivan in Cambodia (for example, from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville ) is even worse than Thailand! I can't believe how many extra cars and trucks are on this road now compared to just 18 months ago and is the most scary journey I have ever been on

[Cuban]

I use the VIP bus to and from Hua Hin.

Well Hua Hin to/from Cha-Am is not a long way so you are probably OK in real terms don't you think?

[Captor]

Here we go again....

[salapau]

I've said this many times before, introduce legislation for tachoghraphs to be installed on every vehicle carring paying passengers and most importantly set up a procees of regular checking with strict penalties as in the UK and Europe.

[Bagwan]

My nomination for faux pas of the year.

The issue is commercial transportation using the highway and breaking the law by speeding/wreckless driving, drugs and alcohol. (Vans, Taxi's, Tuk-Tuks, Songtaews, Buses)...

[jaiyen]

We regularly travel from Tak to Mae Sot and the drivers are always good. They are not in a hurry and actually drive too slow on straight roads, only about 80 kph. Up in the hills they are very cautious and drive carefully. They dont have a timetable to follow, just go when the van is full. There are also about 10 police road checks along the route so drugs and drink are a no no. Its always a pleasurable and sociable journey. Well worth 70 Baht.

[Cuban]

Pity you did not say this before !!!

[maximillian]

Maybe a daily van accident will wake them up ?

Don't think it would. Look how everybody here is driving. I live on Samui, hundreds of vans from Hotels and from Lomprayah.

They don't have to drive far and still all of them drive as reckless as can be. Concrete trucks overtaking in spite of oncoming traffic.

I am afraid it is in the Thai mentallity just not to care of the consequences of whatever they are doing.

Human lives don't seem to count much in this part of the world.