16 dead in Buriram horror smash

[ozzydom]

21 people on a pick up truck?!

The mind boggles!

RIP

16 dead plus 8 survivors =24

I thought a law was passed a couple of years ago limiting the number of passengers in the back of pickups to 2 only

And it was a four door which limits cargo area.

Edited October 7, 2013 by ozzydom

[prakhonchai nick]

The bed of all pick up trucks is designated for the carriage of goods.

I believe there is a law which prohibits carrying people in the back - but this is just another law that is never enforced.

With over 1 million new vehicles coming on to roads every year, it really is time that all motoring laws started to be fully enforced.with meaningful penalties.

[aguy30]

These road accident deaths will continue until the Thai government enacts laws to prevent it, which is very unlikely.

Thailand averages about 70 deaths PER DAY in road accidents. There are already laws about driving that aren't enforced. The Thai logic seems to be "I can do what I want, no problem from police". Also, most Thai drivers have never been trained how to drive and have no idea what safe driving is. Many seem to drive cars the same careless way they learned to drive motorcycles.

Examples of existing but normally unenforced traffic laws:

driving without a license

children driving that are too young to be licensed

driving on the wrong side of the road

drink driving

driving under the influence of drugs

speeding

reckless driving

too many people on a motorcycle

overloaded vehicles

failure to yield

proper lane use and lane changing

illegal double and even triple parking

failing to stop at intersections when turning, stop signs and red lights

and just about any other traffic law you can think of

What good will it do to create new laws if nobody is going to obey or enforce them? The only time police seem to stop vehicles is at check points and highway entrances with an extended hand. The little bit of off highway enforcement is usually directed at motorcycles, while moving cars are almost never stopped for any violation. However, being a farang does seem to increase the chances of being stopped for violations, whether real or imaginary.

[robblok]

A scandalous loss of life. This is one area that the government could fix effectively overnight if they had the will. However, it's obvious they just don't care. Their inaction speaks volumes.

Just point David48 to this thread he asked how safe it was to travel in a pickup in the back.

The police does care.. for their pockets.. they stop them collect money and send them on their way.. nothing else.

[A1Str8]

16 people in a pickup truck?

In Thailand I would be surprised if it was less.

[bangon04]

These road accident deaths will continue until the Thai government enacts laws to prevent it, which is very unlikely.

They have plenty of laws already. They do not have a police force worthy of the name. In any case, it seems most of them were lao nationals, so it is not as serious as it first sounded.......

[MK1]

Note the type of pick up has not been disclosed in the news reporting.

Sure, being under the influence of drugs and alcohol may be one of the pre-conditions that may have partly contributed to causing the accident. However, what’s missing is also the fact that the pick-up was more than likely overloaded having 24 passengers in the back which is probable the main leading cause as to why the driver lost control in the first place while traveling at high speed.

This is because physics and Newton’s theory of relativity determines whether people live or die as a consequence of overloading.

Edited October 7, 2013 by MK1

[slapout]

Pick up with 16 to 20 setting on 4 boards across the back is common here in CM.

A new law limiting the number of passengers to 3 or 4??? was proposed amid a outcry from construction firms a few years back, never heard anymore as to its passage, if so, it was just ignored and do as they please.

It seems a vehicle does have a weight limit by law, but again ignored by both the driver and the police. Guess the police figure they would never round up all the people to get a accurate weight.

[onionluke]

I took a pick up from a village south of Ubon down to BK . The truck left at 1700 just before nightfall . There were two other guys in the back and 3 in the front with the driver , the truck had a cage and roof . There was some luggage and sacks of stuff in the back too .

As we were pulled over at the police road blocks the driver would open his window just enough to pass the policeman a twenty bhat note . This was the case all night long . I don't see how the driver made any money on that trip .

[maddas]

speed keeps you awake, cannot get drunk, or very low quality product, likely another cause imho

[winstonc]

This is a serious question: what does an Insurance policy say about carrying that number of passengers? I ask because I frequently see baht buses crammed to the rafters with school children coming/going to & from school; or jam-packed with Russian tourists? Is there a limit that a driver should adhere to?

yes the limit is when hes made enough and more......but seriously,there are always laws,just that the bone idle bib just dont care,,,,,sad but true...

[andreandre]

This is quite common in undeveloped country like Thailand !!!

Sorry I don't think its common AT ALL!

It might not be unusual but it certainly is not common.

Sorry kiwi,disagree totaly... maybe you just haven't seen it..it is indeed very very common and not just in the up-country areas...Patong at 5-6 PM is near a convoy or pick ups, and trucks jam packed with workers going home after work every day of the week.

EDIT...though not in Thailand it does show the effect of crashing a pickup truck with a human cargo......

Edited October 7, 2013 by andreandre

[NanLaew]

This is a serious question: what does an Insurance policy say about carrying that number of passengers? I ask because I frequently see baht buses crammed to the rafters with school children coming/going to & from school; or jam-packed with Russian tourists? Is there a limit that a driver should adhere to?

What insurance policy?

[Banzai99]

24 people, mostly from Laos, with pickup traveling from Bangkok to Ubon, according to agencies. Traveled 310km without being stopped by any police check. No wonder we have the 3rd highest road-death toll in the world. Insane.

Must be a bummer to be poor eh ?

[slipperylobster]

It just irks the hell out of me that I get stopped for minor violations, while pickup trucks with their beds full of people fly by at high speed, unchallenged. No seatbelts, driver asleep, on cellphone, and sometimes drunk . <deleted> Pity for the foolish passengers...and angry at traffic enforcement for not stopping these obvious death traps.

[monty1412]

Firstly RIP to those who needlessly lost their lives....

I cant help reflect on this and ask what the focus of the BIB actually is... there were about 10 BIB this morning on Rama IV near sukhumvit stopping motorbikes/ scooters who were up on the pavement... surely police could be better deployed and make more a of a difference if they actually went out a looked for dangerous/ unsafe vehicles... I know this has no relevance to this post although one could add that the common practice of loading many people into a truck is very dangerous but just seems to me that the BIB actually dont care a toss about reducing the horrific road toll.. just this morning driving back from Hua Hin a saw a ute packed with steel tubes lose its load on the highway.. if I had of been right behind then I would have been with these poor folks...

Condolences to the families and loved ones of these poor folks....

[Banzai99]

Firstly RIP to those who needlessly lost their lives....

I cant help reflect on this and ask what the focus of the BIB actually is... there were about 10 BIB this morning on Rama IV near sukhumvit stopping motorbikes/ scooters who were up on the pavement... surely police could be better deployed .

If you were walking on the pavement, you would wonder why the 10 BIB were NOT focusing on the motorcycles/ scooters who were up on the pavement, no ?

[monty1412]

Firstly RIP to those who needlessly lost their lives....

I cant help reflect on this and ask what the focus of the BIB actually is... there were about 10 BIB this morning on Rama IV near sukhumvit stopping motorbikes/ scooters who were up on the pavement... surely police could be better deployed .

If you were walking on the pavement, you would wonder why the 10 BIB were NOT focusing on the motorcycles/ scooters who were up on the pavement, no ?

So you are advocating that its a good use of BIB resources to have 10 of them givivng 200B tickets to scooters who go on the pavement rather than doimg something that actually matters... heck the police on scooters use the pavement there themselves.. seen it many times...

And by the way to answer your question the answer is no. Ive been here long enough that scooters on the pavement doesnt worry me and in the face of terrible tradegies like this Buriram incident my point is why are not the BIB doing more about curbing serious road dangers rather than tea money generation..... think Ive just answered my oown questions ha

[unanimosity]

I think the problem here is the tolerant mindset that they are doing the best they can. If they need to put 20 people in one pickup truck then

so be it, it's the best they can do. Why they tolerate this and not other things is just bizarre.

It is pretty simple really. The hiso's attitude sees no reason to change things because they and their loved ones don't ride pickups and buses, even though their companies often own them for hauling employees like cattle. One suspects that such folk at a time like this would be greatly saddened at the thought that they might have to spend money for 21 fruit baskets to give to the families.

[drdoom6996]

These road accident deaths will continue until the Thai government enacts laws to prevent it, which is very unlikely.

The laws exist, for whatever reason they are very rarely enforced.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

And laws that are not enforced are just suggestions to this bunch as the police are the worst. And the politician are......................................!

[maximillian]

I am not sure if these incidents are common but it does appear to me that a disproportionate number of fatalities involving pick-up truck accidents involve migrant workers. However, the ultimate culprit is yaba and alcohol. Such a tragic incident.

>>>However, the ultimate culprit is yaba and alcohol...<<<

Disagree.

The reason is the total lack of responsibility in this lovely country.

The driver's fault, police fault, passengers fault, employers fault, governments fault.

It will happen again and again. Only education and harsh penalties might help.

If they cannot do themselves, they can ask Singaporians for help.

But who cares in this careless society ?

[goloeilmanz]

Common or not, it will happen again as long as its acceptable to transport those amounts of passengers on a pickup truck.

Usually there are only two seats for a reason...

[pgrahmm]

Just the weight and possible shifting with a top heavy load moving is enough to impair the vehicles ability to track correctly. About any over/under steer would invite tragic results......

RIP - many families affected undoubtably......

[onionluke]

I would question also if the large subsidence at the side of the road, shown in Klubex's photo , had anything to do with the car going down the embankment ?

[Patronus]

This is quite common in undeveloped country like Thailand !!!

Sorry I don't think its common AT ALL!

It might not be unusual but it certainly is not common.

Suggest you visit Issan, especially Ubon during morning rush hour. This is very common here.

As common and as predictable as the sun will rise tomorrow.

...or that it will p!ss down in Kap Choeng

This is still a bad one even for Isaan. RIP the deceased.

[Mudcrab]

24 people, mostly from Laos, with pickup traveling from Bangkok to Ubon, according to agencies. Traveled 310km without being stopped by any police check. No wonder we have the 3rd highest road-death toll in the world. Insane.

why would you stop anyone for driving 300km?

[Mudcrab]

RIP..In Thai with photos.

http://www.krobkruakao.com/%E0%B8%82%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A7/81238/%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%A2%E0%B9%8C-%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%8B%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%95%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A2-18-%E0%B8%A8%E0%B8%9E.html

RIP...With photos..........so genuine

[Mudcrab]

Yep, pickups + passengers + accidents = death.

This needs to be outlawed. Very sad.

It is against the law. same as you must wear helmet on a motorbike

[snorrie]

@ lee b

21 in a car truck,and im pretty sure there were even more, but who could runned away,most of the workers in that country side are illigal

[shaurene]

God, that is so Sad, God bless them. Young piss head again.