Finally, mandatory seatbelts for inter-provincial buses in Thailand

[siampolee]

. this is inded a step in the right direction

I've worn seat belts since they were introduced in the U.K. around 1963, this idea concerning the Buses is fine however a bit of both driver and passenger education is needed to explain the concept of passengers personal safety. Decent drivers education , regulated hours at the wheel and mandatory rest periods of 12 hours between each driving turn.

However in my view ther is one process that would indeed save many lives,. the incorporation of ''roll bars, safety cage'' call it what you may in the coachwork of the bus, in the event of a mishap the passengers may well see the bodywork disintegrate however the troll bars would indeed minimize crush trauma injuries and subsequent deaths.

An increase in costs yes, however a decrease in death and injury is the return on such an investment. The price of a coach ticket would not be greatly increased as a result of the above mentioned idea as the working life of the average P.S.V. here is around 10-15 years.

Add the roll cage to the seat belt plan along with driver and passenger education regarding safety and we should soon see that prevention of injuries is indeed far better than the cure.

[Stradavarius37]

When I take the bus between Bangkok and Korat I always choose the only company that has seat belts on all the buses. I've never, ever seen a Thai use them.

Heck, I can't even get my own family members to use them in our car.

I was in a head on collision in 1956. Had there been seat belts I would have been spared injury. I've used them religiously ever since they became available.

You're not trying hard enough with your family members

[galoubet]

Glad to see it. It's up to people to decide if they use them.

That's all very well but the idea of seat belts is to protect everyone on the bus (or minivan, car or aircraft). And to do so everyone must wear one. You may be wearing a seat belt (and feeling rather smug and safe) but if the guy behind you isn't then, in a crash, he becomes a high speed projectile heading straight for your head with his head.

Edited October 12, 2013 by galoubet

[galoubet]

Have a look at this old safety video from the UK that demonstrates the need for everyone in a vehicle to wear a seat belt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9enJnGYJWGo

[salapau]

Again and again I say install tachographs and speed limiters as well as seat belts.

[lee b]

Its about time. Step 2 make sure the drivers are not drunk, and step 3 make them stick to the speed limit !!

[Mudcrab]

Again and again I say install tachographs and speed limiters as well as seat belts.

all good comments. But doesn't address the issues of driver fatigue.

[hellodolly]

When I take the bus between Bangkok and Korat I always choose the only company that has seat belts on all the buses. I've never, ever seen a Thai use them.

Heck, I can't even get my own family members to use them in our car.

I was in a head on collision in 1956. Had there been seat belts I would have been spared injury. I've used them religiously ever since they became available.

It is a long term thing to teach Thais to use them. Look at the mandatory use of a helmet. failure

What is needed is films and education. Some how make them provably mandatory to have seen every year for the first five years of having an issued license.

Personal expoeriance if shared often enough might do the trick. I have been in two accidents that could have resulted in death one without a seat belt when I rolled a station wagon and was thrown out and when I looked at where I would have been if strapped in there was a transmission I had in the back end. That one a seat belt would have resulted in death.

Another at 114 KPH cruise control I fell asleep and the pick up truck I was driving rolled end over end three times. I was belted in and at some point the belt broke but I was still in the vehicle and alive. Would I have lived if thrown out I don't know.

I did learn some thing that is not common knowledge out of that. I was in a room with an RCMP officer (Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer) in the hospital and he told me there was just as many accidents caused by people falling asleep as by people drinking.

I just go with the odds and wear one.

[hellodolly]

Well one would think a better plan would be mandatory driving lessons for the drivers and strict enforcement of it. Also Mandatory safety standards of each vehicle. No bald tires etc.

All this of course would be hard to enforce and over the long run more expensive so take the cheap way out; let an untrained possibly drinking driver operate the vehicle. Which it's self might have bald tires all the way around.

[Guest Gandtee]

When will this apply to the vans which career around the country and flout every traffic law in Thailand? Much the same I suppose as many private vehicles.

[oldsailor35]

Thais won't wear them

Recently on holiday in the UK, i boarded a bus from London Heathrow to Bournemouth.

Everybody was seated when the driver announced " someone has not fastened his seat belt, i cannot move the bus until everybody is buckled up" Shortly after that the driver said "Thank you, now we can proceed"

So is this technology impossible to install here in Thailand, surely passengers would soon get 'uptight' if their bus could not be moved due to a stupid passenger.

[oldsailor35]

I thought seatbelts on buses have been shown to NOT make a difference in safety. Inertia is the problem, and buses tend to gradually lose their forward momentum in an accident because of their weight. What I have seen on buses here is things like fire extinguishers put into little cylinders where they can just fly out in an accident. That is very stupid, no euphemisms deserved there, just don't do that! The other thing would be to pad the BACKS of seats, so that people are not flying into metal.

Stuff like this is more about being smart, paying attention to the research and implementing effective policies. Thais don't do any of that, and this is the result.

If their seat belt is buckled up they will not be flyin into anything....................duhhh !

[oldsailor35]

To all those fools sitting on the fence and chirping about luggage racks and so on. Can i remind you that this is about SEAT BELTS .........thank you.

[oldsailor35]

The subject is about Seat belts, so why does the mod allow all the other crap.........do we have a mod here ?

[DocN]

Another law, that will be on paper, hardly followed even less enforced and ...mai pen rai!

Another day in the Land of Delusion!

[kurnell]

Thais won't wear them

Recently on holiday in the UK, i boarded a bus from London Heathrow to Bournemouth.

Everybody was seated when the driver announced " someone has not fastened his seat belt, i cannot move the bus until everybody is buckled up" Shortly after that the driver said "Thank you, now we can proceed"

So is this technology impossible to install here in Thailand, surely passengers would soon get 'uptight' if their bus could not be moved due to a stupid passenger.

Thais claim seatbelts are uncomfortable. Personally I would find picking glass out of my face more uncomfortable

[Jody0012]

I'm currently sitting in a VIP bus going to BKK from Khanom and all I can say is I have my seatbelt fastened.

[bristolgeoff]

people don,t watch the safety video on planes,why would they watch it on a bus and wear seat belts

[hellodolly]

people don,t watch the safety video on planes,why would they watch it on a bus and wear seat belts

Just a thought but people on flights for the most part are used to them. If an instructor was doing it and made a slight error they could immediately correct it. It is all old hat to most of them news flyers will watch them.

On buses and vans it is not that old so they will be watched until like airplanes they become just a part of the vehicle nothing special.

[isawasnake]

I thought seatbelts on buses have been shown to NOT make a difference in safety. Inertia is the problem, and buses tend to gradually lose their forward momentum in an accident because of their weight. What I have seen on buses here is things like fire extinguishers put into little cylinders where they can just fly out in an accident. That is very stupid, no euphemisms deserved there, just don't do that! The other thing would be to pad the BACKS of seats, so that people are not flying into metal.

Stuff like this is more about being smart, paying attention to the research and implementing effective policies. Thais don't do any of that, and this is the result.

If their seat belt is buckled up they will not be flyin into anything....................duhhh !

This really is not a black and white issue. I don't think it matters anyway, nothing will happen either way here in Thailand. Back to the point, there has been a lot of evidence showing that seat belts just aren't cost effective, and that buses are very safe, provided the driver has a clue. I think focusing on drivers is the answer myself, especially when considering cost/effectiveness.

Here is an interesting read, perhaps apples to oranges here in Thailand, but I am sure many of the same points hold true.

http://www.nea.org/home/19085.htm

[monkey4u]

How about now improving the driving skills of these drivers. Some of them are a tad heavy footed

I like the drivers who cant decide which pedal to push.

Gas pedal flat to the floor followed by heavy braking,

The bus companies must love the repair bills from these so called drovers ( drivers )

[oops]

I rode i a bus that had belts, but the fixed the straps so you can't pull the shoulder straps down.....not just on mine but all my friends too.

This doesn't surprise me because the do the same thing in the taxi's.