Thailand keen on reducing road fatalities

[webfact]

Thailand keen on reducing road fatalities

BANGKOK, 12 December 2013 (NNT) – Thailand is determined to cut road fatalities down by 50 percent by the year 2020, making road safety a national agenda.

Presiding over the opening of an international conference held in BITEC, Deputy Permanent-Secretary of Interior Ministry M.L. Panadda Diskul said Thailand, as a member of the United Nations (UN), needed to push harder in promoting road safety in a bid to lower the number of casualties caused by road accidents.

Thailand is targeting a 50 percent drop in road fatalities by the year 2020. As the cabinet has approved the idea of making 2011-2020 a decade of road safety, the country is set to promote road safety as a national agenda to raise awareness of the issue. The prime objective is to cut the nation's mortality rate to under 10 people for every 100,000 population, The Deputy Permanent-Secretary said.

Measures to tackle road accidents include requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets while riding and discouraging all motorists from speeding and driving when under the influence, according to the Road Safety Directing Center.


-- NNT 2013-12-12

[laurentbkk]

Good luck ..... you need more than words for that ..a complete change in mentality of the Thais will be needed if you want to succeed ...

[DocN]

Wow...I am happy we return back to normality, from the protests!

Back to totally bogus and unachievable goals, by some ministers that have their head up...oh mai pen rai...welcome back!

[NeverSure]

The Deputy Permanent-Secretary of Interior Ministry forgot to mention "while increasing the number of quality tourists to 40 million."

[sjjmmi]

Good luck never going to happen in 30 years

[bigbamboo]

I would like to offer the government my whole hearted support here. I'm keen on seeing the number of road fatalities go down too.

Then again, apart from the coffin makers, who isn't?

[TommyUK1960]

With approximately 1.5 million new cars and trucks coming on the road each year with the same amount of people that have no driving skills and have no intention of improving their driving., Not to mention all the under age kids driving motorbikes. Thailand is not going to be a safe place on the road any time soon.

Then you have to contend with the Kamikaze mini bus drivers.

When I see driver improvement centres opening up over Thailand then I would say they are serious about safety on the roads plus getting the kids off motorbikes.

[clockman]

Just talk, never serious about anything inportant!

[fakename]

So, does that mean the traffic laws will be enforced? Maybe the statistics will just be hidden a bit better.

[livingthedream]

Thailand keen on reducing road fatalities

Measures to tackle road accidents include requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets while riding and discouraging all motorists from speeding and driving when under the influence, according to the Road Safety Directing Center.

-- NNT 2013-12-12

Great idea !! Implement it straight

away

[nong38]

With approximately 1.5 million new cars and trucks coming on the road each year with the same amount of people that have no driving skills and have no intention of improving their driving., Not to mention all the under age kids driving motorbikes. Thailand is not going to be a safe place on the road any time soon.

Then you have to contend with the Kamikaze mini bus drivers.

When I see driver improvement centres opening up over Thailand then I would say they are serious about safety on the roads plus getting the kids off motorbikes.

It might also be useful of the Police did what they are paid for and unhold the law, pull over poor drivers and explain safety issues to drivers who have no consideration for other drivers.

[mijan24]

The above posts cover the story but a friend in the know (he has butted his head with the BiB) said the BiB are reluctent to lose this major source of income so nothing will happen it will be like all the other ideas - posted in limbo. Which is very very sad because if the BiB pulled their fingers out they could be a real source in reducing the carnage along with eliminating the extremely bad driving habits.

I know but I also believe in Santa..

Edited December 12, 2013 by metisdead
Bold font removed. If you continue to post using bold font, your posts will simply disappear.

[mijan24]

So, does that mean the traffic laws will be enforced? Maybe the statistics will just be hidden a bit better.

With approximately 1.5 million new cars and trucks coming on the road each year with the same amount of people that have no driving skills and have no intention of improving their driving., Not to mention all the under age kids driving motorbikes. Thailand is not going to be a safe place on the road any time soon.

Then you have to contend with the Kamikaze mini bus drivers.

When I see driver improvement centres opening up over Thailand then I would say they are serious about safety on the roads plus getting the kids off motorbikes.

It might also be useful of the Police did what they are paid for and unhold the law, pull over poor drivers and explain safety issues to drivers who have no consideration for other drivers.

++1

[Briggsy]

The above posts cover the story but a friend in the know (he has butted his head with the BiB) said the BiB are reluctent to lose this major source of income so nothing will happen it will be like all the other ideas - posted in limbo. Which is very very sad because if the BiB pulled their fingers out they could be a real source in reducing the carnage along with eliminating the extremely bad driving habits.

I know but I also believe in Santa..

The two are not mutually exclusive.

But you are right, nothing meaningful will happen.

[amrishtony]

"Thailand keen on reducing road fatalities"

Been hearing this from many years now

[clifric]

Mijan 24 - you are right as it stands; what is required is for the Chief of Police to tell all his District

Chiefs they have 6 months to achieve a motor cycle helmet law compliance or they get sacked - not transferred

to an 'inactive post' (aka no graft position) with no pension. That would get them moving.

Impound all the vehicles with no number plates (i.e. no road tax or insurance)

For a start at least

[bigdod]

Never happen

[harleyd61]

Is it the time of the year already ???

[Alwyn]

With approximately 1.5 million new cars and trucks coming on the road each year with the same amount of people that have no driving skills and have no intention of improving their driving., Not to mention all the under age kids driving motorbikes. Thailand is not going to be a safe place on the road any time soon.

Then you have to contend with the Kamikaze mini bus drivers.

When I see driver improvement centres opening up over Thailand then I would say they are serious about safety on the roads plus getting the kids off motorbikes.

Totally agree!! If I had a say in the prioritising off this, kids off motorbikes would be first. Protect the young at all costs and stop all this karma nonsense (if it's time for them to die, it's time; Karma.)

[paulklee]

Parallel Universe - Thailand is determined to increase the numbers who actually sit and pass an effective driving test by at least 50 percent by the year 2020, making road safety a national agenda.

Edited December 12, 2013 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[FiestyFarang]

In Phuket, you never see a speed sign, Police do not have any alcohol breathalysers but then this is a holiday place for fun yippee I love it, so you take your chances and have a good time. If you want some where with less traffic accidents you go to a G7 country. Love live fun Phuket.

Edited December 12, 2013 by FiestyFarang

[biggles45]

It was at an International conference, and given Thailands disgraceful ranking in world road statistics he had to say something.

Fortunately for him, not too many of the attendees would have realised just what a lot BS it was and why nothing will change.

[Gonsalviz]

Real laws, not just some made up 'want to's". Real road markings and real enforcement.

The people that teach driving cannot drive nor those that enforce the laws. That may be a beginning.

[hanuman2543]

Is it already time for the usual "New Year's Holiday traffic safety has to improve" blabla?

[connda]

More ineffective road blocks. Until they put patrol cars on the roads and enforce moving violations with hefty fines, nothing will change. I'm not holding my breathe.

However......I'm sure Chalerm could personally do this in 30 days.

[webfact]

Thailand ranks the world’s third in highest road fatalities



BANGKOK: -- Thailand now ranks third in the list of countries having highest road traffic deaths worldwide with 38.1 road fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants per year in 2010.

Deputy permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry M.L. Panada Disakul revealed the high traffic-related rate of the country at the seminar of the 11th Road Safety Seminar today.

He said that the Thai government had announced a 10-year national policy on road safety from 2011-2020 in its attempt to reduce road accidents and loss to the least during the period.

However, he said, though the policy had been announced and measures had been implemented to reduce traffic-related accidents, road fatalities in the country remained high with a total of 26,000 road fatalities in 2010.

World Health Organization released a list of countries by traffic-related death rate conducted in 2010 showing Thailand become the world’s third country with highest fatalities of 38.1 per capita per year and per vehicle-km.

The highest rate in road fatalities is Eritrea at 48.4, and Libya 40.5.

M.L. Panada said road fatalities remained high despite of the road safety campaign because enforcement of road safety laws on risk factors such as wearing crash helmets, drunk driving, speeding was not tough enough.

According to Australian road safety expert, the best way to reduce road fatalities and loss should be done through encouraging the people to be aware of traffic rules, stringent enforcement of traffic laws.

He added that the coming New Year would see authorities enforcing stricter traffic laws on violators in the attempt to reduce road facilities, particularly wearing crash helmets while riding motorcycles, drunk driving and speeding.

According to WHO, road traffic injuries caused an estimated 1.24 million deaths worldwide in the year 2010, down from 1.26 in 2000. Half of the road traffic deaths are among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, and adults aged between 15 and 44 years account for 59% of deaths. 3 out of 4 road deaths are among men. The average rate was 18% per 100,000 people (down from 20.8 in 2000). 92% occurred in low and middle income countries, with Southeast Asia and Africa having the highest rates.

Thailand has the rate of 38.1 road fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants per year, and 118.8 road fatalities per 100,000 motor vehicles.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailand-ranks-worlds-third-highest-road-fatalities/


-- Thai PBS 2013-12-12

[Katipo]

A 50% drop by 2020 is possible for two reasons. 1) it's actually a reasonable amount of time 2) Thai drivers are so unsafe that any positive changes are likely to have a dramatic impact.

Ongoing media campaigns and strict enforcement of current laws (yes, they already exist) are the keys to the success of this program. That's right, I am looking at you, man in tight brown!

[lostmebike]

Same old sh*t, different day

Nothing changes or ever will

Edited December 12, 2013 by lostmebike

[julemanden]

They should start by fixing their roads, pot holes everywhere, so you have to drive zig zag all the time, some of them 50 cm deep or more!

Edited December 12, 2013 by julemanden

[lostmebike]

He said that the Thai government had announced a 10-year national policy on road safety from 2011-2020

Is anyone aware of the details of this 'policy'? Would love to know what their plan of action entails ... that's if there really is a plan of cause.