Thailand keen on reducing road fatalities

[terryp]

they could make a fantastic start by taking away the licence of all the dumb <deleted>$ks that like to drive the wrong way on ALL roads wide or not.......1 year ban for all undertaking etc etc

but its too easy ...they dont care as life is only worth 80,000baht here

[anon467367354]

with all the stuff the is going on this is news?

Since we don't know what to do, let's pull a topic out of the magic hat.

Road safety again, the Thai people like reruns of an old subject.

[Suffinator]

On a serious note, key points:

1. Introduce Drivers Ed to all schools

2. Make everyone pass a proper examinations, written test and physical driving test (without the brown envelope)

3. Increase fines for traffic violations TEN fold

4. Remove ALL roadworthy vehicles

Yes it appears impossible but it is only so if you have such a mentality. Of course such would require effort and expertise which is severely lacking in any Government office building.

[selftaopath]

Personally I believe it will take a drastic change in mental reasoning skill that I believe many lack. As an example I’d love someone who does this to reason with me how it makes any sense. To me it is totally idiotic and of course very dangerous. The example I'll refer to is: a vehicle – any type of vehicle – operated by a Thai, traveling on the left side of the road will go into the right lane to make a right hand turn and then drive into the oncoming LEFT land to complete their right handed turn. Sorry to ask but are the people who do this “maneuver” NUTS?????? Mentally deficient????? Or both? I just can’t understand it. To me it makes no sense. So when they are hit by another vehicle traveling in the proper lane I hope it’s not a foreigner driving b/c as we all know who will be found guilty.

[LuckyLew]

Until someone in power or someone important enough gets killed on the roads ... it will not happen

People with the power to do something about the road carnage just do not care enough to put words into action

Even a cop killing by some little brat did not o the trick.

Maybe if a Oak Shinawatra got chopped down then Thaksin could start a war on drunk drivers

[Felt 35]

The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie? The same procedure as every year James

[lostmebike]

On a serious note, key points:

1. Introduce Drivers Ed to all schools

2. Make everyone pass a proper examinations, written test and physical driving test (without the brown envelope)

3. Increase fines for traffic violations TEN fold

4. Remove ALL roadworthy vehicles

Yes it appears impossible but it is only so if you have such a mentality. Of course such would require effort and expertise which is severely lacking in any Government office building.

4. Remove ALL roadworthy vehicles

You sure about this?

[badmedicine]

Don't the police generally take a commission for sorting out who pays who and how much whenever there's a collision? I can't see them having any interest in reducing the number of accidents if that's the case.

[brfsa2]

I dont know it's it's just me or not, but I have noticed a huge increase of damage on the roads in Bangkok left unfixed.

I see now a days many quite big holes, I ride a motorcycle and lately I've been hitting many holes on the roads of Bangkok. some are so big and dangerous that some people have put some signs around it.

What has the government done to fix the roads? absolutely nothing lately.

A few years ago i used to see them fixing the roads, not anymore.

Well here is a good way to reduce accidents:

1. Fix the holes on the roads.

2. Improve lightening systems, many roads at just too dark.

3. Improve signalling on the roads.

most like wont happen anytime soon... it's Thailand.

[hullupullo]

There were van crash today afternoon in Bangkok, one foreigner died.

[recom273]

Im always puzzled by the BiB .. A great money spinner for them would be the red light jumpers, one guy sits at the lights with a camera and a radio, another gang set up one of their roadblocks down the road.

Every jumper is reported via the radio and the fine of say, 500B collected at the roadblock. If you argue about the fine, you sit it out on the hard shoulder to wait for Somchai to appear an hour later with the evidence.

I dont care where the money goes too after the "fine" has been issued. Considering on average, every redlight is jumped by 4 extra cars I could see a group of 4 guys generating at least 2000B everytime the lights changed, every 4 mins, thats 30,000B an hour.

People would soon learn.

[Emdog]

Thailand, always good for a laugh! "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." If by some odd chance the cops got on the road and went after moving violations (thy number is legion) and did more than just take bribes, this could cut rate in half in two months tops. Taking license away does no good as many don't have license to be taken! How about taking vehicle away? That would get people's attention. A goal seven years from now? No time like the present. And they expect us to take this blather seriously?

[Benmart]

Good luck never going to happen in 30 years

Glad someone can see into the future.

[Tropicalevo]

and these statistic are only based on those that die at the scene of the accident.

If people die on the way to the hospital, or in the hospital, or at home having succumbed to their injuries - they are not included in the numbers. Sad

[masuk]

Have to agree with almost every comment I've read here.

With a death toll exceeding WWII air crew figures each week, there is so much needs doing. Education, Enforceable laws, and above all, dedicated police who are prepare to uphold the law and not line their own pockets.

If the fines and on the spot penalties such as 48hr confiscation of bikes for those without a helmet were realistic, instead of slaps on the wrist, 100baht donations, there might be some action.

As it is, the police and lawmakers should feel totally guilty about so many young people dying on the roads due to incompetence, and poor road safety education.

Why do Thais insist on not wearing helmets after dark? It beats me. The concrete roads are no softer by moonlight.

[drdoom6996]

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 ...

Besides changing the mentality of drivers, law enforcement will actually have to do something other that stop tourists for doing nothing wrong and charging them for it. A law that goes unenforced is just a suggestion. Being "Keen" ain't gonna make it happen.

[Anon999]

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!

Bullshit! The UK didn't start from less than 4/100,000 road deaths. It took many years of getting the message across and enforcement. You have to start from whatever base you have and if you don't set the bar high enough then you'll not achieve much.

[Balance]

Three suggestions

1. Police should carry accurate blood alcohol measurement equipment and the results admissiable in court. (I am not sure that there are established levels, but if there are none, they need to be there)

2. The first conviction carries a fine of 30,000 THB or 30 days in prision. Second conviction carries a fine of 50,000 THB and 30 days in prison and loss of driving license for 3 months.

3. Third conviction, permanant loss of driving privilege.

4 Liability should be clearly established for bus and van company owners (not the corporations or companies) and a bond posted to pay damages if their driver or defective equipment or overweight vehicles are found at fault.

5. Each District should have an independent accident inspection team who will establish the cause of the accident using modern accident scene technology and techniques.

[Fullstop]

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

I guess decent driver education and licence testing plus an "adequate" police force that actually enforces the road rules (learnt in the driver education bit) ... hasn't occurred to them yet.

[cbluck58]

They have more chance of launching a successful Space Exploration Programme - however one has to admire the sentiment.

Ban motorbikes for the week of Songkran, that should do something.

[seajae]

it would help if all those buying a car/bike needed a licence to do so, would also help if drivers/riders had to learn the road rules, ie, driving on the wrong side of the road with flashing lights does not mean you have right of way being one of the most used made up personal laws. Thailand is the huib of "every driver is allowed to make up new rules as they drive" due to their lack of patience, assumed self worth and the fact they think because they have a nice car/bike everyone else must give way to them

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

The only way this will work is if half of the population emigrates.

[tom21]

On a serious note, key points:

1. Introduce Drivers Ed to all schools

2. Make everyone pass a proper examinations, written test and physical driving test (without the brown envelope)

3. Increase fines for traffic violations TEN fold

4. Remove ALL roadworthy vehicles

Yes it appears impossible but it is only so if you have such a mentality. Of course such would require effort and expertise which is severely lacking in any Government office building.

4. Remove ALL roadworthy vehicles

You sure about this?

why not ? it looks like as good an idea as some of the other suggestions I have read in this thread

[phitsanulokjohn]

Not before time either.

[Wordworx]

Geezus, man. "Thailand is targeting a 50-percent drop in road fatalities by the year 2020."

Check me on this: Seven (7) years. Seriously? This is an official declaration of a goal? Seven-<deleted>-years?

How about just pumping out some public service announcements between insipid (but popular) Thai TV shows. Get them to grasp basic rules of the road. Like maybe best not to get loaded and drive your van of tourists or a pickup truck of Thai into a tree and/or utility pole.

[squarethecircle]

I wouldn't expect anything less from the Hub of Pipe Dreams.

[mca]

What are they going to do? Hide the keys of the majority of road users? I only wish i were joking but i sat the other day and calculated that since Ive been here Ive known personally or known of at least 40 people killed in road accidents. Its tragic and the worst thing is they never seem to learn

[ChrisY1]

Patronage will over-rule all laws and regulations here in Thailand....including the RTP....they will only act on people that are unknowns.......

I travel BKK to Hua Hin very regularly.....and never seen a red plate pulled over....always village people..small traders and drivers.....motorcycles get the mandatory 100-200Thb "fine"........wont change

[sabaii69]

I wonder if the cops ever thought of checking CAR licenses.

Edited December 12, 2013 by metisdead
Font color reset to black.

[bangon04]

On a serious note, key points:

1. Introduce Drivers Ed to all schools

2. Make everyone pass a proper examinations, written test and physical driving test (without the brown envelope)

3. Increase fines for traffic violations TEN fold

4. Remove ALL roadworthy vehicles

Yes it appears impossible but it is only so if you have such a mentality. Of course such would require effort and expertise which is severely lacking in any Government office building.

4. Remove ALL roadworthy vehicles

You sure about this?

If you only want to reduce casualties by 50 per cent, then remove 50 per cent of the roadwheels from each vehicle in Thailand... this would probably do it