Thailand ranks the world’s third in highest road fatalities

[PaullyW]

Noticeably absent these past months have been the Thai apologists. Where are you guys?

[MaiChai]

Lots of people with bad karma, hence the high dead toll?

Someone had to throw in some Thai logic? Bad driving, lack of any consideration or responsibility has nothing to do with it?

[Skint]

It's real simple you dumb ass government, hire real road cops give them radar guns and write tickets for speeding! Speed is killing thousands of people every year. "Speed Kills"!!!!! Period.

It's not so much the speeding it's the ability to drive, mirror, signal and maneuver. Problems noted in "fast lane" where people don't pull over forcing undertaking, slow overtaking etc roads made of chocolate, poof chariots cutting across in front of you on highway, u-turns should be banned on highways etc etc

[Tatsujin]

What happened to the Formula 1 race that was coming to Bangkok? Did it quietly get cancelled when they realized that the risks are just too great to actually drive here?

[Tatsujin]

It's real simple you dumb ass government, hire real road cops give them radar guns and write tickets for speeding! Speed is killing thousands of people every year. "Speed Kills"!!!!! Period.

It's not so much the speeding it's the ability to drive, mirror, signal and maneuver. Problems noted in "fast lane" where people don't pull over forcing undertaking, slow overtaking etc roads made of chocolate, poof chariots cutting across in front of you on highway, u-turns should be banned on highways etc etc

It's not so much the speeding it's the ability to drive, mirror, signal and maneuver.

That's 3 things too many to do at any one time or in any reasonable order whilst balancing 4 or 5 up on a scooter and driving at 90km/h between the lanes of traffic.

[craigt3365]

What happened to the Formula 1 race that was coming to Bangkok? Did it quietly get cancelled when they realized that the risks are just too great to actually drive here?

I think it happens pretty much every day on the highways there. Last week we were passed by a convoy of cars doing well in excess of 150kph. Undertaking, overtaking, cutting off cars. It was scary.

[Mosha]

According to the World Health Organization, Thailand is ranked 2nd in the world for Mortality: Road traffic deaths.http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.A997#.UlfCQ7pZTXQ.facebook

#1 country as a pop of less than 1500. Would not take much to be in 1st

[JoeThePoster]

Eritreans and Libyans have smaller penises! Who woulda thunk?

[DeeMockMark]

I do a brisk 30-60 minute cycle ride most afternoons in an area of low traffic and I can't see much hope for the future when nearly all of the kids riding home from school are on the wrong side of the road, talking on their phones or listening to music, totally oblivious as to what is going on around them. It's pretty clear what they are going to be like when they eventually own their own motorcycle. Then there are the car drivers who on a wide road for some reason must do a right turn from the far right hand side of the road (the wrong side), straight in to any cars or bikes turning left. It's just nuts. The other day after three near misses in twenty minutes I gave up and went back home while I still could. Told the wife what happened and she said it was all my fault because I ride my bike too fast...

Totally crazy, but we love it here, don´t we?

Your wife´s comment is spot on, next time she will tell you:

"If farang not here, then no problem"

YOU as a farang told her about the perceived problems, but if there´s no farang telling her, then there´s no promblem!

Simple, it´s the famous Thai logic.

No Pom Pim.

[deecee10]

It is said that where there's a will, there's a way.

In Thailand there is no will to change, so there is no way there will be change.

Just watch the kids leaving school on their scooters and motorbikes, without a thought between them, about road safety.

[Anders W Ferslev]

this is what you get, when it s only take 1 day to get your driving licence

[laurentbkk]

As I said before , the change must come to mentality of Thai drivers who have absolutely no consideration for other drivers. its always easier to corrupt the police when they stopped you than to really pay attention in what you do. And the new generation with their speed car is not better ..in many case they are even worse , sending SMS while driving is common practice also .

[captspectre]

Give it up... There are problems on both sides of this equation. Crap drivers with no desire to change and crap police with no desire to stop extorting money.

no surprise here! no traffic enforcement, no proper training, no respect for other drivers, and the custom of running away from every accident if they are able. I see it every day! and Iay on my horn to make sure they know I am around. have an especially loud horn, and even then they don't pay attention.

[captspectre]

1.Let's start first by not allowing motorcycles to block the pedestrian crossing while waiting for traffic light.Wait,is there even a pedestrian crossing in thailand?

2.Learn thais to use turning signal while actually turning

3.Drink & drive - let drivers actually pay the penalty and consequences instead of taking that 200 baht bribe

4.12 year old on 125cc bike.Well it must be legal in thai

It's really not that hard to see motorcycle taxi people opening bottle of whiskey,especially in pattaya(although most of pattaya dark side has different laws than most of thailand).Let them pay penalty,hit them in the pocket where it hurts

In your dreams!

[Alwyn]

Years ago I asked 5 policemen on different occasions what the maximum speed limit on Thai highways is. None of them knew it. Nor did the staff of Avis know...

I got stoped for speeding on the road from Dansok going to Phuket. It's an almost straight road and dual carriage way with the other side of the dual carriage way out of sight!! Anyway, I was well and truly speeding and got pulled over. The police were brilliant, laughiung joking, telling me "save fuel" etc. I paid my 300 baht fine or whatever it was and pleaded ingnorance like you do. The policeman informed the max speed limit is 90 kph except for the one highway from BKK south to Surrathani and after Surrathani on south towards Hat Yai which is 120kph. So if he wasn't b/s ing me, now you know!!

[captspectre]

I am willing to bet that 50BN will get thrown at this project, all of which will be siphoned off in graft.

Come 2020 the roads deaths will have risen to over 30,000 a year.

prior to coming here fifteen years ago from the U.S., I used to stop off for a beer or two before going home. since I have been here, i wouldn't dare do that! it is bad enough driving sober! just have tp play bumper cars every day especially since the Gov't has seen fit to make it much easier to buy a car now. no license required to buy a car, just pay your baht and drive away!

[gp2002]

This is what happens when people pay 500 baht for their license or they don't have a license at all. Thais DO NOT know how to drive......PERIOD. As with many things in this country, they have ZERO common sense.

1. Cars, pickups and motorbikes going against traffic

2. Making U-turns in front of oncoming traffic with the EXPECTATION that the oncoming traffic will stop.

3. Pulling out from a soi without looking or even slowing down

4. Trailer trucks going into the next lane to avoid a bump in the road

5. Driving below the speed limit in the 'passing lane ' forcing cars to pass on the left

The list is endless.

When driving in Thailand remember to......EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED. If it wouldn't happen in your country, there's a 100% chance it will happen in Thailand.

[Matthew2027]

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.

Driving on the roads here for the past 6 years, has been a nightmare, although, in saying this, I have been lucky enough to have NOT had any type of incident on the roads.

The Licensing process is a total farce, and NON ENFORCEMENT of the road laws, obviously does nothing to help. Here in Jomtien, 'fresh' Pedestrian Crossing have been painted on the roads, FOR WHAT??? Most of the roads have NO LANE MARKINGS, not that most drivers would take any notice. IF and NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, the BIB were stationed at major intersections, Crossings etc. and FINE everyone, not just Farangs, for Road Offences, maybe, just maybe, some drivers/riders would start to observe the Road Rules - DREAMING. It's going to be a total overhaul of the Lic. System, Enforcement.......................Doesn't matter.

[monkey4u]

I thought India would have had more road fatalities than Thailand.

Ive driven in both countries and India scares me sh_tless

Here you just go with the flow, I gave up on road rules years ago, no signals and a complete lack of caring for fools on scooters

[villagefarang]

Many years ago I chose to stop driving in Bangkok. Where I lived it was much more convenient not to drive. I started driving again when we moved to Chiang Rai and I quite enjoy our drives to town and our road trips around the north of Thailand.

Sure there are idiots on the road, and I avoid certain holidays when there are more drunks than usual, but I don’t find driving here all that difficult.

[MaxLee]

I'm just telling you guys again, that:

- U-turns on the open highways are the killer, because U-turners use EVERY opportunity with no regards to human life to push the gear pedal into overdrive.

- many truck drivers take too many drugs and wobble on the roads swinging back and forth at night, that you're too scared to overtake them

- pick ups are overloaded and race for the pace, with no regards to human life

- Rich kids without any social dignity rush into anyone whom they do not like without regards to Human life, right after the motto "You know who my father is???"

- even buses and Song -teaw pick ups are very nasty and just change the lane, whenever they want without further warning, and without regards to human life

- finally in some areas, people drive during red lights, as if it were nothing, without regards to Human life

- and finally, most people buy cars, because public transportation is unsafe and deadly without regards to Human life

There you have it folks

[Asiantravel]

I do a brisk 30-60 minute cycle ride most afternoons in an area of low traffic and I can't see much hope for the future when nearly all of the kids riding home from school are on the wrong side of the road, talking on their phones or listening to music, totally oblivious as to what is going on around them. It's pretty clear what they are going to be like when they eventually own their own motorcycle. Then there are the car drivers who on a wide road for some reason must do a right turn from the far right hand side of the road (the wrong side), straight in to any cars or bikes turning left. It's just nuts. The other day after three near misses in twenty minutes I gave up and went back home while I still could. Told the wife what happened and she said it was all my fault because I ride my bike too fast...

As a cyclist also I'm amazed how many other cyclist don't wear helmets and don't look back before exercising any kind of manoeuvre. I am extremely defensive and yield to everything because you can never just assume these motorcyclists will adjust their speed or behaviour. Bottom line is to me the vast majority of motorcyclists certainly don't seem to have their mind on the job

Edited December 13, 2013 by Asiantravel

[Angeledge777]

99% of Thais doesn't follow the road safety code. I'm just surprised they aren't first but they are going to reach this rank shortly

[darren84310]

The statistics are already hidden very well.

World Health Organisation..... "Road fatality means any person killed immediately or dying within 30 days as a result of a road injury accident. Suicides involving the use of a road motor vehicle are excluded."

Thailand..... "police record a death only if it occurs at the scene of the crash – rather than within 30 days as is accepted practice in most other countries."

UK road deaths per 100,000 motor vehicles in 2012 was 5.1

Thailand road deaths per 100,000 motor vehicles in 2012 was 118.8

Of course it's never going to be as low as the UK because of the significant use of motorbikes compared to the UK. However it's estimated that up to 80% of the deaths in Thailand are involving motorbikes, so if you take those away you still have a figure of about 23 deaths per 100,000

What would the real figure be if they calculated the figures according to the WHO rules?

[klauskunkel]

Thailand ranks the world’s third

...so I think, finally a high ranking for Thailand

and the I read the rest

in highest road fatalities

[thailandshasse]

True !

You don,t have to be to intelligent, to se how the police, only take "same payments " instead to check why the cardriver, who accedentily get stopped and controlled without driving licence.

They DON;T WANT the stopped person come back and show the driving licence.

On the other hand us falang are hardly controlled and we MUST present i driving licence, othervise we are emiadetly arrested, and bringed to the corthouse.

I know a lot of these " driver " who hardly know, if here are left ocg right hand driving, in teh Thai traffic.

Have worked in many countries in South America, Central Americk, India, China Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, but the most terrible traffic are for sure here in Thailand.

You never know if you come back,alive, or not, after have beeen for shopping.

Don,t even try to inform about SPEED CONTROL.

The word SPEED CONTROL is not excist in Thailand.

BE AVARE WHEN CROSSING A ROAD, AS A PEDESTRIAN OCG IN THE TRAFFIC AS A DRIVER / PASSENGER.

I THANK MY LORD EVERY DAY, I STLL ARE ALIVE !

A thai living sailor .

[I knew this would happen]

You don´t need experts, only ONE THING needs to be changed: Make every penalty/fine x15, it has to hurt in the pocket. Thats the only language Thai people can and will understand. Why can someone with a 1.500.000B car get away with a fine of 200-500B for almost everything. As long as there are no real consequences for bad behavior it won´t change. Thats all that has to be done. Better driver education and many more things should be done too, but that is all complicated and will take long time. But even an uneducated driver will know that from now on passing a red light will cost him 3.000B not 300 or 100 bribe.

But how to make that work with the BIB.....

Edited December 13, 2013 by I knew this would happen

[kamahele]

I commute between BKK and Korat every week and I certainly see the truth in this report! Hardly a week goes by where I don't pass multiple accidents. Usually overloaded trucks turn over in ditches at the side of the road but all too often, motorbikes competing with cars and large trucks and buses on the busy highways and losing. Awful stuff.

[jkinbkk]

We Foreigners all seem to know very well what to expect from the driving standard in Thailand (or lack thereof).

Therefore as this seems very clear we surely have to adjust our style accordingly.

"All people may see and hear and fear and enjoy, but it's very possible that we aren't seeing and hearing and fearing and enjoying in the same way as they are" Henry Holmes: from his book 'Working with Thais'

My efforts to adjust to the conditions and therefore reduce the risk while driving in Thailand are:

1. Drive a vehicle with higher ground clearance, i.e. Pick up or SUV. This will allow you to have a better chance to observe whats going on further ahead (brake lights of 5-6 vehicles in front). If they suddenly make a strange manoeuvre you have a better chance to react in time. Saloon vehicles only allow observation of the vehicle directly in front....too little too late if they suddenly stop or swerve to avoid something

2. Expect the unexpected!

3. Don't be tempted to break the rules yourself...and it is tempting.

[Minnehaha]

I am guessing Ministry M.L. Panada Disakul traveled to the seminar in a police escorted motorcade.