Network worried about more accidents in the New Year period

[Lite Beer]

Network worried about more accidents in the New Year period
Thanapat Kitjakosol
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Accident Prevention Network has revealed that the number of road accidents during the New Year 2013 holidays had shown an increase, with about two-thirds of victims dying at the scene and 82 per cent of accidents involved motorcycles.

The network also offered a grim prediction that the upcoming holidays could see more severe road accidents because the government mechanism still lacked an effective preventive plan, while the number of cars had risen and many drivers still had bad driving habits like drunk driving.

The network urged all provinces and local bodies who directly handle road accidents and are effective due to their familiarity with local roads and drunk residents, to set the goal of lowering the number of accidents and implement measures accordingly in this upcoming New Year period. The network also urged cargo trucks to suspend their running during the period to reduce accidents and traffic volumes.

Under the theme titled "Pimai Sanjorn Plodpai, Ruamjai Lod Ubathet" (Together reducing accidents for safe travel in the New Year), the Road Safety Centre with related agencies and alliances had campaigned to reduce accidents by employing stricter measures, particularly from the midnight of December 27 until the midnight of January 2.

Risk-factor analysis

The network, under the sponsorship of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, was also the centre's committee member and recently handed out road safety leaflets to members of various media fields for news presentations that focused on risk-factor analysis, reports of accident-prone spots, and tips for safe journey to the holiday-makers.

Urging all to learn from the previous New Year, the network director Phrommin Kantiya said road accidents during the New Year 2013 holidays had increased by 2.6 per cent, from the previous period's 3,093 cases to 3,176. About 68 per cent of victims had died at the scene.

He said 39 per cent of accidents resulted from drunk driving while 23 per cent were from speeding and the time from 4pm to 8pm saw the most accidents.

More than half (55 per cent) of the casualties were people in the working-age group and January 1, 2013 saw the most number of deaths at 78. He conjectured that many were possibly still tired from the previous day's party, and rushed back to Bangkok to make it to work the next day hence they dozed off behind the wheel. He urged all sides to deal with accident-prone spots as many roads were still under construction or repairs while several roads suffered from poor visibility due to winter fog. He urged motorists to drive with caution and refrain from reckless driving.

The upcoming holidays would see some 1,000 checkpoints for traffic-law violators and another 2,000 checkpoints to accommodate travellers, which used a budget of Bt1 billion in total, while the network's road safety campaign spent Bt5 million, according to Phrommin

-- The Nation 2013-12-22

[NongKhaiKid]

Another campaign with an extravagantly titled banner which sounds good but ... !

There may 1,000 traffic checkpoints but we know what that can mean. No doubt many offenders will be dealt with properly but it's the other BIB practices that are the worry especially when some drunk drivers pay an ' on the spot ' fine of the unofficial variety and are allowed to drive on.

Anyway din't the Transport Minister recently say something about aiming for zero holiday deaths ?

[tominbkk]

Many motorcyclists in Thailand ride without care at all. It's like a video arcade game when I am in my car, trying to watch out for the bike that can pop out in front of you, besides you, or from all directions at any time. Then, get them drunk during the holiday season and triple the challenge!

[ChrisY1]

Unfortunately, the administration just do not understand....any of them.....either that or they try to protect the ineptness of the police.

Someone needs to take the RPT by the neck and tell 'em to do their job!...Useless bunch of bludging dolts!

The sad thing is that many people are dying due to their lack of caring.

[upena]

Another year, another campaign, another bunch of lies on how many road deaths during New Year, another Fail for the Thai Government.

[mijan24]

Simple question - Why wait until the 27th - why not up the ante now?

[trainman34014]

If the checkpoints are like the ones around my way they will be too busy playing cards and drinking beer to 'check' anything....other than beer stocks.

[wprime]

Wow, 82% of accidents involve motorcyclists and they're all innocent - must be really unlucky.

[FangFerang]

There are no accidents during the New Year period, there never were, and there never have been any of these alleged 'accidents.' The red bull heir was not even in Thailand when her 'alleged' accident occurred. The evil red shirts staged these 'alleged' accidents. The evil yellow shirts blamed these alleged 'accidents' on the reds. Evil seems to be the norm lately.

There are no deaths in Thailand due to negligence and bad driving. Please make a note of it, and buy train passes for everyone you love, knowing that safety and human lives are highly valued here in Thailand.

Please make a note of it.

[rumbo1]

I think that while enforcement of the law is important it is more important to make them be ashamed of drink driving and for friends to report them as now happens in a lot of western countries.

[EricBerg]

Dangerous driving is in the Thai genes. I drove road 195 years ago. Had three near clashes with pickup trucks driving downhill coming out of a curve on the wrong side of the road. Wildwest scenes. The younger generations often have the stories where they are bragging about dangerous situations in traffic.

That mentality will not be easy to change. It sure cannot be done fast with some wonder-formula approach.

[trainman34014]

Dangerous driving is in the Thai genes. I drove road 195 years ago. Had three near clashes with pickup trucks driving downhill coming out of a curve on the wrong side of the road. Wildwest scenes. The younger generations often have the stories where they are bragging about dangerous situations in traffic.

That mentality will not be easy to change. It sure cannot be done fast with some wonder-formula approach.

195 years ago you would have been driving a Bullock and Cart on a muddy track !

[Loles]

Just tell me:

- from who can learn to drive, to ride the new generation ???

: auto/bike schools there are not (I meant really schools not these fake pitty embarks ),

: the parents also can't drive, ride well

: the daily soap operas and every car advertising show only crazy and speeder drivers ...

[Loles]

Dangerous driving is in the Thai genes. I drove road 195 years ago. Had three near clashes with pickup trucks driving downhill coming out of a curve on the wrong side of the road. Wildwest scenes. The younger generations often have the stories where they are bragging about dangerous situations in traffic.

That mentality will not be easy to change. It sure cannot be done fast with some wonder-formula approach.

Are you a vampire ??? You can fly at night why do you use vehicles ?

[Tokay]

Thailand is #3 in the world for road deaths now. There is nothing that is going to save these people. The stickers they put around town, the commercials, the ads... all useless. It is the mindset of the Thais, usually protected by amulets and driven by face and booze that prohibits them from driving like normal people. At the rate they are going, with more and more people getting cars, they will claim the #1 spot for road deaths within a few more years. If they actually counted those who die at the hospital and not just on the road, they very well may be #1 already.

Happy holidays everyone. Watch out for maniacs on the road.

[GAZZPA]

I think that while enforcement of the law is important it is more important to make them be ashamed of drink driving and for friends to report them as now happens in a lot of western countries.

I think that you're spot on here. Make it a shameful thing and loss of face to drive badly or under the influence and watch it change. Similar to what the West did to smokers not that many years ago, they did huge campaigns making it "uncool" and stupid to smoke and look what happened. If you want to smoke now it's difficult to do.

[GAZZPA]

Dangerous driving is in the Thai genes. I drove road 195 years ago. Had three near clashes with pickup trucks driving downhill coming out of a curve on the wrong side of the road. Wildwest scenes. The younger generations often have the stories where they are bragging about dangerous situations in traffic.

That mentality will not be easy to change. It sure cannot be done fast with some wonder-formula approach.

195 years ago you would have been driving a Bullock and Cart on a muddy track !

Yes, at high speed whilst drunk and sleepy running down the locals as you go.

[Tokay]

I think that while enforcement of the law is important it is more important to make them be ashamed of drink driving and for friends to report them as now happens in a lot of western countries.

I think that you're spot on here. Make it a shameful thing and loss of face to drive badly or under the influence and watch it change. Similar to what the West did to smokers not that many years ago, they did huge campaigns making it "uncool" and stupid to smoke and look what happened. If you want to smoke now it's difficult to do.

Causing them to lose face is exactly what is needed. However, that very well may raise the violence rate. Thais + face loss = high probability for violence