Over 300 arrested and fined for texting and talking while driving



BANGKOK: -- Metropolitan police said they arrested more than 300 drivers for using their mobile phones to text and talk while driving in the streets of Bangkok during the three-day campaign against traffic violators.

Metropolitan police deputy commissioner Pol Maj-Gen Adul Narongsak who is in charge of traffic said since the metropolitan began to get tough with drivers who text and talk using mobile phones while driving since August 5 until today, more than 300 drivers were arrested and fined for violating five traffic offences.

Most of the offenders are those who use mobile phones to chat while waiting for green lights at intersections and moving out.

He said that the police have taken pictures of these offenders to prove they violated traffic law.

Fine for the five offences range from 400-1,000 baht.

He also said that the metropolitan will soon install high density cameras at 90 significant intersections to film drivers using mobile phones while driving in car with dark tint film windows. The taken pictures will be used as evidence to show they violate traffic law, he said.

The cameras will be first installed in areas of Klong Tan, Sam Sen and Bang Na and offenders will receive traffic tickets along with the evidence in one day.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/300-arrested-fined-texting-talking-driving/

[thaipbs]2014-08-08[/thaipbs]

Great , now any chance we might see a purge on police  who ride their motorcycles on the  sidewalk ?

Great , now any chance we might see a purge on police  who ride their motorcycles on the  sidewalk ?

  and while wearing uniform soft caps not crash helmets.

Targeting those that are stopped at traffic lights?

A lot easier than those really dangerous ones doing it as they drive/ride but a start I suppose!

fine is ok but arrest??jailing someone costs(food papers transport...)

they will use the fines to pay the arrest expenses...

In reality, this number of offenders would only be on a single major road.....and probably within a 5kms stretch.

No matter where you drive in Thiland.....there are always people on the phone while driving and riding....my wife included!!

no big deal, they talk on cellphones while riding motorbikes in pattaya, nobody stops them.

I was about to make a left hand turn into a one-way street whilst talking on the mobile phone yesterday and the police man sitting on his scooter waving his arms about never said a thing about the phone!   I guess they haven't got the message about mobile phones and driving in Phitsanulok yet!

The police should take care about those motorcycles driving on vipavadeerangsit road which is totally forbidden (well normally it is) .... there are more and more everyday .... I dont see the problem to text or check your phone while waiting at red light ...when you are stuck 3 or 4 minutes the time seems so long ..

A girl road into my truck when she was talking on her phone with no helmet on and had no license and the tax on the bike was not payed up. 

What hope is there to get Thais to do the right thing not much i can see.

 

What's the problem with using a mobile phone for anything when parked, stationary, out of gear and the handbrake on, at those so frequent and endless 10 minute red lights in BKK?!?!?!?!

I saw 3 girls on one motorbike the other day. 

 

ALL THREE WERE TEXTING!

Well that explains why cars dont move until the very last second, just before the light goes red again... Whoever said Thais are polite is a fool...

Great, well done, go get 300 more. Use the money to employ a few more police and have a go at other violations.

Motorbike riders too... no high intensity cameras required.

 

But....... while waiting at traffic lights......seems harsh, particularly in Bangkok where a few chapters of a book could be completed while waiting for them to change.

Back to nasal exploration!

300 arrested and fined ?

 

 

Why was the crack down halted after only 20 minutes ?

It is easy to laugh but it is dangerous. In Australia a few years ago I saw a young girl, about 18, on a probationary licence talking on a phone and ran into a 50 tonne tram in broad daylight. "Where did you come from". Car was jammed and the tram tracks were blocked foir an hour during peak hour and we had to walk a km to get another way to work.

I saw 3 girls on one motorbike the other day. 

 

ALL THREE WERE TEXTING!

 

Passengers still allowed to text, but three on a bike is illegal.

Wow -- all these posters who whine and want Thailand to crack down on things (of course they will whine more when Thailand is more like the west when it comes to enforcement of laws) now find ways to whine when they do crack down. Would seem some people just like to whine given I see only one positive or understanding comment about enforcing a law that is very commonly enforced in the west.

Don't worry ... it is only for 3 days. I think most "drive and chat" people can live with that.

Great job! 300 fined in BKK for texting and talking whilst driving yet in all other provinces nothing has changed. Teens continue 'pop wheelies' around town, ride with their girlfriends/boyfriends in front of them and cut everyone up, minus the crash helmet of course. Don't even start me on the car drivers 555

I saw 3 girls on one motorbike the other day. 

 

ALL THREE WERE TEXTING!

 

Each other I assume.

Wow -- all these posters who whine and want Thailand to crack down on things (of course they will whine more when Thailand is more like the west when it comes to enforcement of laws) now find ways to whine when they do crack down. Would seem some people just like to whine given I see only one positive or understanding comment about enforcing a law that is very commonly enforced in the west.

 

Haven't you heard they are trying to turn it into Singapore, thats it I'm outa here.

I am more curios to know...

a ) if these people were actually arrested as Thai PBS has reported or just fined.
b ) what were the "five traffic offences" these drivers committed while at a red light

"waiting for green lights" ???

Are they waiting for green lights because there are too many morrons hitting a red light or waiting till the light turns green???

In the both cases, they are NOT driving...

So either I have to put a darker film on the car windows or better, even a reflecting one.

 

But then again, why not use the Bluetooth connection and chat hands-free? So easy and not dangerous.

 

 

Great , now any chance we might see a purge on police  who ride their motorcycles on the  sidewalk ?

 

No, as in certain circumstances riding motorcycles on the pavements is not illegal, police or not.

What's the problem with using a mobile phone for anything when parked, stationary, out of gear and the handbrake on, at those so frequent and endless 10 minute red lights in BKK?!?!?!?!

Because you are still in control of the car at a set of lights and should be paying attention to other traffic and the lights.

Not being tooted from behind because you were too busy sms/texting or talking on the phone.

Obviously you are one of the problems.

I saw 3 girls on one motorbike the other day. 

 

ALL THREE WERE TEXTING!

 

Are you sure they weren't SEXTING? That's much more of a distraction (for you, that is).

 

What's the problem with using a mobile phone for anything when parked, stationary, out of gear and the handbrake on, at those so frequent and endless 10 minute red lights in BKK?!?!?!?!

Because you are still in control of the car at a set of lights and should be paying attention to other traffic and the lights.

Not being tooted from behind because you were too busy sms/texting or talking on the phone.

Obviously you are one of the problems.

 

 

But your honor I wasn't drunk driving, I was stopped at a light when the cop arrested me.

 

What's the problem with using a mobile phone for anything when parked, stationary, out of gear and the handbrake on, at those so frequent and endless 10 minute red lights in BKK?!?!?!?!

Because you are still in control of the car at a set of lights and should be paying attention to other traffic and the lights.

Not being tooted from behind because you were too busy sms/texting or talking on the phone.

Obviously you are one of the problems.

 

 

Speak for yourself, it's not hard to pay attention to traffic, the traffic lights AND to use a phone . . . especially whilst stationary for 10 minutes at a set of BKK lights, and I've also never been "tooted" at for holding up traffic either . . . but I get the point