Rising fatal train crashes at rail crossing points in Thailand prompts study into actual causes

[mok199]

in most countrys a ''railway crossing sign'' marked with a large X is a leagal obligation for the vehicles to stop and the proceede,we have both marked and unmarked crossings,these accidents will never stop as with all road accidents,''sh*t happens...,this knee jerk reaction thailand suffers from, is typical thai behaviour..they will apoint a committy,consisting of a few freinds to study this ,they will make a piechart and run a dog and poney show for the media,and make a boatlaod of money..all for NOT...sawadee so so much (crap)..

[cup-O-coffee]

It's tempting to make a joke out of it, but the best answer I can think of is their psychology gets all messed up the faster they go... whether it be thinking or operating some piece of machinery. The problem with that is even when they begin at slow, they are already incompetent and a danger to themselves and those around them. Hence, any greater rate of speed at which they increase to or speed up to, they really put the situation into a grave perspective. It just gets all messed up and they lose it. And if they are thinking and operating machinery at the same time they really lose it. It truly is a marvel to observe their behavior when I am out driving. I have never seen the like. Even service people. If I put a bit of pressure on them, I can see a thin trail of smoke coming out of their ears, and they begin getting all shaky and missing keys, or they simply freeze and their face goes blank.

It's their psychology. It's all messed up.

[robertthebruce]

This article has to be the "Troll of the Day"......,,

Got me thinking real hard what the causes are ????

[masuk]

" find out what is or are the actual causes..."

Total incompetency across the board?

"... the right thing to do would be to come to a full stop and, look and listen for on-coming trains before crossing..."

No need for that when I am wearing my trusty/lucky amulet.

STOP? turn off the air con.? wind down the heavily tinted window.? look and listen? who are we kidding?

Next we'll be suggesting that pick-ups wanting to turn left at the next soi, should let 3 buses get out of the way, instead of racing ahead, and (almost) turning left.

It's called "driver education", which is so sadly lacking.

[thhMan]

Interesting how that car burst into flames before the train hit it.... (The editor should be proud of his graphic dept)

The cause is simple...

Lack of driving skills... Should have been picked up when they applied for their licence

[Pundi6446]

They are going to do a study into the actual causes for all this carnage. Why spend millions of baht to do, when the actual cause is stupid drivers not looking or thinking.

[mca]

A few years back I was at a main traffic light junction on the Mitraparp Highway in Khon Kaen near Big C.

For the many folks who won't know this junction the Mitraparp is eight lanes of heavy nose to tail traffic going either towards Bangkok or Udon. I was sat about 5 cars back at a red light in a side road waiting for our lights to change and 2 uni student girls on a motorcycle came past all of us at speed and rode straight out attempting to cross the Mitraparp during rush hour and enter the road opposite us and their brake light didn't even flash once. They simply didn't even attempt to slow down. They got slammed into by a Toyota Sportrider going about 60 km/h through the green traffic lights heading towards Bangkok. I get goosebumps just thinking about it even while typing this. That impact sound.

After witnessing that I gave up on the whys and wherefores of many of the accidents here. It's too depressing to contemplate and I say that as what some might call a Thai apologist.

[daiwill60]

It will be like a frikking bowling alley when the new HST dual track system gets the green light, unless of course someone takes the highway education of these poor souls, in their many more than adequate for needs SUVs, a little more seriously.

Edited November 20, 2014 by daiwill60

[Lakegeneve]

In March 2013, the SRT stated that in the last 6 years 297 people have been killed and 979 injured in 887 accidents at 1938 designated crossings and 562 unofficial rail crossing in Thailand. That is an average of 50 deaths a year or 1 a week!

The obviously primary cause of nearly all accidents at crossings is drivers not stopping to check for oncoming trains or trying to beat the train. It is not like the trains are travelling too fast at unattended crossings given the appalling low average speeds of SRT trains.....

This is more about driver education and discipline that whether or not crossings are staffed. However, granted that as sections of the network are duplicated and upgrade, crossings will be improved and most importantly unofficial ones will be removed (until th elocals go and make a new one)

[herb59]

looking left and right without iphone shouldnt be difficult.

[Longstaff]

I think the problem (or cause) is a bit deeper than driver education (but no argument from me, that would help!) In many aspects of Thai life you see a lack of forethought, a lack of future planning, a lack of imagination and a lack of awareness for other people. The latter of which is surprising and interesting within a nation of essentially nice and friendly people.

For example, it doesn't take much imagination to figure out the consequences of a motorcycle crash without a helmet, the cost of hospitalization and ongoing medical care for a head injury in a nation without free accident care, the impact that will have on the family let alone your own quality of life; and yet hundreds of thousands of people (including farang) don't wear helmets.

I smile every time I pass a building site with a 'Safety First' sign up. I've yet to see anyone wearing ear defenders, precious few have safety boots, and many weld without goggles or mask (and then there's the scaffolding ).

Within my own 'family' there is little evidence of a safety culture. I quietly move kitchen knives, lighters, household chemicals out of the reach of young children while my in-laws look on as if I'm mad. My own Thai wife has a significant burn scar from when she was a child; it would be regarded as parental negligence in a developed country but accidents involving children seem acceptable and commonplace here.

These sorts of studies are often more about being seen to do something. Like some Coronial inquests in the developed world (I've been involved in a few), they don't tend to dig very deep, but focus on easy solutions rather than the real underlying problem. They identify things that are easy to see, easy to measure; attitudes and 'personal issues' are just too hard to quantify (Maybe the people in the car were quarreling? Maybe the driver was distracted because they just caught their spouse in bed with their best friend?) It's easy to say install more barriers, put up more signs, cut back the vegetation; but it won't address the underlying problem (which in the case of 'personal issues' may not even have a solution).

Thai people simply don't exercise reasonable caution for their own safety and disregard the safety of others; without a significant will to change this culture over a couple of decades at least, sadly, little is really likely to change.

[MexicanFarang]

"Ignorance and stupidity. Case solved and closed."

Almost.

Ignorance + Stupidity + Invincibility = Accident waiting to happen

.

.

[bob6130]

Every crossing I have come across has made me go into 2nd gear, because of the normal bad workmanship of the Thai work force.

Make them smooth and they can cross at 80 kph and not need to look or stop.

Seriously though, Driver training, responsibilities for one actions and common sense are needed.

3 things that will not happen.

[casindonet]

First lesson would be to teach thai drivers to look left & right before crossing.

[drgoon]

Dumb dee do dumb dee day the wombles of Thailand...

Why do people die at railway crossing. .. <deleted>

[drgoon]

Where's Darwin...

[drgoon]

Dumb dee do dumb dee day the wombles of Thailand...

Why do people die at railway crossing. .. <deleted>

Sorry.... should have said FGS ( for goodness sake )

[ExPratt]

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Every crossing I have come across has made me go into 2nd gear, because of the normal bad workmanship of the Thai work force.
Make them smooth and they can cross at 80 kph and not need to look or stop.
Seriously though, Driver training, responsibilities for one actions and common sense are needed.
3 things that will not happen.

They;d have to get the track aligned first. The Rail components through Level crossings are a pain in the nuts to maintain that's why they are normally in such a state. Basically they are either Black topped or concreted in and to do any adjustments of track requires a major shutdown of both road and rail. In this part of the world as the Track components are buried under Black top or concrete and cannot be seen it is assume that everything is ok

[AhFarangJa]

Sat in the car at the automatic crossing on soi94 in Hua Hin two days ago. watched a FARANG!!! walk round the barriers and across the line when the Phuket express was about to charge through. i thought he should have known better, or maybe he does it all the time so it will be ok.

[spidermike007]

Actual causes? How about installing railway crossing signals and a road block mechanism. How many do they have in the rural areas? Do not skimp on expenses, and then say why did it happen. It makes one appear ignorant, arrogant, and indifferent.

Edited November 21, 2014 by spidermike007

[jacko45k]

Running the lights, not looking for trains

Are there really more incidents at train crossings than at regular traffic lights where red means 'stop in a minute'......

Edited November 21, 2014 by jacko45k

[Chao Lao Beach]

"what is or are the actual causes"

Shouldn't take them long to work that out . . . . . . . on the other hand

I wonder if they have noticed the driving standard on Thai roads ? probably not.

[OZEMADE]

Gates, bells and whistles may stop most of the cars, trucks and busses. But it will never stop the idiots on bikes or those that want to walk across when all are sounding. They should at least give the attendants the power to book them or photograph the vehicle, bike or person breaking the law.

[Bigfarang1948]

HERE'S A BRILLIANT IDEA. WHY NOT PUT LIGHTED FLASHING SIGNS ON BOTH APPROACHES TO EVERY SINGLE RAILROAD CROSSING IN THAILAND? IT DOES NOT HAVE TO SAY A WORD; JUST A BIG STOP SIGN WITH A PHOTO OF A TRAIN AND WHAT IS LEFT OF A SMASHED VEHICLE. EVEN ILLITERATE DRIVERS CAN GET THE MEANING OF THIS SIMPLE IDEA, BUT THAILAND WOULD RATHER TALK ABOUT IT AND STUDY IT RATHER THAT DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE ROOT CAUSE OF TRAIN/VEHICLE ACCIDENTS, MEANWHILE A FEW MORE HUNDRED WILL SURELY DIE OR BE INJURED BEFORE(if) ANYTHING IS DONE...AND THAT IS THE TRUTH

Running the lights, not looking for trains