Thai govt launches 'Slow Down Save Your Life' campaign to promote road safety during NY's holiday

[webfact]

"Slow Down Save Your Life” campaign launched to promote road safety during New Year's holiday



BANGKOK, 18 December 2014 (NNT) – The Department of Land Transport (DLT) has launched the "Slow Down Save You Life” campaign to cut road accidents during the New Year’s holidays.

Permanent Secretary for Transport Soithip Trisuddhi said at the launching ceremony that the campaign was part of the Ministry’s policy that stipulates 2015 as the “Year of Low Speed Drive for Road Safety”.

The "Slow Down Save You Life” campaign gives top priority to the speed-limit detection. Numerous patrol units will be sent out to monitor the speed of buses and other commercial vehicles running into and out of Bangkok. The measure has started since 8 December and will continue until 5 January 2015.

According to Mrs. Soithip, the DLT also sets up Bus and Driver Checkup points along the main routes across Thailand in order to inspect the bus conditions and the readiness of drivers on duty. The stations is open around the clock.

The DLT has also established a 24-hour call center 1584 at several locations, one at the Land Transport Department Office and others at Mo Chit Bus Terminal, and Ekamai Bus Terminal. These centers provide traveling information and receive complaints from people who are going back to their hometown during 30 December 2014 to 5 January 2015.


-- NNT 2014-12-18

[clockman]

Time will tell!

[khwaibah]

So what will the fatality numbers be this year ? Up or Down ?

[konying]

Not "learn the road rules and do not drive wasted campaign"?

[i claudius]

Also engage brain while driving campaign.

[Snig27]

This is great - but why can't enforcement be a part of everyday life in this country. In a cab the other night, whilst we were repeatedly asking for the driver to slow down, we passed two highway patrol cars as we roared dangerously past at well above the speed limit, jumping from lane to lane. Neither cop moved and the driver clearly assumed that they would not.

Where else in the world do cops regard dangerous driving as a norm that needs to be tolerated? The road toll could be slashed overnight if basic enforcement was applied.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Snig27

[robertthebruce]

Why just New Year ????

[FangFerang]

If they could get the knuckleheads to slow down it would make a difference in fatalities.

Good idea, and I hope it's not just a PR piece.

[mikemac]

It's not the fact that they are speeding that concerns me, it's just that they are doing it on my side of the bloody road !

[mike324]

I don't understand the need to spend millions each year on these safety campaigns when they can easily install speed cameras on accident prone roads to reduce speeding on the road. You kill two birds with one stone and solve most of the problems.

[DaveHKT]

It's not the fact that they are speeding that concerns me, it's just that they are doing it on my side of the bloody road !

And heading towards you.

[Loles]

A specially nice wording with a specially nice dream .

[Alwyn]

Not "learn the road rules and do not drive wasted campaign"?

Good idea; How about a "have a driving license campaign" and a "drive on the correct side of the road campaign" too. We could go on forever with this one!

[Lupatria]

Another campaign: Stay at home and drink government subsided alcohol until you can't find your car would have far better chances.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Lupatria

[mca]

I'm all for a law that reckless drivers have their vehicles confiscated and destroyed. Though if that happened the sight of a black Toyota Fortuner on the roads would be rarer than rocking horse <deleted>

[nuananddon]

Don't we hear this same message every year at every Holiday? And the beat goes on, carnage on the highways here. I watch the Thai news each morning and it is sad to see what has happened the previous day and night on the highways here. I sure don't have an answer to it, other then stay close to home on holidays and don't drive anyplace unless it is absolutely nesessary. There does not seem to be any traffic enforcement here whatsoever. This is by far my number one pet peeve about Thailand. I just can't figure out their driving mentality.

[emilymat]

Does 'monitoring' the speed of buses and lorries mean they are pulled over by the cops. Or does it simply mean the gathering of statistics?

I can 'monitor' my poor golf shots for instance, but it's no use unless I do something about it.

[willyumiii]

I don't care what the TV sinics say!

This new government is addressing issues that have been ignored forever in Thailand.

Just officially admitting that these issues exist is a huge step.

If they can implicate changes to improve thing all the better.

people on TV often talk about the "rose colored glasses " that many expats arrive here with.

I believe most Thais are born with "rose colored glasses" and tend to ignore what needs to be corrected in their country.

Having Thai people in charge point out the problems is a huge step in the right direction in my eyes.

Nothing changes over night.

​I am optimistic about the possibilities for the future of this country.

O.K. bashers, take your shots...pretty sure I can imagine your responses already!

[island hopper]

Their laws are on the books the RTP should start enforcing them and be seen on the roads 24/7 days a year like every where else.

[Jonmarleesco]

The supplanting of a possessive determinant by a pronoun apart, I would be more impressed were the DLT campaign targeted at 'Slow Down, Save (Others') Lives'.

[BSJ]

It's a case of "The more things look like change, the more things stay the same".

[janpoo]

Again, this is the 3rd world. Campain, campain, crackdown, crackdown. MENTALITY AND USING YOUR WITS. But wits, the most they don't have. Mentality they have, the wrong.

[Benmart]

I don't care what the TV sinics say!

This new government is addressing issues that have been ignored forever in Thailand.

Just officially admitting that these issues exist is a huge step.

If they can implicate changes to improve thing all the better.

people on TV often talk about the "rose colored glasses " that many expats arrive here with.

I believe most Thais are born with "rose colored glasses" and tend to ignore what needs to be corrected in their country.

Having Thai people in charge point out the problems is a huge step in the right direction in my eyes.

Nothing changes over night.

​I am optimistic about the possibilities for the future of this country.

O.K. bashers, take your shots...pretty sure I can imagine your responses already!

Good points.

The first and last sentence seem unnecessary and deminish the remaining.

[Cake Monster]

No amount of " Slow down and save your life campaigns " will solve the issue of some of the poorest driving standards in the world.

The only solution is the implimentation of laws that will be rigidly enforced.

But hey !, TIT