Thai safety centre to study road smashes, offer ways to cut toll

[Ulic]

All the solutions can be found here on Thai Visa. The trick will be implementing the solutions.

[kannot]

First they would have to value life and dump the religion which tells em theyll come back................of course religion harms no one right!

[petercouz]

I am surprised to see you all get so wound up about a situation we know is never likely to change in the next few generations - its why we love and are so frustrated by the place in equal measures (I did not say hate on purpose). We all know it is mind boggling the way the country is run, but that is Thailand and it wont change - the people wont change - the people dont care, and they pay for it with their lives - its up to them, not us!

[Khun Paul]

Eveery yhear for the last 11 years I have heard the same ( albeit slightly different versions ) of Thailand accidents and causes.

The main cause is the attitude of the drivers be that

1 lack of education

2 Lack of decent driving tests

3 lack of Visible uncorrupted enforcement

Finally Thainess is one of the biggest problems.

Fix all that no problem, it must be
cheaper to educate and enforce than pay the horrendous bills to repair broken bodies.

[jaywalker]

14 years ago, my wife couldn't drive a 10-penny nail into a piece of cake, even after 3 months of driving lessons!

I can only assume her Thai instructor was dumber than a bag of hammers. I had neither the time nor the nerve to teach her back then.

I took her to the driving test in Surin & she failed miserably.

600 baht later she came out with a new driver's license.

Mayhaps end the corruption at the DL office would be a huge step in the correct direction.

[finnomick]

" Implement measures such as traffic law reinforcement " -- does this mean the traffic laws will be set in concrete from now on ?

[Surasak]

How about learning "Common Sense"

"Common Sense", does not cross the border into Thailand unless brought in by some farangs. Not all farang visitors bring it with them but it is the lack of Common Sense in Thai's which make us missunderstood so often. And do please remember, if the farang was not here in Thailand many of these accidents would not happen.

[gyrosman]

NCA bus company has a good policy giving drivers breath test before driving. So, any trransportation company that is for hire should have the same policy. Also, speed governors on their vehicle should be installed. A monitor station tracking commerical vehicles thru GPS like airtraffic controllers do for aircraft can see the speed of the vehicle. Sounds drastic but what are lives worth and if you continue to kill your tourist, well, you don't need these services anyway.

[georgemandm]

First thing they need to do is get the <deleted> wits to lean how to drive the place is a f??king joke I had a look at the test first hand some months ago when I was in thailand taking my stepdaughter for her bike license and I made sure she got it the license because the mother was lazy to take her and she did get it after 8 go's at it , thank god for that and was watching the drive test and just made me laugh that much I was going to cry and it is not the thais it is the government who has to be made to fix it .

[yasorab]

Study how to improve the Thai road safty issues !!! Are they mad ? Its a simple case of bad education, poor policing and badly maintained vehicles. Oh forgot the pittyful state of the road system. Poor lighting, no safty barriers and more holes than roads. I think there is something of a mountain to climb to try and resolve the problems Thais have landed themselves in. Corruption plays a huge part too given that half the monies given to road improvements and repair never get to where they are intended, rather go towards some big wigs new Merc of the likes. Sad state of affairse all in all .

[aussieinphuket]

Whats there to study or learn. Drive slow. maybe the only way to stop them is to install road side speed camera, higher fines for speeding and loss of license..

ofcourse i don't like all these myself but honestly the roads here are for cowboys... and motorbikes are even some of the worst offenders..

twice yesterday old ladies coming out of side streets to main road didn't even look if car was coming just straight out....

[razer]

"implement measures such as traffic law reinforcement," Now there is the challenge.

[SinCityGr8One]

Well, at least The Kingdom is not the most dangerous place on the Globe to drive. The most Dangerous Award goes to, are you ready? NAMIBIA holds the Title of the most Dangerous place on Earth to drive a vehicle. However, Thailand is in Second place. I'm not really sure what can be done to lower the mortality rate for Thailand, however. Perhaps, more driver education, stricter traffic law enforcement, shock safety campaigns with showing the aftermaths of the crashed vehicles involved. I don't really know, it appears that most drivers in the Kingdom, don't really know how to drive safely and couldn't care less. Even pushing a shopping cart in my nearby TESCO parking garage qualifies as a dangerous journey.

Here are the deadliest countries with automobile accidents, along with the number of fatalities per 100,000 residents. Note that there's only one overlapping country, Malawi. ("Congo" refers to the Republic of the Congo, not the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is a completely separate country.)

1. Namibia (45)
2. Thailand (44)
3. Iran (38)
4. Sudan (36)
5. Swaziland (36)
6. Venezuela (35)
7. Congo (34)
8. Malawi (32)
9. Dominican Republic (32)
10. Iraq (32)

And the lowest fatality rates from auto accidents. Again, there's little overlap, other than Maldives:

184. Switzerland (5)
185. Netherlands (4)
186. Antigua and Barbuda (4)
187. Tonga (4)
188. Israel (4)
189. Marshall Islands (4)
190. Fiji (4)
191. Malta (3)
192. Tajikistan (3)
193. Maldives (2)

[wabothai]

they do not listen to foreigners, only Chinese.

[recycler]

Thai safety center = oxymoron

Edited December 31, 2014 by recycler

[SCARLETIBIS1]

How about learning "Common Sense"

"Common sense" in Thailand? Surely you jest. One only has to look at how they park their motorbikes. It is beyond "common sense" why they park so close to the bike next to them that sometimes you can't even get on your bike. And this is besides the damage from scratches and dings done because of the way they park.

Second, note the way they drive on motorbikes. If there is even an inch of space to move up in line or next to you they take it at a light instead of just taking their turn and staying behind you. I've had idiots hit my bike as they try to get by.

Now, "common sense" has as fairly clear meaning to anyone who has it but honestly most Thais do not have "common sense". So, without being unduly critical one must ask oneself why not? I truly have no idea. I thought "common sense" was inherent like knowing basically what is right and wrong. But maybe not if one uses Thailand as a barometer. So maybe it has to be taught.

And since most Thais do not pay any attention to the way they drive, or traffic laws for that matter, I doubt one could infuse a sense of "common sense" even through education.

I think clearly the drivers have no respect for the police or at least any fear of getting a ticket unless of course the brass need a few bucks for themselves and set up the helmut barricades. So no one is gonna stop breaking traffic laws. Hell, I even drive on the sidewalk now to get by. Go with the flow I guess. But I don't park my bike next to someone else. Of course by the time I get back to it I am surrounded by bikes.

I can only surmise when God handed out "common sense" He ran out when He got to Thailand and it is still on backorder.

Edited December 31, 2014 by SCARLETIBIS1

[DaveinAsia]

Analyse risk factors and recommend solutions.

Drink driving

Excessive speed

Failure to comply with the rules of the road in general

Poor road design

No helmets

Underage/undertrained drivers

No traffic law enforcement

This is not an exhaustive list, but could you just deposit my fee direct. Job done.

Don't forget:

A large percentage have no licence at all

A large percentage don't give a dam_n about other motorists

Too many stray dogs/people all over the roads(yesterday I saw a 2 or 3 year old walking alone on the highway, w-t-f?)

The list is endless. It will take a lifetime to change the consciousness of the average Thai, sorry to say.

RIP all the people who will die this holiday season because of lackadaisical rules and law enforcement

[Fab5BKK]

I'm quite surprised not to hear the "rosy lenses users" saying: "stop Thai bashing! If you're not happy leave the country! This is Thailand, they do as they like! Etc."

Thai drivers / riders do act on the roads the way they act on their day-to-day life. C'est la vie!

Happy New Year to everyone and please take due care on the roads

Edited December 31, 2014 by Fab5BKK

[Suffinator]

So more studies, more talk ... unfortunately zero action.

Studies are NOT required; they have all the data needed and they are fully aware of the problems and how to tackle them ... unfortunately you have to find a competent government who makes their departments work for a living instead of dishing out feasibility studies to relatives in order to be paid extortionate fees.

Land of Smiles ... yeah laughing my nuts off at the level of stupidity.

[Alan653]

WHAT!!....what mean cannot drive with my feet on steering wheel and text message at same time.

Pass ne my bottle of Hong Thong...

Moron's

[mikiea]

there are many police out & about. but when i see them they are in a group of 4 to 6 officers chatting, watching tv, eating or sitting on folding chairs that i assume they carry with them. ehhh....what about the law enforcement is that to much to ask of a copper ?

[peptidebomber]

58 dead yesterday, and most people left Bkk before then.

[Alan653]

Install a "governor"on every car, that will limit the speed they can drive.

Set the limit to 45km per hour.

Any one caught removing them, or disconnecting it,

has their vehicle taken and auctioned off, license permenetly revoked, and 50,000

baht fine and 2 years in jail.

[ggt]

Why not study the reason Thai drivers insist on ignoring simple basic driving courtesy and rules of the road?

[Cylon]

People everywhere should have to pass an IQ test as well as a driving licence test.

Edited December 31, 2014 by Cylon

[marko kok prong]

Unfortunatley they seem to have a 'only i matter attitude',when driving and having plenty of budda statues on the dash will protect them,nothing will ever change here.

[timewilltell]

The average Thai is really quite poor, ignorant through a lack of education, indolent through laziness and lack of life objective and probably up to us neck in debt with the mafia money lenders charging HUGE interest rates which leave them in an unescapable debt trap with no skills. Even the average Thai is saddled with debt and really couldn't give a hoot about the law because they can just bribe the police and avoid the statutory fine.

It is a do as you please society with no justice and no responsibility. You can study all you want but unless the social malaise of decades of abuse against the poor by everyone in power is replaced by a more caring society with much improved education and a serious anti-corruption drive then Thailand will stagnate against a backdrop of rapidly improving neighbors on every front. Thailand is doomed with the corrupt mindset of just about everyone here.

Mai bpen Rai!

[spidermike007]

I have a very simple way to cut the toll of road deaths and injuries. Get the toy police to do their jobs! If there was traffic safety enforcement, there would be fewer road deaths. That is a fact. There is no deterrent here for the super fools, who drive like madmen. No threat of a fine. No threat of jail, no threat of loss of their vehicle due to impounding. Nothing but empty and vague threats of a general crackdown, by a general who jabbers, but does not act. I am not advocating a police state, as we have back in the US. But, some enforcement would go a long way toward letting the super fools know they cannot cut off other drivers, they cannot pass without safe margins, they cannot travel at whatever speeds they choose to, even under unsafe conditions. Right now, the only thing that prevents someone from behaving that way, is either a conscience, which tells them not to harm their families or others, or the desire for self preservation. General Prayuth, here is another golden opportunity to show the world you are a serious man, and not just a big talker. Show us, do not tell us.

[Sviss Geez]

Give me break. Thailand has held the record for the first or second (after China) safety record in the world for years. So, now they are going to STUDY the problem. No more study needed folks; now you just have DO something.

one thing they should do but will never do is confiscate the vheicle at once! make the driver attend driving school(non existent) fine the hell out of him and place the idiot in jail for at least a month! it will never happen but it should.

Confiscate every vehicle involved in an accident? Well that's a brilliant idea, implemented worldwide and helps to reduce accidents no doubt.

Contrary to your (lack of) observation there are many driving schools in Thailand but why should anyone be compelled to attend a school when it's the test that really matters? There's not many, if any, other countries with a better accident rate that demand instruction from a driving school.

Fine and imprison all those involved in traffic accidents? What sense does that make?

[Sviss Geez]

How much are they paying someone to do the study? I'll give them the one I just completed for free. It took one minute to finish. Difficult to believe these dullards don't know why people die in crashes:

1 Stop driving drunk (This means after the first case of beer you must stop drinking before driving)

2 Stay on your side of the road (Re-train them to know which side of the road belongs to them)

3 Keep within the speedlimit (Or no more than 50 over)

4 Stop texting while you are driving (She isn't gonna believe you anyway)

"3 Keep within the speedlimit (Or no more than 50 over)"

There's one very good reason not to use your study, free or not.