After 4 days, Songkran road toll rises to 191

[webfact]

After 4 days, Songkran road toll rises to 191

BANGKOK: -- So far, 191 people have been killed from Thursday to Sunday, which are the first four days of seven-day monitoring period for the long Songkran holidays, the Road Safety Center announced Monday.

The period saw 1,735 road accidents happened and 1,808 others injured. On Sunday, 520 accidents happened, killing 70 people and injuring 527 others.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/After-4-days-Songkran-road-toll-rises-to-191-30257972.html

-- The Nation 2015-04-13

[Strangebrew]

geez there really trying hard aren't they?

[JOC]

Sadly we are witnessing Darwinism in action!!

Dear PM if you really cared about your people (as you claim) please real driving tests compulsory before people are allowed on the road!!

[webfact]

Songkran death toll in fourth day rises to 191



BANGKOK: -- Death toll from road accidents during the past four days since April 9 rose to 191 dead and 1,808 injured.

Public Health Minister Dr Rachata Ratchatanawin said that in the fourth day of the seven-day dangerous days or on April 12, another 70 people were killed and 527 were injured in 520 road mishaps in a single day nationwide.

This raised total death toll in four days of the dangerous days to 191 deaths and 1,808 injuries in a total of 1,735 accident cases so far.

Drunk driving is still the main cause of road accidents or 41.92% of all the 520 road accident cases on April 12. Surin recorded 22 accidents, the highest on April 12, while Nakhon Sawan and Surin had six deaths each, the highest in a single day, and Nakhon Si Thammarat recorded highest single day injuries of 21, he said.

Meanwhile Roi Et now becomes the province with highest accumulated death toll of nine people in the past four days.

Chiang Mai recorded the highest number of accumulated accident cases of 66, while Surat Thani had the highest accumulated number of injuries of 71 in the past four days.

Motorcycle remains the vehicle that engaged in most accidents or up to 80% of all cases, while drunk driving is also the No 1 cause, followed by speeding.

He added in cases of accidents, people can ring Emergency Call 1669 for help. Ambulance with medical staff will teach the scene in 10 minutes, Dr Ratchata said.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/songkran-death-toll-in-forth-day-rises-to-191

-- Thai PBS 2015-04-13

[Queenslander]

Or real police to monitor and take action against dangerous and/or drunk drivers…sorry that's asking too much!

[BSJ]

"Ambulance with medical staff will teach the scene in 10 minutes" Not were I live! If your lucky if may with a bit of luck get here in 20.

[Gutterboy]

Just saw a news report on TV where a drunk driver had fallen asleep while waiting at traffic lights. He was so hammered that repeated thumping on the car by the police and bystanders would not wake him up. Eventually someone managed to open a rear window and unlock one of the doors from the inside to get to the driver and wake him up.

Hopefully this w*nker will be severely punished, (although I have my doubts), but what really upset me was that this was portrayed as a hilarious story and played along with other "humorous" video clips. The presenters all had a good laugh after showing this video.

It made me think that perhaps one of the biggest obstacles to road safety is the general culture which accepts dangerous behaviour like this, and even presents drink driving as an entertaining and amusing activity. No amount of police campaigns and law enforcement can change this general acceptance of stupid behaviour. Maybe some TV campaigns would do the trick, I don't know, but certainly shows like this are not helping.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Gutterboy

[webfact]

520 accidents occurs in fourth day of Songkran

NONTHABURI, 13 April 2015 (NNT) – 520 accidents have occurred during the 4th day of the Songkran road safety campaign period on 9-15 April 2015, while the total number of accidents during the first four days has increased to 1,735 cases with 191 fatalities, says the MOPH Minister.

The Minister of Public Health Rajata Rajatanavin has reported the findings of the road accident prevention and reduction command center for 2015 Songkran holidays on 9-15 April 2015, that 520 accidents and 70 fatalities have occurred on 12 April 2015, which is the fourth day of safety caution period. Today's latest figures have added to the total cases of 1,735 cases with 527 injured and 191 fatalities.

Of the figures shown until 12 April 2015, the most common cause of accident is intoxication at 41.92 percent, while the most common vehicle involved in accidents is motorcycle at 83.33 percent. Province with the highest number of accident is Chiang Mai with 66 cases, while Roi Et is the province with the highest fatality number at 9 person.

Meanwhile, the province with the highest number of injuries is Surat Thani with 71 injured, while 16 provinces have no fatality and 2 provinces have no injury.

The Minister of Public Health has said that according to the statistics of previous years, 12-14 April is the period where accidents tend to happen the most, especially on local roads. This means any special safety services should be focused through mutual work with the Local Administrative Organizations to place community checkpoints, which will operate to monitor and suppress harmful activities on the road.

The public is also asked to be cautious when driving and obey the traffic rules. All drivers must strictly refrain from drinking alcohol. The public can report any case of emergencies or accidents to the 1669 hotline, where medical teams and equipments are now on standby to provide immediate response to emergency situations.


-- NNT 2015-04-13

[PatrickHames]

Sadly we are witnessing Darwinism in action!!

Dear PM if you really cared about your people (as you claim) please real driving tests compulsory before people are allowed on the road!!

It's not so much a driving competence issue. Throwing a bucket of water at someone on a scooter washes even more oil onto the roads. Add to this the poor driving skills you refer to and bottles of cheap Thai whiskey and the pick up trucks full of revellers and their barrels of water are absolutely rolling the dice. 200 down is shocking after 4 days. Terrible waste of life, year after year.

[upena]

Wonder how many road deaths there really were, you know, since the Thai Government only counts someone who die at the scene as a road death.

[Thongkorn]

Sadly we are witnessing Darwinism in action!!

Dear PM if you really cared about your people (as you claim) please real driving tests compulsory before people are allowed on the road!!

It's not so much a driving competence issue. Throwing a bucket of water at someone on a scooter washes even more oil onto the roads. Add to this the poor driving skills you refer to and bottles of cheap Thai whiskey and the pick up trucks full of revellers and their barrels of water are absolutely rolling the dice. 200 down is shocking after 4 days. Terrible waste of life, year after year.

Water alone is enough to make a road serfice slippery after a hot day.

[soalbundy]

It's a bit like yeast, just keeps rising

[soalbundy]

"Ambulance with medical staff will teach the scene in 10 minutes" Not were I live! If your lucky if may with a bit of luck get here in 20.

barely enough time to die in, you should try needing an ambulance in the UK you could die of old age before one arrives and when you see the waiting times at the A & E you wish you had done

Edited April 13, 2015 by soalbundy

[Kaalle]

But its so much fun! Splashing water like a bunch of <deleted> 5 year olds and drinking all day and then jumping in the car or on the motorbike. So what if hundreds die?

Edited April 13, 2015 by metisdead

[PatrickHames]

Question - The street parties should rap up here in Bangkok by Thursday, when is it due to end in Pattaya ?

[ChrisY1]

These figures cannot possibly be anything close to correct, as we all know, this is simply foreign news feed.........what are the real fatality/accident numbers??.........well..who knows.......it's just too difficult to speculate....but with road transport so intensive at this time of the year......one could possibly expect (theoretical of course) a 120--150% increase in accidents and fatalities as that during "normal" times........but with so many people travelling during Songkran......!!!.

[janpoo]

Sadly we are witnessing Darwinism in action!!

Dear PM if you really cared about your people (as you claim) please real driving tests compulsory before people are allowed on the road!!

He doesn't care, he only cares about himself. And what you mean with: YOUR PEOPLE?

[GAZZPA]

"Ambulance with medical staff will teach the scene in 10 minutes" Not were I live! If your lucky if may with a bit of luck get here in 20.

barely enough time to die in, you should try needing an ambulance in the UK you could die of old age before one arrives and when you see the waiting times at the A & E you wish you had done

rubbish, do you even bother to look or are you just one of these NHS bashers.. you can see the link below,, nearly 100% of ambulance requests arrive within 19 minutes and the vast majority before 8 minutes (target for 8 minutes is 75%).

For A and E all life threatening accidents are dealt with immediately and given priority,, anyway read the link yourself.

For Thailand I have NEVER seen traffic give way to an ambulance, not once. In the UK the whole motorway parts when the sirens are wailing. Are you even from the UK?

Anyway, NHS is not perfect but anyone with any savvy supplements the "FREE HEALTHCARE" some insurance for non emergency treatments. All in all a great service for a country to offer free healthcare to the people.

http://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/ambulance-quality-indicators-data-2014-15/

[Happy Grumpy]

After 4 days, Songkran road toll rises to 191

Time to buy a lotto ticket, numbers 4191.

[soalbundy]

"Ambulance with medical staff will teach the scene in 10 minutes" Not were I live! If your lucky if may with a bit of luck get here in 20.

barely enough time to die in, you should try needing an ambulance in the UK you could die of old age before one arrives and when you see the waiting times at the A & E you wish you had done

rubbish, do you even bother to look or are you just one of these NHS bashers.. you can see the link below,, nearly 100% of ambulance requests arrive within 19 minutes and the vast majority before 8 minutes (target for 8 minutes is 75%).

For A and E all life threatening accidents are dealt with immediately and given priority,, anyway read the link yourself.

For Thailand I have NEVER seen traffic give way to an ambulance, not once. In the UK the whole motorway parts when the sirens are wailing. Are you even from the UK?

Anyway, NHS is not perfect but anyone with any savvy supplements the "FREE HEALTHCARE" some insurance for non emergency treatments. All in all a great service for a country to offer free healthcare to the people.

http://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/ambulance-quality-indicators-data-2014-15/

Don't give me statistics, i've read enough real life experiences and nothing is for free even if you call it that,you think some godmother waves her magic wand and all is paid for or does it come from taxes and contributions. I had a friend who died choking because of throat cancer, took 4 calls and two hours for the ambulance to arrive, the hospital was 20 miles away.

[redandyellow]

It's a good day by comparison. The average number is 80 on normal days..

[Cake Monster]

As the poster of #7

About 2 years ago now, a guy in a similar state of intoxication, also fell asleep at traffic lights on the main Sukumvit Road, at the Pattaya Tai intersection, while driving a heavily modified 4X4 SUV.

It was reported in one of the local rags that Police could not wake him for nearly 1/2 an hour, and when they did, because he was a " known " local resident living in Soi Khao Noi, they gave him a bottle of water, and allowed him to drive the " short " distance back to his place of abode.

An attitude from the Police, that really goes well beyond sickening

[NongKhaiKid]

Question - The street parties should rap up here in Bangkok by Thursday, when is it due to end in Pattaya ?

Pattaya has its own ' special ' Songkran day on the 19th or at least it used to.

Not sure what happens between the end of the official holiday and the 19th.

[Commerce]

Question - The street parties should rap up here in Bangkok by Thursday, when is it due to end in Pattaya ?

Pattaya has its own ' special ' Songkran day on the 19th or at least it used to.

Not sure what happens between the end of the official holiday and the 19th.

Seems there are special days according to area or province. For example, before the revelling began yesterday, I drove to my local Mart 2km away at midday. A 2Km drive only. 2 local roads and 1 major road to Family Mart, open 24/7.

Both on my way and on my way back, the roads were blocked centrally by chairs and/or motorcyles parked in the middle of both ways. In effect, what this meant was that you had no chance to pass, had to slow down - because they were dancing infront of me in the road, and covered my car in white &lt;deleted&gt; powder (which when dries in the sun is a complete bastard to clean off), and this was only a 2Km drive. There were 4 points, or 4 families should I say, that had blocked the road with chairs, bikes, and even young kids. I wonder if this is a local thing, or a national thing? How many of you have been forced, using such methods, to stop driving and accept that your car is covered in shit? They also covered my dog in white powder crap, as she always has her head out of the window (as dogs enjoy), and she got out of the car wondering what the <deleted?k.

It has to be breaking some law or, if not, if I drive my car through the chairs or tip their bikes over, would I also be within my equal rights?

It is barmy..... well beyond barmy. Anybody else experienced this 'forced to stop', and accept what you get?

It's beyond a joke when you place kids in the road, especially a major road.

[TPI]

But its so much fun! Splashing water like a bunch of <deleted> 5 year olds and drinking all day and then jumping in the car or on the motorbike. So what if hundreds die?

Yipeeeee! Great fun! While Phrae doesn't seem to have too many drunks the population that I have spoken to are not too happy that the pickups full of laughing wet children are paying the price of the idiots who throw ice at motorbikes!

These youngsters are not the perp's who kill people1 They stand on the side of the road and throw clean (cold) water on young people who stop and throw water back! Of course there're idiots who spoil things, like the wowsers and grumpy folks on TVF who if they're not satisfied with spoiling their own Songkran are desperatly spoiling others who are punished because they are young! And Thai???

Don't you miss the water fights at the lights, or stopped in traffic??? And I'm 70!