Thai editorial: Law must clamp down heavily on drunk driving

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Law must clamp down heavily on drunk driving
The Nation

An active campaign needs to be launched so that the festive season does not become days of mourning for some

BANGKOK: -- Drunk driving has continued to be the main factor in road accidents during the long Songkran holiday period this year. It has accounted for more than 47 per cent of the more than 2,900 accidents that happened during the period of the road-safety campaign for the annual "water festival", when millions of people all over the country travel and have fun.

Drunk driving accounted for 47.15 per cent of the accidents recorded in the first six days of the seven-day road-safety campaign, from April 9 to 15, according to the Interior Ministry's Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. It was followed by speeding, which accounted for 22.40 per cent. Most of the road accidents - about 78 per cent - involved motorcycles and about 30 per cent of the riders involved in those accidents did not wear crash helmets, the agency said yesterday.

Between April 9 and 14, a total of 2,915 road accidents were recorded throughout the country, with 306 people dead and 3,070 others injured, according to the latest update released by the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department yesterday.

Alcoholic drinks have always been a key ingredient in celebrations. It is understandable that revellers often drink a lot during this festival period, and tend to indulge themselves excessively. But the problem is compounded when many of the drunk revellers ride motorcycles or drive cars. These irresponsible drinkers end up causing accidents that often lead to injuries and even deaths.

Since 2010, drunk driving has surpassed not wearing helmets as the biggest factor in road-accident deaths and injuries during the Songkran Festival, according to a report by the Health Information System Development Office. The report cited data compiled by the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. This could be because, while wearing of helmets has become compulsory and a practice increasingly adopted by riders, more and more people drink during the long holidays, and many of them end up getting involved in road accidents.

Many of the road accidents during Songkran, and the other long holiday breaks like New Year, involved drunk driving by motorcycle riders who did not wear crash helmets. One revealing statistic is that a lot of the accidents happened when the drinkers rode their motorbikes to buy more alcoholic drinks at a nearby shop for their parties.

Although the authorities have appeared to be tough with the sale and consumption of alcohol, as well as drunk driving, during this festival time, the results suggest that they have not done enough.

Police checkpoints have been set up regularly at night to catch drunk drivers, but many of the violators don't seem to be discouraged by the possibility of getting arrested and punished.

A lot the country's resources - from the state coffers and personal savings - have been spent on treating people seriously injured or maimed in accidents caused by drunk driving. Public campaigns have continued for years against drunk driving but they seem to have been running out of steam in recent years.

Active public campaigns against drunk driving should be revived and awareness programmes on the perils of drunk driving should start early, targeting schoolchildren so that the lessons are learned early in life. Also, there should be tougher laws and legal actions against drunk drivers so that they get the message that this dangerous behaviour is unacceptable to society as a whole.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Law-must-clamp-down-heavily-on-drunk-driving-30258041.html


-- The Nation 2015-04-16

[cup-O-coffee]

So, parents should ignore their children most of the time, and only give them attention when they screw up, and beat the daylights out of them. That is what the OP is suggesting, yes?

Who is really guilty of incompetence here?

To summarily dismiss the behavior of those, whom the OP is suggesting enforce the correction of the bad behavior, and to assume that these enforcers go out and "set an example" from the same set of principles which they violate, seems to me to be a desperate act of irony.

The people might be a lot of things, but they are not stupid, and I trust that this very behavior is proof, and moreover a bad symptom of the much larger problem: negligence of responsibility, duty and obligation to one's charges, in a manner that must be honorable and above ill repute.

Nah! I didn't think so!

[jerojero]

Yep. Clamp down needed, along with enforcement of all traffic laws. And elimination of tea money on the spot fines

[clockman]

Just talk, same as anything of importance. In Thailand.

[LuckyLew]

The could, they should they need to clamp down on drunk driving ... but they will not

Every year they have the pre songkran warnings and every year 350 or so people die on the roads during songkran

Then they have the post songkran press releases

Tune in next year for same same

[edwinchester]

When we had a burglary at our house the first two police officers to arrive came red faced and reeking of alcohol. They couldn't give a shit about drink driving.

Edited April 16, 2015 by edwinchester

[marko kok prong]

Yada ,Yada, yada,blah ,blah,blah.

[Snig27]

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The could, they should they need to clamp down on drunk driving ... but they will not

Every year they have the pre songkran warnings and every year 350 or so people die on the roads during songkran

Then they have the post songkran press releases

Tune in next year for same same

Spot on - this same editorial has appeared more or less every year since I've been in Thailand.

So we have a junta who makes massive claims about fixing the country and nothing whatsoever is done about one of the most heinous afflictions the nation suffers from. Instead of spending all their time trying to ensure much of Thailand have no say in how their country is governed in the future and buying unneeded submarines and jet planes, why isn't the dear leader using his much beloved Article 44 to enforce a zero tolerance alcohol policy? Why not a zero tolerance helmet policy as in Vietnam? Why not instant dismissal of any police office who accepts tea money instead of taking the keys?

That this would happen again is hardly rocket science.

[bheard]

When we had a burglary at our house the first two police officers to arrive came red faced and reeking of alcohol. They couldn't give a shit about drink driving.

Oh dear, not encouraging.

No chance of fixing the road toll till there is a total brain transplant in the society.

Starts with parents, but how can it start when the parent takes the 3 or 4 young'uns for a trip to 7-11 on the motosi?

[donmuang37]

Oh, come on, guys! You should know that "clamp down on drunk driving" really just means "double the tea money."

[natway09]

Same shit, different year.

It never happens to me attitude has been here as long as I have been.

The lack of road safety & drink driving (in particular over Songkran) is endemic.

Maybe if they showed in gruesome detail movies of bad crash scenes as compulsory viewing at licence time

this may come some way to helping.

Question: How many people died this Songkran who did not possess a drivers licence?? I wonder

[carenot]

Yes drinking and driving can be dangerous as bad drivers become worse but I for one do not care don't do it myself but don't care still, life is inherently dangerous get over it maybe we need to pick a continent for those that like to be told what to do and move them there so they can then live happily with ever increasing rules regulations and clamp downs on everything then they can be happy and leave everyone else alone .

[jackanapes]

again this is one of my pet subjects I have stated this before people should be made aware of the dangers of drink driving and it should be made a high profile subject tv coverage and seminars held and trained police officers should give talks in schools .

[Lee4Life]

Yes drinking and driving can be dangerous as bad drivers become worse but I for one do not care don't do it myself but don't care still, life is inherently dangerous get over it maybe we need to pick a continent for those that like to be told what to do and move them there so they can then live happily with ever increasing rules regulations and clamp downs on everything then they can be happy and leave everyone else alone .

You would care if someone you loved were killed or maimed by a drunk driver.

[carenot]

Yes drinking and driving can be dangerous as bad drivers become worse but I for one do not care don't do it myself but don't care still, life is inherently dangerous get over it maybe we need to pick a continent for those that like to be told what to do and move them there so they can then live happily with ever increasing rules regulations and clamp downs on everything then they can be happy and leave everyone else alone .

You would care if someone you loved were killed or maimed by a drunk driver.

don't state the obvious i would care if someone I loved was killed or maimed full stop but I still stand by what I said Edited April 16, 2015 by carenot

[NoshowJones]

Same shit, different year.

It never happens to me attitude has been here as long as I have been.

The lack of road safety & drink driving (in particular over Songkran) is endemic.

Maybe if they showed in gruesome detail movies of bad crash scenes as compulsory viewing at licence time

this may come some way to helping.

Question: How many people died this Songkran who did not possess a drivers licence?? I wonder

It sure would be very interesting to find out, but we never will, I wonder why.

[lvr181]

again this is one of my pet subjects I have stated this before people should be made aware of the dangers of drink driving and it should be made a high profile subject tv coverage and seminars held and trained police officers should give talks in schools .

A "nice warm and fuzzy thought" but how about enforcing current laws as well? Why wait another generation for the senseless slaughter on the roads to stop or diminish dramatically? Always seems to be much talk going on (about all manner of problems) but little real action and follow up! Sad really

[tominbkk]

Since last Saturday I have seen one cop. Mind you I don't go out at night during Songkran but it is weird.

[carenot]

Since last Saturday I have seen one cop. Mind you I don't go out at night during Songkran but it is weird.

always a good idea not to go out till the water stops and no cops amazing alot of posters on T.V would be dismayed by this and afraid the world was going to end

[Cake Monster]

In order that any law is upheld by people, the Police Authorities and the Justice system have to have total respect, and sadly this is the root cause of so many of Thailands issues.

There is no credible law enforcement in the whole of the country, or respect for any laws.

Breaking of laws always starts with the small things, such as not wearing a helmet on a motorcycle, but rapidly escalates to the total mayhem and free for all, as seen today, and not just on the roads.

[realenglish1]

Should be like Europe or the USA or Canada

First office license suspension and fine

Second offense prison time and fine no license for 5 years

3rd office Long term prison and suspension for life on drivers license . A DL is not a right it is a privilege and if you abuse it then loose it

Edited April 17, 2015 by realenglish1

[Commerce]

Drunk driving accounted for 47% of deaths.

They really need to find this guy!

[Chris Lawrence]

Same old same old.

Why not look at the programs that have worked in other countries and implement?

They are happy to do it with education.

[carenot]

In order that any law is upheld by people, the Police Authorities and the Justice system have to have total respect, and sadly this is the root cause of so many of Thailands issues.

There is no credible law enforcement in the whole of the country, or respect for any laws.

Breaking of laws always starts with the small things, such as not wearing a helmet on a motorcycle, but rapidly escalates to the total mayhem and free for all, as seen today, and not just on the roads.

oh yes the the world will fall into total anarchy cause people don't wear crash helmets !!!!!!!

[Chupup]

Yes drinking and driving can be dangerous as bad drivers become worse but I for one do not care don't do it myself but don't care still, life is inherently dangerous get over it maybe we need to pick a continent for those that like to be told what to do and move them there so they can then live happily with ever increasing rules regulations and clamp downs on everything then they can be happy and leave everyone else alone .

You would care if someone you loved were killed or maimed by a drunk driver.

don't state the obvious i would care if someone I loved was killed or maimed full stop but I still stand by what I said

Maybe you will start to care when one bumps into you, always assuming you survive !!

[jerojero]

The biggest and obvious understatement of all time. Duh! Took decades in the West to finally condemn drunk driving and in most jurisdictions heavily penalize perps. Thailand will not progress this way with current police organization and culture. Overhaul police, then possible to address chronic drunk driving and other critical issues that haunt the country.

[carenot]

Yes drinking and driving can be dangerous as bad drivers become worse but I for one do not care don't do it myself but don't care still, life is inherently dangerous get over it maybe we need to pick a continent for those that like to be told what to do and move them there so they can then live happily with ever increasing rules regulations and clamp downs on everything then they can be happy and leave everyone else alone .

You would care if someone you loved were killed or maimed by a drunk driver.

don't state the obvious i would care if someone I loved was killed or maimed full stop but I still stand by what I said

Maybe you will start to care when one bumps into you, always assuming you survive !!

and the chances are so slim I don't think I'll lose any sleep over it grew up in the days when one more for the road was the norm . Like I said don't do it myself but still don't really care

[ldiablo]

The other night I was out having some drinks and afterwards was driving my motorcycle (Ninja650) home. Came across a police checkpoint and was flagged over by a cop only to be asked if he could take a photo with him and I and our bikes. You have to admit the Thai police are awesome.

Edited April 20, 2015 by ldiablo