Petition aims to get children to wear motorbike helmets
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP) and Save the Children will submit a 15,000-signature petition to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration on Wednesday in a bid to get schools under the BMA's supervision to join their campaign for a major increase in the number of children wearing helmets on motorcycles.

The signatures to support the "7 per cent" campaign were collected via the website www.7-percent.org and change.org.

Save the Children coordinator Arunrat Wattanapalin said that if the city were ready to support this campaign, the organisers were prepared to implement pilot projects at Bangkok schools immediately.

Noting that 1.3 million Thai children ride to school as passengers on motorcycles each school day, the campaign aims to increase helmet use by children from the current level of 7 per cent to 60 per cent.

There is also an emphasis on trying to persuade the authorities to include helmets as part of school uniforms.

Thailand has the second-most-dangerous roads in the world. Every year more than 2,600 children are killed and more than 72,000 injured.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Petition-aims-to-get-children-to-wear-motorbike-he-30259192.html

-- The Nation 2015-05-02

Good idea... Its very hard to buy helmets for kids that fit.

Sent from my c64

It is a lot harder to bury your child because lack of helmet.

Oh please please please! I cringe everytime I see it. Once in a blue moon I see kids with helmets and I applaud them.

I'd sign a petition, but I suspect I need 4 Thai votes for my vote to be valid (early morning sarcasm, I should edit myself), but yeah, I think it's a great initiative.

[Edit]: Wouldn't this be a better government idea than some outmoded electronic device of one per child? I know they'd need to change sizes of helmet as they grow up, but much better for the kids in so many ways.

Good luck with the initiative. Though shouldn't it be directed at parents, or am I missing something.

Finally a truly common sense proposal. Dearly hope is succeeds even marginally. Past Governments and present should have been subsidizing helmets for the benefit of the population, instead of rice schemes, or rubber farm getting free money.

Schools can not even get kids to cut their own hair or to wear their uniform properly in school. They can not get kids to learn very much without copying their work and cheating on tests. How in the world does this group think that forcing a helmet on kids uniforms I'd go in to make the kid actually wear it outside of school? Helmets only cost 100- 200 baht. Cheap enough for parents to buy. This is not the issue. The issue is that enforcement is almost non existent on the street save for a couple of checkpoints with which a helmet is thrown on just prior to it and taken off immediately after it.

This group should be focusing on finding a way to get kids to be responsible and to actually learn to drive with proper habits. Perhaps a drivers education course would be better along with police who are on the street actually enforcing the law everywhere instead of just at checkpoints

Education starts at ''Home'' .... if the Parents dont wear Helments, i doubt if they will persuade there kids to...

Safety in any shape or form in ''Thailand'' is a non starter..

Best News , I've heard in a Long Time in this Country, seeing parents wearing helmets and the children don't have one , Aggravating...

Good idea... Its very hard to buy helmets for kids that fit.

Sent from my c64

. At least a step in the Right Direction ...

If in doubt, bring out the pretties

Good to see they also explained how NOT to wear a helmet - as displayed by the model in the middle.

Enforcement - besides an occasional Blitz nothing is done.

Thai people IN GENERAL seem to believe that they only have to wear helmets because the Law/Police tell them to, Basic Education about the use of helmets is what is required.

When I drive my Grandkids to school what do I see ?? Teachers driving motorbikes WITHOUT HELMETS- This is what the kids see.

Nice photo.

So the start a petition ... this simply goes to show they are NOT capable of enforcing the law.

Certainly things and the law should change. They should ensure that no child under the age of 10 is permitted to ride pillion and no person under the age of 17 should be permitted to operate a vehicle and that should only be permitted after extensive training and a written test.

School gate: no helmet? No school.

Simple, logical, won't happen - I know....

Have they considered to tell the policemen stationed at the school gates all over Thailand about the campaign?

Adults with children on their bikes should have the motorcycle taken from them, and maybe charged for child neglect also. Hit the selfish morons where it hurts. The police could then hold monthly auctions; cheap bikes for the public, some extra cash for the police. Whatever, just make those selfish w@@@@@s pay for not ensuring their child's safety.

School gate: no helmet? No school.

Simple, logical, won't happen - I know....

Not so simple & not so logical..

100 yards from the school gates the kids will put on the helmet..

going home 100 yards down the road off-comes the helmet.

You cannot change or enforce the law just for a certain age group.... change the law completely.

As from a certain date all persons riding/or pillion on a motorcycle must wear a helmet END OF STORY !!!

Will it ever happen.... not in my life-time.

Since 2007 Vietnam has enforced compulsory helmets for all including children. The result is a 50% decrease in brain trauma injuries. The link below is a great article on what can be done if the will is there by the Government . However , like most things here in Thailand , it's all talk but no action.

My next door neighbour is a neurosurgeon at a large Government hospital. You will never meet a person with stronger opinions about helmets as he faces the result of not wearing them everyday.

http://www.ssrc.org/workspace/images/crm/new_publication_3/%7B5dbb6a15-2e6f-df11-9d32-001cc477ec84%7D.pdf

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Good idea... Its very hard to buy helmets for kids that fit.


Sent from my c64

Hole in the markets.

Helmets, is that something you eat?

Here in Isaan, 4-5 persons on one motorbike and sometimes more. Less than 10% have helmets on.

Maybe in 100 years.

Good to see they also explained how NOT to wear a helmet - as displayed by the model in the middle.

How I agree with you. I've seen many women with helmets that are perched on the back of the head and not fastened. I assume to keep from spoiling their hair. I'm no expert, but that seems quite useless to me if they are thrown off the bike.

The 'models' appear to encourage this.

Heavy fine for the driver of the motor cycle is required. By heavy lets say Baht 2000

Maybe make it compulsory when a motor cycle is sold. Buyers must buy 2 children's helmets or they cant buy the bike. After that if caught with a child on the bike without a helmet fine. Second time confiscate the bike

Petition for what?

It's the LAW.

Enforce it.

Forget the 100baht fine. Make it 1000baht, more for second and third offences. And if the kids are under the age of majority ,then fine the parents/guardians as well..... double!

It really doesn't take more than a will to change!

They say increase levels to 60% .... Why not shoot for 100% ?Thailand always takes half measures and wonder why things don't change.

Unless they can persuade people it is a must have fashion accessory I do not see things improving unfortunately.

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Unless they can persuade people it is a must have fashion accessory I do not see things improving unfortunately.

Put the Apple symbol on it and everyone will buy them

I thought the LAW stated that everyone / anyone on a motorcycle had to wear a helmet? So to me this petition is really stupid. But if the petitioned the cops to enforce the laws instead of looking th other way that would be good.