The never-ending PARADE of daredevils on Thai roads

[Lite Beer]

EDITORIAL
The never-ending PARADE of daredevils on Thai roads

BANGKOK: -- A FRESH REPORT CONFIRMS THAT SAFETY AWARENESS HAS NOT IMPROVED, DESPITE REPEATED EFFORTS TO CHANGE OUR MINDSET

Each and every time the issue of road safety is raised, the authorities in charge shift into high alert and a spurt of activity reassures the public that problems have been attended to. Each and every time, high alert gradually shifts back to low, and lax law enforcement, negligent policing and irresponsible drivers converge once again in a "perfect storm" of lethal potential.

Thailand's road-fatality rate has been measured at more than double the global average of 18 deaths on the streets per 100,000 people. The World Health Organisation, in its latest overview, covering statistics from 2012, sets the Thailand figure at 36.62 per 100,000 - placing it among the worst three countries in terms of road danger.

Findings from other agencies note that motorcycles are involved in 75 per cent of fatal road accidents here, and some of those killed are child passengers on motorbikes who aren't wearing helmets. The Thai Roads Foundation says only 43 per cent of motorcycle drivers wear helmets, only 20 per cent of their passengers, and only 8 per cent of the children they carry, age 15 and under.

The law, of course, requires all motorcycle users to wear helmets. It's been in effect since 1996, and yet less than half the people are heeding it. Thus, two shameful facts become evident - that far too few bikers care about safety, and that the police are not enforcing the law adequately.

The foundation also confirmed that the use of helmets declines precipitously once you look beyond the cities, where there is less chance of being stopped by the police and, admittedly, far less traffic. Seventy-four per cent of urban motorcyclists wear helmets, but as few as 28 per cent in the rural areas do so. Clearly

the mindset is one of obeying the law only where it is most routinely enforced, and yet country roads, ill lit at night, are rife with vehicle carnage.

Compare these numbers with those of Vietnam, where most motorcyclists wear helmets even in the remote areas far from the law's reach, obviously better appreciating the need for safety.

Are Thai bikers so poorly informed about safety that the nation is doomed to failure when its much-vaunted "decade of road safety" ends in 2020? The ambitious but not impossible plan was to reduce road-related fatalities to 10 in 100,000. Halfway through the decade, we're still a long way from that target.

The common advice from abroad it to make people aware of the traffic rules and make sure the police enforce them. Harsher punishment for law-breakers has significant local support, with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha earning cheers by invoking Article 44 of the interim constitution in a bid to halt the noisy, perilous racing of bikes in the streets.

It would be wonderful if we never had to rely on such draconian legislation. The alternative is getting everyone who's involved in road safety working together toward a common goal.

Civic campaigns to encourage the wearing of helmets and foster common sense on the roads are admirable, and more such initiatives are welcome. But we need to get everyone on board - lawmakers, police, schools, motorists and pedestrians too.

And we all have to work on the problem non-stop, rather than simply reacting in alarm when horrendous accidents occur or when a fresh batch of shameful statistics is released.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/The-never-ending-PARADE-of-daredevils-on-Thai-road-30262707.html

-- The Nation 20115-06-20

[CNXTim]

In Chiang Mai we can observe an increase in helmet use for riders and passengers. It can be improved even more, especially out of town BUT it is improving.

[Big Guns]

Also having more than one passenger, basic maintenance including checking lights are working and folowing the correct rules of the road.

[apetley]

How to make people care enough to do something about the problem? I just don't see the will to do anything about the horrendous death toll on the roads here.

The police ignore helmetless riders, ignore appalling driving, ignore unlicensed drivers/riders............

Everybody knows several people who have died in rta's yet it does nothing to raise standards.

It won't change and all I can do is drive as safely as possible to protect myself and loved ones.

[DM07]

2 words: law enforcement!

2 more words: pee poor!

[z42]

As mentioned immediately above. Law enforcement. If they went after bad drivers as zealously as they did after drug users then the stats would be much better.

Admittedly i have never been to that many of the rural areas, just how horrendous is it?

[arthurboy]

As I walk to work every day, my regular observation of the traffic turning into or out of Phahon Yothin Road from Soi 8 - with a cop on duty during rush hour - demonstrates time and again a complete disregard of the law by the majority of road users and zero enforcement by the one or two police on duty.

The usual list of violations applies here, so I won't bother detailing them because there's simply no point.

Until people start taking personal responsibility for themselves and others when driving, all the hand-wringing and government campaigns in the world will continue to have little or no impact.

[tartempion]

I drive my 4 year young to school 4x10 KMS and it's road horror every time again and again.

Hopeless. No way she will ever ride any of the school transportation systems...

[davehowden]

The article mentions Vietnam where almost everybody wears a helmet, because if you don't and you get stopped they load your motorbike onto a truck and that's the last you see of it for 3 months, works a treat.

Plus, in Vietnam you do what the government says you do, otherwise you are in deep deep poo.

[FireMedic]

Imagine how much money police could make if they actually enforced the rules all day, every day and not just when the mia nois or the bosses need topping up.

[Songhua]

Yet another report? Best hold a seminar to discuss it.

[trogers]

2 words: law enforcement!

2 more words: pee poor!

Do it like Singapore. Penalty fine for the first offence, attend court for the second offence, and jail term for the third and subsequent offences.

[selftaopath]

2 words: law enforcement!

2 more words: pee poor!

Oh how I agree.

I really don't know what the oligarchy expects - well they most likely don't care - when there is NO RULE OF LAW. Without this Thailand will be lucky to remain in the dismal way it is and more likely digress into nearing the likes of other lawless countries. Anarchy prevails in Thailand whether anyone acknowledges it or not. IMO :-)

[KittenKong]

I cant help wondering if the newspaper article would have more impact if it called the drivers "pea-brained morons" instead of "daredevils".

[marcosss]

The view I have of the roads and the traffic here, is that there is one rule that overrides every other one, there are no rules, it's simply every man for himself and the daily commute is nothing more than a game of chicken. We are living in a developing country and the people will eventually take heed, it may well be a few generations away, but it will happen. The one thing that I find intolerable is the common practice of ride in the wrong direction on the wrong side of the road, an absolute act of stupidity. Just last night, I was on the highway outside big C extra, in the matter of 20 minutes 3 bikes, 2 of which had no lights & all of which had helmet less riders, were travelling up the wrong side of the road.

[jerojero]

Don't care about safety. No enforcement. Thus I don't have to care about safety because I know there's no enforcement. Round and round we go. Again and again we see Police law enforcement system needs total overhaul. Not wasted effort on lottery prices, or high speed trains, or new government buildings.

Edited June 20, 2015 by jerojero

[aussiandrew]

It's a sad state of affairs and a very slow process to change.when any were near the roads stay vigilant at all times and try and try not to drive at night. Stay safe.

[quandow]

Imagine how much money police could make if they actually enforced the rules all day, every day and not just when the mia nois or the bosses need topping up.

The problem with your absolutely correct statement is that the BiB would have to get off their butts and do something. That's just not interesting to them.

[loong]

Imagine how much money police could make if they actually enforced the rules all day, every day and not just when the mia nois or the bosses need topping up.

If they enforced the rules all day and every day, the income would dwindle until eventually they would hardly make any money.

It's obviously well thought out. Using helmets as an example, by setting up checkpoints only occasionally, they can catch a lot of people in a short time. This means collecting a lot of "fines" in a short period. But most people don't get stopped and so don't consider it likely that they will be stopped often.

Of course, if they set up checkpoints every day at random areas and caught the same people day after day, the people would start to wear their helmets as it would be too expensive not to.

So it would be great, most people would wear helmets after a few months, but who can the police fine if they can't catch anyone?

[kaorop]

Yet another report? Best hold a seminar to discuss it.

You forgot:

and then form a committee of incompetent friends,

who will go OS to do a study

and make a report,

which will be handed to the minister

who will,

back to your post.

[h90]

In Chiang Mai we can observe an increase in helmet use for riders and passengers. It can be improved even more, especially out of town BUT it is improving.

If I don't use a helmet I don't endanger anyone else but myself. So in my opinion that law doesn't make sense at all.

[Khun Paul]

One thing I was told about Thailand, when I came here was that , Thais will circumnavigate any law written, if they want to .

This is so true everyone from politicians to the lowly child ignores any law they do not like and enforcement is joke because of that attitude.

[green job]

In Chiang Mai we can observe an increase in helmet use for riders and passengers. It can be improved even more, especially out of town BUT it is improving.

If I don't use a helmet I don't endanger anyone else but myself. So in my opinion that law doesn't make sense at all.

Yes some people have a thicker head than others.

[DLock]

In Chiang Mai we can observe an increase in helmet use for riders and passengers. It can be improved even more, especially out of town BUT it is improving.

We can?

I would suggest that helmet improvement happens around known police checkpoints at certain times of the day.

Otherwise, it's as worse as it has ever been...especially after dark when their lights also don't work.

[nev]

I gave up trying to understand law enforcement of road rules here when I was stopped wearing my helmet on a new registered bike with all papers in check while the bike in front of me with a family on it with no plates or helmets just rode on through.TIT.

[Just1Voice]

When I first moved to Chiang Mai 7 years ago, at a stop light you might see 1 person out of 10 on bikes who was wearing a helmet. Now it's more like 7-8 out of 10 wearing them. Friend came up here and was stunned, saying he saw more people at one stoplight, on one day, wearing helmets than he could see in a week in Samut Sakon. One of the first "rules" in insisted on with my wife and her 25 year old son was: "No helmet, I take the keys and you don't go anywhere." Then took them both out to buy good quality helmets.

[The Beguiled]

Hit them (bike riders and vehicle drivers) in their pockets.

Fine them, take their licences for repeat offenders.

For bike riders with children on the back (or front) hit them extra hard.

Look at how the western countries act on motorists and the Low Death rate from vehicular accidents.

[diehard60]

The only time police in rural Thailand do their job of enforcing road safety is when they are at a road block. The rest of the time they see nothing, hear nothing, and do nothing.

[jackanapes]

carnage on roads in Thailand will continue simply because there is not enough emphasis placed on safety . television is a good media for teaching rules of the road and in my opinion children should be taught in school .

[Fullstop]

Fire all the cops and contract a foreign police force. Sorted.