Thailand ranks among countries with highest road deaths

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Thailand ranks among countries with highest road deaths

BANGKOK, 9 September 2015 (NNT) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Thailand one of the top five countries with the highest road fatalities in the world.

A survey has been conducted by the WHO on countries around the world in regard to the rate of traffic-related deaths.

As a result, the country found to have the highest death rate was Libya, with a record of 48.4 per 100,000 people, followed by Iraq at 40.5.

Thailand was placed at number three, with a fatality rate of 38.1 per 100,000 people. The fourth and fifth rankings went to South Africa and the United Kingdom, respectively.

On the other hand, the WHO also compiled a list of countries with the highest road safety.

Topping the list was the Maldives, with a road fatality rate of only 1.9 per 100,000 people, followed by Norway at the second place, Denmark and Sweden at the third, and Switzerland at the fifth.


-- NNT 2015-09-09

[robertthebruce]

Thailand YES do agree it's Dangerous and deserves to be up there....

But United Kingdom ?? Is pretty safe in my mind...., maybe London would be an exception, but the rest of the Country, I would safe is pretty safe...

[Pattaya28]

Utter Garbage !!

UK 5th most fatalities ??? I don't think so.

The UK has a fine safety record.

Shame on the author of this nonsense.

[davehowden]

This report is wrong!!

The WHO data shows Thailand at 4th worst position with 38.1 deaths per 100,000 population and the UK at 175 with 3.7 per 100,0000, that's out of the 181 countries listed.

If the authors of this piece, the "National News Bureau of Thailand", need help with their Excel spreadsheets I can help for a fee!

[cooked]

Yawn..

[gk10002000]

Yeah but Libya and Iraq road deaths probably include a high percentage of IEDs, land mines and things like that. Thailand is probably much closer to number one.

[lildragon]

I sometimes think to myself what the HELL am I doing when I drive my motorcycle around in Bangkok. I'm literally playing road death roulette. Guess I'm pretty on the ball and I HAVE to drive but.... it is scary.

[daiwill60]

Ah well according to this , things must be improving as Thailand was second a while back, preceded by Namibia , I think, and now it is in Third place , and what happened to Namibia in 1st place ?

Also do not forget that Thailand's body count only counts dead at the scene of an accident , and not those that don't survive the ambulance trip or hospital treatment, Government hospitals or others.

[stoneyboy]

The UK 5th I'm shocked

A country whereby flashing your lights means nothing other than courtesy and respect for a fellow road user and beeping your horn means you know the bloke walking to the paper shop.

I fail to see the comparison here.

[thaimelody]

Ah the news of Thailand

Next in line for this mornings news is the crack down on booze, reshuffles, ministers demanding a report within 30 days, needless death by electrocution - it's a good job reincarnation is a main pillar of the religion - we don't need to die to see the same crap

[JohnnyJazz]

Two remarks following this OP :

- It should be reminded that between 70 to 80% of road fatalities in Thailand involve motorcycle.

- To the question in which state do British people live, the correct answer is " Denial " :-)

[BuaBS]

With all the crazy Russian dashcam video's on youtube , you'd think they would be number one.

[lildragon]

I also think there is a mistake with The UK being 5th unless things have dramatically changed in the 6 years I've been away.

I will be going back to the UK next week for a family visit, I was looking forward to seeing civilized driving again (last experiencing it in Japan last year)

[spidermike007]

And within Thailand, Samui is the worst. Absolutely the highest per capita. No traffic safety enforcement, complete apathy on the part of the local officials and the so called police, and a daredevil mentality. Everyone is in such a hurry on that supposedly laid back island. The ambulances and hospitals are making a fortune.

Have you ever seen anyone here penalized for reckless driving? Have you ever encountered a reckless driver here? Once on the highway, I see one every 15 minutes.

[Lovekorat]

Well surprise surprise!

But what do you expect from in the main a largely ill-disciplined bunch of morons let loose in a killing machine.

No sense of what's right or wrong!

No courtesy to others!

Some with no licences let alone insurance.

Unsafe vehicles

A get out of my way attitude

Speed limits...what are they?

And of course the police doing such a wonderful job enforcing the laws of the road ( are there any here)

Well at least Thailand has one thing it can be proud of. It's not much good at anything else.

[kannot]

Utter Garbage !!

UK 5th most fatalities ??? I don't think so.

The UK has a fine safety record.

Shame on the author of this nonsense.

Funny " The Maldives" ohhhhhhhh funny

[Paul888]

I blame WHO for this error. They published their information in Country name order requiring the need for copy, paste, and SORT rather than just copy and paste.

Original data here if anybody is interested http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.A997

As pointed out above. UK way down the list and rightly so.

[DM07]

Oooooooooh really?

[madmitch]

I blame WHO for this error. They published their information in Country name order requiring the need for copy, paste, and SORT rather than just copy and paste.

Original data here if anybody is interested http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.A997

As pointed out above. UK way down the list and rightly so.

This table appears to refer to the year 2010, unless there's an error in the year column.

[chaiyapoon]

More incorrect facts on the internet again.Anyone can say almost anything and be quoted by someone else as fact.Use common sense and it obvious the Uk isn't anywhere near that bad.

[phiti]

Thailand 38.1 road deaths per 100,000 population.

UK 3.7 road deaths per 100,000 population.

Perhaps the reporter from the National News Bureau of Thailand failed to see the decimal point between the 3 and the 7 Doh!

[Just1Voice]

Well, let's see, the last report I read, which was 2012, had Namibia as #1, and Thailand as #2. Now this report says Thailand is #3, and Namibia isn't even mentioned. Even that aside, placing Thailand at #3 behind two war torn countries is a joke in itself.

[Shermanator]

Who would have thought that?

[jabis]

seeing all brits wound up

[skildpadden]

I am sure that with a bit of effort from all Thai drivers, the country could be number one in the world.

[Jon Wetherall]

Utter Garbage !!

UK 5th most fatalities ??? I don't think so.

The UK has a fine safety record.

Shame on the author of this nonsense.

Well I doubt the author used wrong or bogus numbers. If, like me you haven't been to your former home for a while, you might be surprised at the relationship between immigration (from non-English-speaking countries) and road driving skills. Not politically correct I know, but life's a bit like that sometimes.

London is already a city where native British people are in a minority. It's like Bangkok being a predominantly Uighur or Indian - or farang city. Imagine the impact.

I don't personally have a problem with immigration, but then I don't live there so I don't have a reason, but to ignore the obvious cultural and educational impact on the basis of political correctness seems a bit like negligence.

Edited September 9, 2015 by Jon Wetherall

[clockman]

If transparency was part of it. Thailand is maybe No 1?

[Jon Wetherall]

If transparency was part of it. Thailand is maybe No 1?

Well, I've driven in France and Italy, both legendary for bad and/or aggressive driving. Even so, driving in Bangkok came as a bit of a shock.

[thaimelody]

Personally I don't trust a 1960's rock band doing such difficult statistical analysis.

[springheeled jack]

it doesn't really surprise me the fact that Thailand ranks number 3 in the world for road fatalities I think most of them have a death wish the way they drive .