Police crackdown on Chiang Mai road violators paying off, say public

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Police crackdown on Chiang Mai road violators paying off, say public
CHUTIMA INKAM
THE NATION

CHIANG MAI: -- ARRESTS RELATED to traffic violations are on the rise since Chiang Mai province implemented its "slow city" speed limit policy on March 1. And local people remain hopeful that their roads will become safer if the policy continues long term.

Pol Colonel Piyapan Pattarapongsin, superintendent of the Chiang Mai Traffic Police, said that though the policy covered the entire province, it would be particularly focused on Chiang Mai city.

He explained the policy - which set 10 municipality roads to carry a 40km/hour limit - was aimed to cut road accident fatalities by significantly lowering 10 main traffic offences. They were - riding motorcycles without a helmet; drunk driving; illegally modified vehicles; driving cars or motorcycles without a driver's licence; failing to wear a seatbelt while driving; speeding; running a red light or violating traffic signs; suddenly cutting in front of other vehicles; driving/riding against the traffic; and using a cellphone while driving.

So far, a total of 125,906 traffic violators were arrested for 10 main traffic offences.

The most common charges were failure to wear a helmet - at 66,303 - and failing to show a driver's licence, at 29,794.

Last year, a total of 130,993 traffic violators for all traffic offences were arrested.

This fiscal year's road accidents total 4,611 cases so far, compared to the previous year's 4,331. The death rate stands at 383 victims (compared to the previous year's 287) and the injury rate, 4,029 persons (compared to the previous year's 3,688).

Nakornping Hospital director |Dr Thamrong Harnwong said the hospital's report on road accident death rate remained almost unchanged for now but he was confident future results would be better.

Thamrong said the policy raised public awareness about traffic accidents and encouraged drivers to be more disciplined while using the roads. He said the policy would help the hospital save money and personnel if police could enforce it for the long term.

Local Patlada Pattanodom said she was becoming more aware of speed limits while driving in the city and hoped the law is enforced on a long-term basis so roads can be made safer.

Piyapan said that most accidents in Chiang Mai involved motorcycles because there were more than 2 million registered motorbikes. They often occurred on ring roads leading to other districts.

Besides the speed limit, police also set up checkpoints at almost every intersection to maintain motorists' law-abiding traffic behaviour and to look out for street racers and bag-snatching criminals, Piyapan said. Public feedback to the "slow city" policy and cooperation is good and has been a factor in helping to lower the accident rate, he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Police-crackdown-on-Chiang-Mai-road-violators-payi-30269034.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-18

[ChrisY1]

"This fiscal year's road accidents total 4,611 cases so far, compared to the previous year's 4,331. The death rate stands at 383 victims (compared to the previous year's 287) and the injury rate, 4,029 persons (compared to the previous year's 3,688)."

More accidents this year, more fatalities this year and more injuries this year......so that equates to a successful campaign??

Almost 30,000 unlicenced drivers?

[gabruce]

"This fiscal year's road accidents total 4,611 cases so far, compared to the previous year's 4,331. The death rate stands at 383 victims (compared to the previous year's 287) and the injury rate, 4,029 persons (compared to the previous year's 3,688)."

More accidents this year, more fatalities this year and more injuries this year......so that equates to a successful campaign??

Almost 30,000 unlicenced drivers?

Almost 30,000 drivers without a license on them. Some percentage (high/low?) are probably people who forgot and/or are too lazy to take their license with them all the time. They won't forget next.

[realenglish1]

I really do not get it They are not arrested They are fined so why not report the truth and stop exaggerating the news THE NATION always exaggerates news

They do not know real journalism

[MESmith]

When I drive round, I see traffic violations every few minutes, even in front of policemen who do nothing. Crackdown my a-s-s!

[stephenterry]

What speed limits? Never seen any, or anyone abiding by them. They all drive too fast and too close, and constant lane hops - recipe for accident.

[alant]

If you want to do things maybe start by getting your house in order, or are the police exempt from wearing a helmet on a bike?

[masuk]

"This fiscal year's road accidents total 4,611 cases so far, compared to the previous year's 4,331. The death rate stands at 383 victims (compared to the previous year's 287) and the injury rate, 4,029 persons (compared to the previous year's 3,688)."

More accidents this year, more fatalities this year and more injuries this year......so that equates to a successful campaign??

Almost 30,000 unlicenced drivers?

Well, we should be happy that they've caught around 10% of the offenders.

The other 90% continue to travel 4 or 5 up on a motor bike, not a helmet to be seen. lucky if the straps are done up.

After sunset, there wouldn't be 1 in 10 wearing a helmet.

At night, 1 in 5 motor bikes have no rear light. A great many show no headlight - why? 'Coz the shopping is in the basket in front of the headlight!

I hope they soon start on the idjuts who feel they must sound their car horn when at a Tee Junction. Of course, other drivers will have their windows open, air con off, radio off, just to listen out. NOT! LOOK before you proceed? Where do you think this is?

[springheeled jack]

I am glad to see chiang mai is setting an example on road safety I hope it pays off in the long run next year will hopefully give a good result and it might eventually affect other parts of Thailand to emulate chiang mai.

[maanoi]

By arrested they mean fined 400baht and then let go to continue exactly what they were doing.

Having said that, I've been breath tested twice in the last week.

Edited September 18, 2015 by maanoi

[chickenrunCM]

126.000 out of 200000 people living in CM town, wow!!

2 Million motorbikes? where they are?

as peopel take their helmet during the day, they now check the driver license from all tourists,

because nearly nobody has a international DL.

How they check speed? no equipment at all in Chiang Mai, anyway in the town you cant drive faster than 40 around the moat and this is where 40km/h applies,

alcohol test is good, should be done more, may be at river side and good view, where 90% of all drivers are drunk on the way home

[rethaier]

Not impressed. The two biggest are not the major causes of accidents. And, this should never be stopped. It must be a fulltime policy to keep the roads safer.

[amykat]

I am glad to see chiang mai is setting an example on road safety I hope it pays off in the long run next year will hopefully give a good result and it might eventually affect other parts of Thailand to emulate chiang mai.

That's funny! You just got here, right??

(Not meaning to be rude, it IS just funny ....)

[Mickmick]

"This fiscal year's road accidents total 4,611 cases so far, compared to the previous year's 4,331. The death rate stands at 383 victims (compared to the previous year's 287) and the injury rate, 4,029 persons (compared to the previous year's 3,688)."

More accidents this year, more fatalities this year and more injuries this year......so that equates to a successful campaign??

Almost 30,000 unlicenced drivers?

Read the article .....the campaign has only been going a few months so you should not compare a full years data. This is just publicity to remind the CM locals that they are doing something.

[ronwparker]

Paying who(not the Police I hope)

[worgeordie]

So 30,000 (i suspect a lot more) have no licsense,what is more worrying

is they will have no insurance either.

regards Worgeordie

[Sam Jones]

Thamrong said the policy raised public awareness about traffic accidents and encouraged drivers to be more disciplined while using the roads. He said the policy would help the hospital save money and personnel if police could enforce it for the long term.

and there we have the problem : Police not enforcing the Laws - yes I have seen some checkpoints where they take money from people not wearing helmets but the daily crazy driving continues ...

[Chicog]

In other news, the BiB Xmas Party fund has hit record levels.

[elgordo38]

I am glad to see chiang mai is setting an example on road safety I hope it pays off in the long run next year will hopefully give a good result and it might eventually affect other parts of Thailand to emulate chiang mai.

Yes I see a definite rice rocket slowdown for the last 2 hours outside my condo but I chalk that up to the heavy rain we have had for the same period of time. Where is this all police presence that is supposedly a "crackdown" I do not see any signs of it. The rice rockets still roar up and down in front of the condo at all hours of the day or night if anything its getting worse. I shudder each time I pass the bike shop(twice a week) that is doing all the modifications to these high end racers that make them go faster. They never seem to run out of customers and are always full of fat tired bikes ready for testosterone surgery. The work they do surely does not come cheap but then I guess the banks are giving out loans which definitely decrease ones life span.

[bazza40]

Whether drivers here have a licence or not may be fairly irrelevant. Having observed a Thai driving instructor, I have to say if he was a typical supposedly trained instructor then it's no wonder Thais are such lousy drivers. Still teaching my gf stuff like using rear-vision mirrors, handbrake starts on a hill, 3-point turns etc. And she has passed her licence test, has the licence.

[Jonmarleesco]

'... local people remain hopeful that their roads will become safer if the policy continues long term.' Good luck with that. Making pavements safer in Bangkok (as in returning them to the purpose for which they are intended) involved the police purportedly stopping motorcycles using them. What a farce that turned out to be. I'm not sure the 'clamp down' even lasted one day, but short, and nowhere near to the point, it was.

[hanuman2543]

And how many were sent on their way after paying the "fine" without a receipt?

[dotpoom]

"suddenly cutting in front of other vehicles;".....they could have included "cutting out in front of other vehicles"...like a lot of drivers do from a side road onto a main rd. in front of motorbikes especially.

[farangmick]

A story announcing that officers in one department of the police in one city were allegedly doing the job they were paid to do would not exactly be news in England. Here it is headline news, and rightly so, if true.

[espinoza]

This is an national duty, not an local. But it is good to see at least one police boss is able to see the madness going on, my only worry is that maybe these actions just have the purpose of filling the polices pockets, and that they really do not care about the road casualties. As known all around the world, Thai police are the most corrupt police force in the world. In many countries it are not estimated as a police force, but as a mafia.

[duckmandon]

"This fiscal year's road accidents total 4,611 cases so far, compared to the previous year's 4,331. The death rate stands at 383 victims (compared to the previous year's 287) and the injury rate, 4,029 persons (compared to the previous year's 3,688)."

More accidents this year, more fatalities this year and more injuries this year......so that equates to a successful campaign??

Almost 30,000 unlicenced drivers?

Well, we should be happy that they've caught around 10% of the offenders.

The other 90% continue to travel 4 or 5 up on a motor bike, not a helmet to be seen. lucky if the straps are done up.

After sunset, there wouldn't be 1 in 10 wearing a helmet.

At night, 1 in 5 motor bikes have no rear light. A great many show no headlight - why? 'Coz the shopping is in the basket in front of the headlight!

I hope they soon start on the idjuts who feel they must sound their car horn when at a Tee Junction. Of course, other drivers will have their windows open, air con off, radio off, just to listen out. NOT! LOOK before you proceed? Where do you think this is?

Thailand

[duckmandon]

I drive from Saraphi to Chiang Mai & back every weekday twice a day & I observe the absolute supidity on the roads. Nothing is changing & in my opinion it is getting worse. I see kids of about 10 years old riding at full speed on scooters in the downtown with no helemts & obviously no fear. If you drive alot just take note of how many new white markings are on the roads from bike & car accidents. They are just increasing all the time. Just yesterday we were driving in very heavy rain & we were held up by a bike accident near the airport. Driving to fast & not paying attention to the conditions. Luckily the rider was not injured to badly. Slow down Thailand, life is to prescious to throw away!!!

[Chicog]

The topic would probably better read: "Police crackdown on chiang mai road violators involves paying off say public".

[cardinalblue]

Never seen a cop pull over a moving violator in 15 years here...

Checkpoints do not reduce accidents or poor driving behavior and etiquette...

Thai police need to get out on the roads and actively look and react to violations..they are not trained to do this...

Enforcement is still a joke...

[Beng]

Whole family on one motorbke doesn't count.