Thailand's roads second deadliest in the world: World Health Organization

[webfact]

Thailand's roads second deadliest in the world: World Health Organization
By Coconuts Bangkok


A Romsai rescue worker inspects a car crash on the side of a highway on the fifth night of Songkran 2015. The drunk driver was speeding and crashed his car head on into a light pole. Photo: Alexander Hotz

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has earned the dubious distinction as the country with the second most dangerous roads in the world.

According to the 2015 Global Status Report of Road Safety by the World Health Organization (WHO), 14,059 people were killed in Thailand by road accidents in 2012 which is about 36.2 people per per 100,000 -- the second highest rate in the world.

To put that in perspective, that’s about 39 people per day who die on our country’s treacherous roads.

With 32,476,977 vehicles registered in Thailand, riders of motorcycles and three-wheelers are by far the largest group to be killed in road accidents (73%) followed by passengers of 4-wheeled cars (7%) and drivers of 4-wheeled cars (6%).

This might result from the lack of safety precautions. WHO noted that Thailand's national seat-belt law only applies to the driver and passenger in the front seats. The study finds that only 58% of drivers and 54% of front seat occupants use a seatbelt.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/10/21/thailands-roads-second-deadliest-world-world-health-organization


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-10-21

[terminatorchiangmai]

This might result from the lack of safety precautions ??

​This is the result of no driving skills and no enforcement of traffic rules !!

[Just1Voice]

That figure is underrated. Thai only count the dead AT THE SCENE. If you die later in the hospital, you don't don't get counted. Fact, not fiction.

[z42]

Outrageous, the fact that reducing the farcical attitudes towards road safety isn't even on the junta's radar shows just how clueless they really are. Only today I saw 3 young kids drive into the local anuban school all minus their helmets.
The only way it will get fixed is by actually massively increasing fines and confiscating vehicles. As for licencing, until there is a system that rewards actually having one they might as well scrap them altogether

[rkidlad]

And they complain about smoking kills, alcohol kills. (or is it because you get to appear holier than thou?) Yet, they seemingly do nothing about road deaths.

Smoking - bad.

Drinking - very bad.

Driving like a moron - mai pen rai.

[PocoLoco]

Safety regulation plays a big role but most people in Thailand just don't KNOW how to drive or what the traffic rules are.

In Isaan people just buy their drivers license, no need to do examination, and if there is some kind of test all they have to do is to pass a very simple theory exam and drive a few rounds on the parcours.

THERE, fix that first and road accidents will decrease by half.

Safety belts LMAO, what about this?

- Mom and dad on a bike with 3 young kids

- Somchai with his huge truck and extended family of 10 loaded in the back like cattle.

- Young girls (or Thai women in general) who can't even park a car but are allowed to use the highway

- Minivans driving like they're soliciting for a role in fast and the furious

- Overworked bus drivers

and on and on

Edited October 21, 2015 by PocoLoco

[Snig27]

We have a "government" whose primary reason for existing and whole focus is on making sure the masses never get the chance to elect a government of their choice again and yet something like this, which kills tens of thousands of Thai citizens yearly is ignored. When exactly does reform of the police begin? That would be a primary solution to much of this bloodshed. Never is the probable answer sadly.

[casindonet]

Same news every year.....yet NO changes or improvement are made by anyone in power

[trogers]

They are very close to being a HUB that they so craved towards achieving...

[ramrod711]

We have a "government" whose primary reason for existing and whole focus is on making sure the masses never get the chance to elect a government of their choice again and yet something like this, which kills tens of thousands of Thai citizens yearly is ignored. When exactly does reform of the police begin? That would be a primary solution to much of this bloodshed. Never is the probable answer sadly.

Good job! Managing to bring the present government to task for a situation that has been exactly the same for more than a decade, unless you count Yingluck bringing another million plus cars to public roads without improving driver training, actually making things worse. Way to stick your foot in your mouth!

[clockman]

First sack the transport minister, then the traffic police inspector!

[Thian]

But what is the reason the Thai don't have real traffic-police who really patrol and give tickets to offenders?

Don't they have the cars for that? Or don't they trust their crew enough to do it? Or is it too dangerous to do with so many guns around? Or do they fear to be fined themselves?

It seems that nobody cares at all.

[Jeremy50]

Yep, we all know this, and hear the figures [never the real ones] year after year, so when is anyone ever going to do anything about it? And when is Jonny Junta even going to mention it instead of blabbing on about people posting pictures of beer bottles, and other inanities.

[webfact]

40 deaths per day: New study says Thailand’s roads 2nd most dangerous in the world
By Kyle Lawrence Mullin

Thailand’s roads remain among the most dangerous in the world according to a World Health Organization report, which found that the Southeast Asian nation is second only to war-torn Libya in terms of per capita road fatalities.

The UN health agency’s ‘Global status report on road safety 2015‘ study, found that 14,059 people died on Thailand’s roads in 2012 – a rate of 36 people per 100,000 and an average of almost 39 fatalities per day. This places Thailand in the company of Iran (32.1 per 100,000), Togo (31.1) and nine African nations that fell between 30 to 35 deaths per 100,000 people.

However, compared to its ASEAN neighbors, Thailand’s road fatality rate remains woefully high. In Malaysia, the estimated fatality rate per 100,000 was 24, compared to 17.4 in Cambodia, 15.3 in Indonesia and just 3.6 in Singapore.

What is more, Thailand’s actual road fatality rate may be even worse than reported, thanks to skewed reporting by the nation’s Public Health Ministry whose figures only include fatalities at the scene of accidents. Traffic-related deaths which occur later in hospital are not included in official figures.

Full story: http://asiancorrespondent.com/136235/40-deaths-per-day-new-study-says-thailands-roads-2nd-most-dangerous-in-the-world/

-- ASIAN CORRESPONDENT 2015-10-21

[sawadee1947]

...and if you consider they count only those who died at the scene.......The reality is definetely much more terrible. 30% or more even?

[phil2803]

From this story it looks like they are blaming the roads not the drivers. From my experience roads in Thailand are very good. Roads to villages etc not so good so just drive accordingly.

[Thian]

From this story it looks like they are blaming the roads not the drivers. From my experience roads in Thailand are very good. Roads to villages etc not so good so just drive accordingly.

It's more the roadsigns who are no good, people see them at the very last moment and then just steer left to the exitlanes, cutting of the other drivers.

[iBike]

Last time I was stopped in Pattaya at a road block the officer was quoted as saying 'no corruption here' to every farrang he pulled over and gave a fine to while all of the locals being stopped without helmets and so on were given cautions.

Where is the incentive for them to wear a helmet next time?!

[DM07]

Really? I am shocked! Who could have seen that coming!?

[Jessi]

Its not the roads, not the cars at fault but the crazy maniacs driving.

A lot is covered up not all reported.

[bankruatsteve]

73% from 2-3 wheels. Maybe because they put their kids on a motorcycle as soon as their feet can touch the ground with absolutely NO road safety or motorcycle training. It's just crazy.

[Thian]

Last time I was stopped in Pattaya at a road block the officer was quoted as saying 'no corruption here' to every farrang he pulled over and gave a fine to while all of the locals being stopped without helmets and so on were given cautions.

Where is the incentive for them to wear a helmet next time?!

Last time i changed money at Krungsri the lady said "no scamming" and put the money in the countingmachine before handing it to me , funny.

But why did the farang get fined? Were they not wearing a helmet?

[Shasta55]

Have been visiting LOS for almost 40 years. Drove around Chiang Mai, Lampang & Chiang Rai this month. I commented several times to the missus that the driving attitudes seemed markedly better than ever before. Nowhere near as much passing on blind curves and driving at insane speeds etc. Was I dreaming or has anyone else felt the same?

Edited October 21, 2015 by Shasta55

[SuwadeeS]

I do not believe in this statistic.

In Thailand the rate is around 100 per 24 hours.

As long they do not enforce the traffic law, or take away driving licenses, nothin is going to change.

Let them die. Its their own fault.

[mankondang]

That figure is underrated. Thai only count the dead AT THE SCENE. If you die later in the hospital, you don't don't get counted. Fact, not fiction.

Interesting. Who at the "scene" is qualified to pronouns a person is actually dead,?

Could you please supply a reference for this "fact not fiction" you quoted. Thanks

[mankondang]

That figure is underrated. Thai only count the dead AT THE SCENE. If you die later in the hospital, you don't don't get counted. Fact, not fiction.

Interesting. Who at the "scene" is qualified to pronouns a person is actually dead,?

Could you please supply a reference for this "fact not fiction" you quoted. Thanks

[rafish]

This might result from the lack of safety precautions ??

​This is the result of no driving skills and no enforcement of traffic rules !!

More likely, the over use of motorcycles and three wheelers on any roadway usually in violation of any know road safety rules and almost always going the wrong direction at the time of impact I would suggest? Its like swatting flies isn't it?

[rafish]

That figure is underrated. Thai only count the dead AT THE SCENE. If you die later in the hospital, you don't don't get counted. Fact, not fiction.

Interesting. Who at the "scene" is qualified to pronouns a person is actually dead,?

Could you please supply a reference for this "fact not fiction" you quoted. Thanks

Actually "fiction," more like it. The road accident follows the injured to the hospitals and through the registrations of "cause of death," reports and into the court system and National registry. Nice try there, however you almost got away with that Porkey!

[MW72]

Have been visiting LOS for almost 40 years. Drove around Chiang Mai, Lampang & Chiang Rai this month. I commented several times to the missus that the driving attitudes seemed markedly better than ever before. Nowhere near as much passing on blind curves and driving at insane speeds etc. Was I dreaming or has anyone else felt the same?

I don't know what the roads were like before but drive from Lampang to Phrae. Around 20 km out of Lampang you will hit the mountains of Wang ko sai. That's where the fun and games begins. Passing lorrys on blind corners. See a few accidents there. All down to impatience.

[Jim walker]

When are these small time organisations like the W.H.O going to understand this is Thailand where people have a superior brain intellect compared to the rest of the human race on the planet so safety on the roads is unimportant as people know exactly what to do naturally regards to safety while driving this is the reason we are all natural gifted drivers and dont need policing on the roads even the Thai children can drive their motorbikes to school because they are so gifted at road skills by the time they are about 8 and a few deaths on the roads are just a way of weeding out the inferior in society.