104 killed in road accidents on first two New Year 'dangerous days'

[Jonathan Fairfield]

104 killed in road accidents on first two New Year 'dangerous days'

The Nation

BANGKOK:-- The Road Safety Centre reported that besides the 104 deaths, the first two days of the New Year accident-monitoring period saw 1,080 injuries from 1,029 road accidents. All three statistics were down from last year.

At the Road Safety Centre, Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said that on Wednesday alone, 65 persons were killed and 624 wounded in 590 road accidents.

Driving under the influence and speeding - at 20.2 per cent and 16.9 per cent - remained the major causes of accidents. Two-wheel vehicles accounted for 84.7 per cent of all accidents, she said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/104-killed-in-road-accidents-on-first-two-New-Year-30275960.html

-- The Nation 2016-01-01

[NongKhaiKid]

Aren't the figures on fatalities suspect as isn't it the case that people who succumb to their injuries away from the crash scene aren't counted ?

[khwaibah]

According to WHO these figures are total BS as there is an average of 80 road fatalities per day in Thailand.. The figures we are seeing are more than likely backed by TAT.

Edited January 1, 2016 by khwaibah

[Joeb]

Latest World Health Organization stats for Thailand (2010) indicate that over 26,000 people died in road accidents. Have seen nothing that would indicate to me that those numbers have improved greatly since 2010. That would mean that on average, 71 people are killed every day in road accidents in Thailand. 104 in two days would be well below the daily average. If these numbers are all true it would further indicate that the programs during the holidays work and should be applied all year. Either that or all of the numbers reported are just wrong.

[meatboy]

only sympathy i have is for the INNOCENT killed by murderers.

[uli65]

for sure the WHO figures are BS. for some years this nonsense is posted here.

[phitsanulokjohn]

Absolutely sickening statistics.

[jucel]

And the rest, hundreds die each day on the roads here. Just not reported or reported incorrectly.

There used to be a FB page with all the daily carnage & it was horrific. It has now been removed.

The mixture of piddly motorbikes & huge SUVS, trucks, buses + alcohol is not a great combination. Add a soupcon of speed!! and you have the recipe for disaster.

[luckizuchinni]

I unfortunately witnessed one of the fatalities yesterday on Route 1. A man tried to dash across the highway and didn't make it. He was in the loose rubber flip flops, and I think he may not have been as quick as he thought he'd be. The pickup, driven by a young man with his wife and small daughter, probably had no chance to avoid them. Traffic was very heavy and fast.

Just 50 meters down the road was a pedestrian overpass.

Not only did this man die 14 hours before 2016, but his family will always remember this date and their loss, and the poor family who hit him were very obviously devastated. This was so sad.

[tuanku]

“99 percent of all statistics only tell 49 percent of the story.”
― Ron DeLegge II, Gents with No Cents

[i claudius]

Yesterday on soi siam country club , a guy pulled out in front of me ,even after i put my headlights on to warn him not to as he was only a short way in front , i must have stopped about a foot from his door , its unbelievable the stupidity of most Thai drivers , he looked at me as if i was in the wrong and should have stopped to let him out of the small soi into the main road , honestly if his brain had been gunpowder he couldnt have blown his hat off . goodness knows what his small daughter who was sitting on her mothers lap in the front next to him thought .

Edited January 1, 2016 by i claudius

[puukao]

This is not your country, you would not understand!!!

Farang needs to pay more money!!!!

a few hundred divided by around 70 million (5 million tourists, new record!!)......very small percentage

you knew this place was dangerous.......so you only blame yourself!!!

tomorrow discount on soup....now only 25 baht!!!!

[apetley]

for sure the WHO figures are BS. for some years this nonsense is posted here.

So why was the same figure released by a Thai Interior Minister?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Road-death-toll-in-Thailand-among-highest-in-the-w-30202066.html

[fxe1200]

Aren't the figures on fatalities suspect as isn't it the case that people who succumb to their injuries away from the crash scene aren't counted ?

No, they were not counted in the years ago either.

[NoshowJones]

Absolutely sickening statistics.

Yes, and it's not just the Thais, we even had a TV member start a topic about his 14 year old son riding a motorbike with his encouragement.

He even admitted the his son had been riding motorbikes for a few years. So, as I have said, it is not just the Thais.

[lee68]

The big problem is lack of driver training.There are plenty of driving schools out there but the Thais wont use them because they say there to expensive, i sent my wife for 10 lessons at a cost of 2800bt, the guy that taught her was very good,taught her in a manual.what happens is they get a family member to teach them who is a piss poor driver and he or she passes all the bad habits on.Recently 2 of my wife's nieces went and bought cars,neither of them had ever driven before but went and purchased cars and were straight on the road,no licences and absolutely no idea what they are doing,but out there on the roads.very scary!

[bangon04]

Aren't the figures on fatalities suspect as isn't it the case that people who succumb to their injuries away from the crash scene aren't counted ?

Aren't the figures on anything produced by any Thai official at any time suspect?

[meatboy]

The big problem is lack of driver training.There are plenty of driving schools out there but the Thais wont use them because they say there to expensive, i sent my wife for 10 lessons at a cost of 2800bt, the guy that taught her was very good,taught her in a manual.what happens is they get a family member to teach them who is a piss poor driver and he or she passes all the bad habits on.Recently 2 of my wife's nieces went and bought cars,neither of them had ever driven before but went and purchased cars and were straight on the road,no licences and absolutely no idea what they are doing,but out there on the roads.very scary!

you can add to the above,arrogant,pig-headed,brainless,no manners and patience.

[bangon04]

Latest World Health Organization stats for Thailand (2010) indicate that over 26,000 people died in road accidents. Have seen nothing that would indicate to me that those numbers have improved greatly since 2010. That would mean that on average, 71 people are killed every day in road accidents in Thailand. 104 in two days would be well below the daily average. If these numbers are all true it would further indicate that the programs during the holidays work and should be applied all year. Either that or all of the numbers reported are just wrong.

Yes I would be tempted to go for option B....

[sawadee1947]

Aren't the figures on fatalities suspect as isn't it the case that people who succumb to their injuries away from the crash scene aren't counted ?

they count only the fatal cases at the scene. I don't know how many will die later in hospitals...

[samsensam]

some thai friends stayed indoors over new year because they feared 'bombs'.

it isnt bombs they should be afraid of and it isnt just at new year.

[SOTIRIOS]

......nobody has any way of verifying these figures....and 'they' know it....

...in fact 'they' themselves know full well that they can only ever do a 'half-*ssed' job at best'

...this is not a movie or a cartoon....and no miracle has taken place....and it will not...

..people have to want something and make a conscious choice to implement change.....

...this is all about 'looking good' and 'damage control'.....

...refer to the surveys done in the educational field...students and 'teachers'.....nearly 90% of both groups stated: "It's okay to cheat"....

...sorry that says it all....

...and that is what we 'are dealing with'...take it or leave it.....

...up to the individual to have the conscience and the fortitude to break away from the 'Puak Rao' social and moral cancer......and...'do the right thing'.....

....Good Luck .....and...........hopefully...... Happy (or Better) New Year......!!!

[wabothai]

*Deleted post edited out*

unguided missile

Edited January 1, 2016 by Scott

[Brer Fox]

Aren't the figures on fatalities suspect as isn't it the case that people who succumb to their injuries away from the crash scene aren't counted ?

I think you are correct. I suspect you are only counted as a "road death" if you die on the road at the scene of an accident. If you are one of the "injured" and go to hospital and die later you still remain on the "injured" category list and not transferred to the "road death list". I am also guessing if you die later you are merely classified as "death by "accident" which may or may not be anything to do with the road. The stats look better that way.

[chrisinth]

According to WHO these figures are total BS as there is an average of 80 road fatalities per day in Thailand.. The figures we are seeing are more than likely backed by TAT.

Which is a very valid point.

If you weigh the daily average of deaths against the media covered 'high risk' periods, given that there is much, much more traffic migrating during these periods, the fatalities during these periods seems less than the average.

With that logic, it is likely safer to be on the roads during these 'high risk periods than during normal day to day use of the roads.

I wish they would use the same sources when they come to announcing, and evaluating these periods. They also, IMO, need to address the issue of the high fatality rates outside of the identified periods instead of displaying figures during the holiday periods as a perverted badge of honour for Thailand.

[papayasalad]

by chance, cars will soon be equipped with smart break system.

[Pattaya28]

First 2 days ??

It's the 1st today.

Can they know what will happen tomorrow ??

[duckmandon]

Just got home from a short drive & along the way we were overtaken, undertaken & had to take evasive action to avoid a head on. We only drove about 10klms up the canal road & back in Chiang Mai. Will be glad to get home to Australia where I don't need to fear for the safety of my family every day.

[cream]

Taking into account Thailand's atrocious past traffic records,

I can recall the Govt's recent heinous idea,

Traffic Fines Reduced to 100 Baht as ‘New Year Gift’

Unbelievable!

[Tom Cahill]

for sure the WHO figures are BS. for some years this nonsense is posted here.

All these lies about Thailand being number one or two in road deaths is lies.

Most countries who're in the top portion of this don't even count anything like this, so they don't even know. Places in Afria and the Indian sub continent will outstrip Thailand by probably thousands of percent. I wouldn't fall off my chair if some of the really poor places are over 100,000% more, i.e.1000 x more. There are places I've seen where they don't have proper roads, people don't stop for accidents, they don't even stop once the car's stopped with bodies in, and they don't bother to clean up the mess for months, so how can they expect a place with police, cameras, proper roads, driver's licences, trafffic lights, an official side of the road to drive on, etc. to come anywhere near is totally beyond me.

It's the same as the Anti-Corruption stats, where NZ pays for the survey and gets least corrupt every year. People are suckers.

Please drive carefully, that being said.