Road toll rises to 253 on fourth day

[rooster59]

Road toll rises to 253 on fourth day

WATTANA KHAMCHU,
JITRAPORN SENAWONG
THE SUNDAY NATION

BANGKOK: Jump in accidents and casualties as people start to return to Bangkok

MORE than 250 people have been killed on the country's roads in the first four days of New Year period's 'Seven dangerous days' despite efforts to boost road safety.

During that period 253 people were killed and 2,412 injured in 2,338 accidents, compared to 227 deaths and 2,163 injuries from 2,104 accidents in the same period last year.

Highways and other major arteries were clogged with traffic yesterday as holidaymakers started returning to Bangkok, resulting in the Road Safety Centre instructing provincial authorities to adjust traffic plans for the remainder of the holiday period.

The authorities were told to set up new checkpoints and move existing checkpoints to better suit traffic volume and risky times.

Meanwhile, the crackdown on drink driving and speeding has been ratcheted up, permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry Dr Sophon Mekthon said.

The authorities are also paying more attention to motorists travelling long distances, Sophon said.

In the four-day period Chiang Mai in the North was the province with the highest number of accidents (91) and injuries (91), while the provinces Nakhon Ratchasima, Chiang Rai, Songkhla and Pathum Thani reported the most deaths - nine each.

Eight provinces reported no road deaths during this period. They were Kalasin, Trang, Phang Nga, Phrae, Ranong, Samut Prakan, Sing Buri and Sukhothai.

On Friday there were 647 accidents nationwide and 75 deaths and 657 injuries.

Most of the accidents were the result of drink driving (33 per cent) and speeding (16 per cent). Most accidents occurred between midnight and 4am.

On New Year's day, there were 65,642 officials stationed at 2,103 checkpoints nationwide. They booked 106,661 motorists - mostly for failing to wear a helmet (29,987 cases) and failing to present a driver's licence (29,959).

Colonel Sirichan Ngathong, deputy spokeswoman for the National Council for Peace and Order, reported that from December 25 until Friday soldiers at checkpoints impounded 2,140 vehicles (1,952 motorcycles and 188 cars) for drink driving, while 16,650 motorcyclists and 6,565 drivers face legal action.

In Buri Ram's Prakhon Chai district, highway No 24 was so congested with motorists heading back to Bangkok - a scenario also expected today - police had to manually control traffic lights and urged people to use alternative routes.

Bus terminals in Nakhon Ratchasima in the Northeast were crowded as people queued to buy tickets. And despite an increase in the number of buses to Bangkok from 200 to 400 a day during the holiday period, it was still insufficient. So, a further 50 buses were added, provincial transport office director Sira Boonthamkul said.

The Mitraprap Highway, which passes through Nakhon Ratchasima en route to Bangkok, experienced traffic jams yesterday.

In Pathum Thani's Thanyaburi district, a traffic jam stretched five kilometres on Kanchanaphisek Road (Motorway Route 9) in front of the Thanyaburi Toll Gate, as people returning from hometowns in the North and Northeast headed to Bangkok and Chon Buri.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Road-toll-rises-to-253-on-fourth-day-30276021.html

-- The Nation 2016-01-03

[leeneeds]

One time to impound, now for the follow up, next year KEEP the impounded vehicles, sell them off ! Maybe the message will start to get through ,

[Artisi]

One time to impound, now for the follow up, next year KEEP the impounded vehicles, sell them off ! Maybe the message will start to get through ,

Why wait, they should have been kept this year with a ritual crushing of the bike/ car with the owner in attendance - now that might go some way to get the message to sink in......

[tom21]

looks like it reach the number of deaths as last year for the 7 days

[BSJ]

Next year will be different to 2015/16. They will have more people at the checkpoints and more checkpoints....that should really make a difference!

[Misterwhisper]

Please allow me to attempt a more accurate revision of the headline:

"Just like every year, Road Safety Campaign proves utter failure"

[trogers]

Please allow me to attempt a more accurate revision of the headline:

"Just like every year, Road Safety Campaign proves utter failure"

"Please to announce same number of our bretherns have joined Nirvana".

[stickylies]

I suggest they all get back to oxcart and trishaw during NY and songkran... and the rest of the year

[JOC]

One time to impound, now for the follow up, next year KEEP the impounded vehicles, sell them off ! Maybe the message will start to get through ,

You seem to forget, that 95% of the cars on the roads here are owned by the banks...........................

[Dellboy218]

One time to impound, now for the follow up, next year KEEP the impounded vehicles, sell them off ! Maybe the message will start to get through ,

Not a chance, not until they recognise they are in the wrong and putting themselves into danger. Try beeping a horn at anyone that crosses right in front of you against all traffic regulations, be it on bicycle, motorbike or car. You will get a look designed to intimidate if not kill, they have no concept of why you are sounding your horn even if it is to save their life! It has to start with education in Schools, if you can get someone to educate the teachers. It also needs a protracted TV advertising campaign to make certain actions anti social. It will never happen of course, common sense and a good set of mirrors are your best friend!

[khun custard]

Looking at the (above) numbers and resources the government, police and military have committed to reduce the road toll this year they are to be highly commended.

I am sure these government employees did not want to give up their NY long weekend with their family and friends to deal with this shit

How they develop better drivers and motoring attitudes in this country - I really do not know

[Toknarok]

One time to impound, now for the follow up, next year KEEP the impounded vehicles, sell them off ! Maybe the message will start to get through ,

You seem to forget, that 95% of the cars on the roads here are owned by the banks...........................

Crush 'em anyway. The debt is still owed. If the drunk driver can't or won't pay the bank will get a civil judgement against his land or other property.

[trogers]

One time to impound, now for the follow up, next year KEEP the impounded vehicles, sell them off ! Maybe the message will start to get through ,

You seem to forget, that 95% of the cars on the roads here are owned by the banks...........................

Naahh... Owed by guarantors...

[JOC]

Looking at the (above) numbers and resources the government, police and military have committed to reduce the road toll this year they are to be highly commended.

I am sure these government employees did not want to give up their NY long weekend with their family and friends to deal with this shit

How they develop better drivers and motoring attitudes in this country - I really do not know

If the police did their job on a daily basis, there would no need to invoke emergency laws (art 44) to make them do their job for one week...........................

[NoshowJones]

One time to impound, now for the follow up, next year KEEP the impounded vehicles, sell them off ! Maybe the message will start to get through ,

You seem to forget, that 95% of the cars on the roads here are owned by the banks...........................

That's fine, the drunks will need to compensate the banks.

[crickets]

Turds behind the wheel get away with dangerous driving every day of the year. 7 days of crackdown dont mean anything to them.

[puukao]

There is a ton of land in America, Russia, and China not built out.

Let's put 1 billion idiots somewhere (walled city), give them cars and booze/drugs, and play a game and keep score...

oh, and sorry, you can never leave....

we could see road tolls of 100,000 a day easy!!!

that will make the news....

Edited January 3, 2016 by puukao

[Artisi]

One time to impound, now for the follow up, next year KEEP the impounded vehicles, sell them off ! Maybe the message will start to get through ,

You seem to forget, that 95% of the cars on the roads here are owned by the banks...........................

So, the "owners" will still need to fulfill their debt-- oh! sorry forgot we are talking about LOS, that probably means the "owners" will just walk away believing if they don't have possession they no longer need to pay.....

[kiwikeith]

No license, no helmet being common offences, however I sat and watchced motorbikes come down the soi and about 1 in five wore Helmets.

Many bikes with young hoons on them speeding down sois which are narrow and busy.

So the campaign to crackdown on Hemets is ignored, I have noticed that the Police don't bother to stop them most of the time.

Maybe put up some road signs with the road toll on them and saying slow down speed kills would help, I don't see any road safety advertising or signage or TV campaigns in this country which is a shame.

[Just1Voice]

So that's 63.25 a day, in a country that is about half the size of the State of Texas.

Good work, Thailand. You can make it to #1 in the world for road deaths if you only try a little harder.

Oh, and if you ALSO count those who later die in the hospital a day or week after the accident.

[Langsuan Man]

The Chinese one child policy was designed to limit over population

Thailand uses the road carnage to limit over population

[retarius]

So the net result of all the hype is that there were actually more deaths this year than last, although not any real significant difference. So yesterday's cheering and congratulating of the police for a job well done was premature?

[Hawk]

The authorities were told to set up new checkpoints and move existing checkpoints to better suit traffic volume and risky times.

Yes there are "checkpoints" everywhere but over the past 4 days I have gone past at least 20 so called checkpoints and not a single checkpoint was checking any car or motorcycle.

[Hawk]

The authorities are also paying more attention to motorists travelling long distances, Sophon said.

Not true, all cars were free to speed unmolested. Obviously the head cannot control the tail.

[retarius]

No license, no helmet being common offences, however I sat and watchced motorbikes come down the soi and about 1 in five wore Helmets.

Many bikes with young hoons on them speeding down sois which are narrow and busy.

So the campaign to crackdown on Hemets is ignored, I have noticed that the Police don't bother to stop them most of the time.

Maybe put up some road signs with the road toll on them and saying slow down speed kills would help, I don't see any road safety advertising or signage or TV campaigns in this country which is a shame.

What is a 'hoon'? I never heard the term before. In rural areas very few motorcyclists wear helmets, have licenses, drive on the correct side of the road, or obey the few road signs that exist. It seems that their function in life is to provide a stable income for the police that stop them and take tea money. The problem starts in school where kids driving 4 to a bike with no helmets are policed out on to the roads by actual cops. They don't bother stopping the kids because they've already spent their lunch money and so can't produce a worthwhile amount of tea money for the cops.

[tom21]

Many bikes with young hoons on them speeding down sois which are narrow and busy.

So the campaign to crackdown on Hemets is ignored, I have noticed that the Police don't bother to stop them most of the time.

What is a 'hoon'? I never heard the term before.

the term is common. try to Google it

[Jeremy50]

One time to impound, now for the follow up, next year KEEP the impounded vehicles, sell them off ! Maybe the message will start to get through ,

Not a chance, not until they recognise they are in the wrong and putting themselves into danger. Try beeping a horn at anyone that crosses right in front of you against all traffic regulations, be it on bicycle, motorbike or car. You will get a look designed to intimidate if not kill, they have no concept of why you are sounding your horn even if it is to save their life! It has to start with education in Schools, if you can get someone to educate the teachers. It also needs a protracted TV advertising campaign to make certain actions anti social. It will never happen of course, common sense and a good set of mirrors are your best friend!

I beeped my horn for a full 5 seconds the other day, when a car pulled into the fast lane from a side road forcing me to slam on my brakes. It's a good point, sounding your horn takes the place of a verbal criticism, and is almost completely absent from Thai driving culture. If people receive no form of redress from other road users when they are in the wrong; the mindset of 'I don't care, I do what I want'-'mai pen rai', will just self-perpetuate forever.

[English 1]

Brainless people…..know everything but really know nothing and never listen to any advice

[trainman34014]

One time to impound, now for the follow up, next year KEEP the impounded vehicles, sell them off ! Maybe the message will start to get through ,

Just do what other countries do and give them a month to come up with around 15,000 Baht for towing/parking etc and if they don't then the vehicle is crushed without further notice. Also dish out 12 month minimum driving bans and heavy fines to drunken drivers across the board.

Sadly; the only response will be ''We mustn't be too hard on them ''.

Humans are wild animals and need discipline...read 'correction/training', and without these requirement remain wild.

[Artisi]

So the net result of all the hype is that there were actually more deaths this year than last, although not any real significant difference. So yesterday's cheering and congratulating of the police for a job well done was premature?

Did they pay themselves the reward prior to the final count, it is normal practice to pay up early, especially when it comes to bombings and murders of tourists.....