Udon Thani steps up road checks after high rate of accidents

[webfact]

Udon Thani steps up road checks after high rate of accidents

UDON THANI, 14 April 2016 (NNT) – Udon Thani’s deputy governor has ordered more stringent control of road users after finding a higher rate of road accidents and fatalities than targeted for the Songkran holiday period.

Deputy Governor of Udon Thani Somwang Puangbangpoh recently met with the province’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office and received a report indicating that 16 accidents took place in the province on the official beginning of Songkran on April 12. A total 14 injuries resulted from the accidents with 2 fatalities. From the start of the holiday travel period, 34 accidents were recorded with 37 injuries and 4 fatalities.

Somwang pointed out the most common causes of the accidents were drunk driving and failure to wear a helmet as well as disobeying traffic rules. Motorcycles and pick up truckers were the most common vehicles involved in accidents.

As a result of the meeting, the deputy governor has ordered authorities more strictly penalize drunk drivers and motorcycle riders without helmets, asking the public to report any transgressors to police. He bid all be mindful of their safety so that they may enjoy the Songkran holiday to its fullest.

-- NNT 2016-04-14

[jamesbrock]

Lip service.

Penalising those drunks more strictly who happen to ride past a checkpoint, that happens to be manned or otherwise operational, does not an effective policing strategy make.

Edited April 14, 2016 by jamesbrock

[NCC1701A]

"As a result of the meeting, the deputy governor has ordered authorities more strictly penalize drunk drivers and motorcycle riders without helmets, asking the public to report any transgressors to police."

"Hello Mr. Policeman, here is a video showing 1,857 people riding without a helmet in a 30 minute period at the main intersection in town in front the police traffic box."

"Thanks, we will get right on this."

[selftaopath]

Lip service.

Penalising those drunks more strictly who happen to ride past a checkpoint, that happens to be manned or otherwise operational, does not an effective policing strategy make.

Does "an effective policing strategy" exist in Thailand?

[jamesbrock]

Lip service.

Penalising those drunks more strictly who happen to ride past a checkpoint, that happens to be manned or otherwise operational, does not an effective policing strategy make.

Does "an effective policing strategy" exist in Thailand?

I guess it all depends on who one asks. The elites who literally get away with murder, the mafia bosses who buy their impunity on monthly plan, and the senior police who continue to amass vast fortunes of unusual wealth would probably say the policing here is very effective.

Those of us who are used to an actual police force enforcing actual laws, not so much.

[ratcatcher]

Reactive, Inactive but not Proactive.; After the fact policing. If you catch them driving while drunk, take their vehicles and crush them and do some jail time after a court sentence.

[bdenner]

Just be reminded the good Police Colonel Dr Pullop Aramhla has assured us the BIB are busting their guts to ensure confidence in the police force:-

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/909654-why-its-not-easy-being-a-thai-police-officer/

[PeVee1st]

Been out & about in Udon today, same idiots as usual, just avoided an idiot driving the wrong way on the No.2 road because they did not want to drive 50m to the u turn.

Did not see one police or any road checks in action.

[sgtsabai]

For some time Udon has been under a deluge of police roadblocks, although I have heard that there has been some relaxing of them lately, at night. I have had no doubt that it effects downtown business because unless you know where the roadblocks are (many younger Thais do) you are going to get hammered for having one or two beers. Don't ever think those Breathalyzers are calibrated, unless it is to show higher than what it should be. Day time I see plenty checking for cargo, registration, license and helmet. Gotta' keep that money coming in to the mia noi benevolent fund.

[hgma]

we all know that people are the answer to this epedemical problem.

refuse to step in a car with a drunk driver could be encouraged, and civil 'stand-downs' people leave drunk with a car...call a special intervention number

Cars with drunks ,severe drunks, confiscated and on sale in a special public auction, same for motorcycles.......

Police AND public should be ready to act, not talk.

[Khun Paul]

There is a large well lit and very obvious check point on the Sakon nahkon Road opposite the local thai Siri market, they have blocked off the U Turn so traffic is obliged to go further to turn around. Sittin g there yestereday were i assume local volunteers with i think ONE Police officer all talking and reading magazines and looking at their telephones , one i saw was collecting orders to go shopping over the road.

The traffic slowed down enough to make sure that they are NOT going to be stopped and they weren`t.

This is the real face of Udon clamp-down, every year the same , inconvenience to the road user, sop to the Government vrack-down and bugger all enforcement, I watched them for at least 30 minutes, seeing if this year they would actually stop people driving fast....no, stop people not wearing helmets ....no, stop people going the wrong way in front of them ....no, checking on drunk driving ......no.

Just a show of incompetence.

[rickudon]

Police checks last year were very vigorous, I was stopped about 10 times in 3 months - all the same reason - no number plate. It took 3 months to get a new one! Only paid once, receipt from police good after that.