259 die and 2,378 injured in four days of Songkran festival celebration

[jeab1980]

Please read headlines this is Thailand not your land. You visit here or live here on extensions you can not vote you can not make laws or change laws. Thai authority let's you stay some are married some are bar/girl hopers all of you are guests. Stop worrying about what Thai's do and do what you came here to do enjoy yourself for goodness sake I have never seen or read so much anti Thai comments as this forum gives maybe should be called Thai haters forum or We want to change everything in Thailand forum.

So is it not important to care about saving lifes ? Should we stop worrying about more road deaths ? It's our lives at stake here , both foreigners and Thais .

Or do you mean we should just "produce more children" if someone dies like an official person mentioned some time ago .....

Save your breath, balo they just don't care! Yesterday, I was turning right on a green light at a major intersection with my Thai girlfriend, her mother and aunt as passengers. I was halfway across the road when a silver pickup truck jumped the red light. If I hand't stopped he would have slammed into us and the driver was certainly not a farang. I suppose by Jeob's standards I shouldn't be treating my intended and her family to a day out and it was my fault for being there. In fact I just listened to the PM on his Friday TV talk and even he said that they have to find a way to cut down the accidents. Jeob, no one is saying that it is easy but if there were tougher laws for those who break traffic rules (like a two or more years driving ban) then people would think twice about breaking traffic laws especially at holiday time.

Please try at least to get my name correct. As I only have your version of the event you tell about I cannot comment

Yes PM (who is Thai)speaks about safer roads as all Thais do we listen and act on PM. You not have idiots driving in your country yes you do.

Edited April 15, 2016 by jeab1980

[sawadee1947]

Thailand's road fatality rate is 13 times higher than the UK, which has a similar-sized population. The country is soaked in blood. I am driving less and less until something is done. I want to die in a rocking chair not a road accident.

No Risk - No Fun

Rocking Chair - Wheel Chair

[TKDfella]

Please read headlines this is Thailand not your land. You visit here or live here on extensions you can not vote you can not make laws or change laws. Thai authority let's you stay some are married some are bar/girl hopers all of you are guests. Stop worrying about what Thai's do and do what you came here to do enjoy yourself for goodness sake I have never seen or read so much anti Thai comments as this forum gives maybe should be called Thai haters forum or We want to change everything in Thailand forum.

So is it not important to care about saving lifes ? Should we stop worrying about more road deaths ? It's our lives at stake here , both foreigners and Thais .

Or do you mean we should just "produce more children" if someone dies like an official person mentioned some time ago .....

Save your breath, balo they just don't care! Yesterday, I was turning right on a green light at a major intersection with my Thai girlfriend, her mother and aunt as passengers. I was halfway across the road when a silver pickup truck jumped the red light. If I hand't stopped he would have slammed into us and the driver was certainly not a farang. I suppose by Jeob's standards I shouldn't be treating my intended and her family to a day out and it was my fault for being there. In fact I just listened to the PM on his Friday TV talk and even he said that they have to find a way to cut down the accidents. Jeob, no one is saying that it is easy but if there were tougher laws for those who break traffic rules (like a two or more years driving ban) then people would think twice about breaking traffic laws especially at holiday time.

Please try at least to get my name correct. As I only have your version of the event you tell about I cannot comment

Yes PM (who is Thai)speaks about safer roads as all Thais do we listen and act on PM. You not have idiots driving in your country yes you do.

Jeab, I apologise for my typo. Re my version...I hope you are not calling me a liar. In my country there are far less accidents and less deaths but only because there are tougher laws. For killing someone on the road it's a LIFETIME driving ban and family of the deceased CAN also take the driver to court as well. Yes there are driving idiots in EVERY COUNTRY but the idea is to have tough laws that deter the majority. Don't you want Thailand to become way down on the world list for road deaths instead of being almost at the top?

[jeab1980]

Not any one will care only a Thai I am. One of those so called low lifes so most 99% of you say. I have spent a week reading not all forums but enough to know I belive this forum should and will be reported. I knowing you won't care I'm hope when I tell my leader about this and will look them self so they know I speak true they will report it on again. So I leave with sadness wish I had never looked changed my opinion of Farang due to this. Lucky my farang husband not on here he at least tries to intigrate

[SABloke]

Not any one will care only a Thai I am. One of those so called low lifes so most 99% of you say. I have spent a week reading not all forums but enough to know I belive this forum should and will be reported. I knowing you won't care I'm hope when I tell my leader about this and will look them self so they know I speak true they will report it on again. So I leave with sadness wish I had never looked changed my opinion of Farang due to this. Lucky my farang husband not on here he at least tries to intigrate

I pity your husband

I should add that ''Farang'' isn't a culture. There are over a billion ''farang'' in the world, speaking 100's of different languages and living in many many countries. If you base your opinion of a ''race'' of people on a few posts on a forum you're as stupid as people that start questions with, ''Why do farang...'', ''Do farang (insert normal human function/action)'' and ''Can you eat spicy food?(asked in the tone of amazement that displays no knowledge that chillis exist in the rest of the world)''

Edited April 15, 2016 by SABloke

[Artisi]

Please read headlines this is Thailand not your land. You visit here or live here on extensions you can not vote you can not make laws or change laws. Thai authority let's you stay some are married some are bar/girl hopers all of you are guests. Stop worrying about what Thai's do and do what you came here to do enjoy yourself for goodness sake I have never seen or read so much anti Thai comments as this forum gives maybe should be called Thai haters forum or We want to change everything in Thailand forum.

So is it not important to care about saving lifes ? Should we stop worrying about more road deaths ? It's our lives at stake here , both foreigners and Thais .

Or do you mean we should just "produce more children" if someone dies like an official person mentioned some time ago .....

Save your breath, balo they just don't care! Yesterday, I was turning right on a green light at a major intersection with my Thai girlfriend, her mother and aunt as passengers. I was halfway across the road when a silver pickup truck jumped the red light. If I hand't stopped he would have slammed into us and the driver was certainly not a farang. I suppose by Jeob's standards I shouldn't be treating my intended and her family to a day out and it was my fault for being there. In fact I just listened to the PM on his Friday TV talk and even he said that they have to find a way to cut down the accidents. Jeob, no one is saying that it is easy but if there were tougher laws for those who break traffic rules (like a two or more years driving ban) then people would think twice about breaking traffic laws especially at holiday time.

Driving ban, that would just increase the number of unlicensed drivers - not a cure.

[john11k]

I totally agree with jeab1980,

I am a farang in Thailand, and married to a Thai, I have been going to Thailand for the past fifteen years , and I think it is wrong of foreigners to talk about Thai people like this, of all the years I am going to Thailand I have been driving there with no trouble, main thing is to be very aware, I have driven all over Thailand this year and all over songkran as well, I have been stopped on numerous occasions , but I have also been very very aware of my surroundings,,,, if you don't break the law , you will have no trouble, who are we ( foreigners ) to tell the Thai people what to do and how to drive, we also must not forget the amount of foreigners who drink drive, non use of helmets etc. etc. etc.,,,, in Thailand,, im presuming they are all great drivers and the law should be different for them !!!! yes go enjoy Thailand but pay them the respect they deserve, Me personally have never had any trouble in fifteen years, just smiles and help,, I always remember I am a foreigner in there country,

and yes , they do need to do something about the road deaths and road sense and safety of Thai driving, BUT who are we to say or tell them what to do, are we foreigner's always right in our way of thinking,,,,,,

near enough everybody on this form are either living or working or just enjoying Thailand in general, why o why are ye all down on the Thai people, maybe they should change the name to Thai haters ! for gods sake or Buddha or whoever's sake guys, enjoy yourself and stay safe,

[Squeegee]

I'm sorry?

Which southern province, tsunami, not terrorist bomb was this, again?

259 people dead and 2, 378 injured.

I mean, that's a good plane smacking into a train catastrophe's worth of corpses, right there.

Oh! They're having fun!

Well, if we keep more clothes on and have no beer sales within 300 kilometres of the festival people will be safer.

GOVERNMENTS: KNOW YOUR CATASTROPHES - FESTIVALS SAVE PLANES

[TrevorS]

Meanwhile, there are police at checkpoints right across the land staring at their phones wondering how this can happen. Again.

or they are out arresting half starved farangs with no shirts

[freedom4life]

Cool...no one can boast these kinds of numbers for having a great time..one way to go out in a bang.

[balo]

I totally agree with jeab1980,

I am a farang in Thailand, and married to a Thai, I have been going to Thailand for the past fifteen years , and I think it is wrong of foreigners to talk about Thai people like this, of all the years I am going to Thailand I have been driving there with no trouble, main thing is to be very aware, I have driven all over Thailand this year and all over songkran as well, I have been stopped on numerous occasions , but I have also been very very aware of my surroundings,,,, if you don't break the law , you will have no trouble, who are we ( foreigners ) to tell the Thai people what to do and how to drive, we also must not forget the amount of foreigners who drink drive, non use of helmets etc. etc. etc.,,,, in Thailand,, im presuming they are all great drivers and the law should be different for them !!!! yes go enjoy Thailand but pay them the respect they deserve, Me personally have never had any trouble in fifteen years, just smiles and help,, I always remember I am a foreigner in there country,

and yes , they do need to do something about the road deaths and road sense and safety of Thai driving, BUT who are we to say or tell them what to do, are we foreigner's always right in our way of thinking,,,,,,

near enough everybody on this form are either living or working or just enjoying Thailand in general, why o why are ye all down on the Thai people, maybe they should change the name to Thai haters ! for gods sake or Buddha or whoever's sake guys, enjoy yourself and stay safe,

Are you a troll ? Not sure what to make of this.

We live here in Thailand , we , the foreigners contribute million of baht every week into the Thai economy . And we care , we care about Thailand, we do not hate Thailand. But we have the right to express what we feel about crime, politics , road deaths etc.

I could have settled down in Cambodia , in Malaysia, in Laos, in Singapore, in the Phillippines, but I choose Thailand. Because I like the atmosphere and the people. But I do not have to like the whole package . Do you understand ?

It's called freedom of speech , if Thais do not like it then you can just ask us to leave , all of us, and maybe Thailand can stay out of ASEAN too, if you do not want a real democracy .

.

[marko kok prong]

Not any one will care only a Thai I am. One of those so called low lifes so most 99% of you say. I have spent a week reading not all forums but enough to know I belive this forum should and will be reported. I knowing you won't care I'm hope when I tell my leader about this and will look them self so they know I speak true they will report it on again. So I leave with sadness wish I had never looked changed my opinion of Farang due to this. Lucky my farang husband not on here he at least tries to intigrate

I am TELLING ON YOU,really if you a Thai,what a childish reaction,then again to be expected i guess.

[DM07]

@john11 and jeab:

I live here and I am in danger!

My wife and her family live here and they are in danger!

My child will live here and will be in danger!

Friends of mine are living here and they are in danger!

Friends will visit and be in danger!

So I care!

Only not for your stupid comments and inane drivel!

[Nigeone]

Wow....reading some of this stuff is mind blowing.... To the people saying 'Farang' should stay out of issues to do with Thailand I would tend to agree in most instances... I wouldn't like Thai's telling me how Britain should be run! However the point that's being missed is that the people in charge and Thai's don't grasp what's needed to prevent this carnage and misery caused EVERY day on Thai roads.. Most on here will come from a regulated transport country where first of all a provisional licence is issued before you can set foot in a vehicle...Then only with insurance and a qualified driver sitting along side you... When and only when your instructor deems you fit and competent to enter for your test does that happen...No guarantees that you pass! This can take months or even years of instruction in some cases... Then if you pass you have also to have passed a proficiency test on driving rules which is hard to do nowadays..You don't get to drive on your own very easily. ! Then you have to maintain your vehicle,always have insurance and road tax paid and up to date.. On any of these issues if found not to have done or not have a licence your banned and can be jailed. You can't buy a licence and you can't buy your way out of a incident ! Basically you get punished for breaking the law!! Including jail.! Farang in here for the most part have gone through these measures and therefore reckonise that this cuts down accidents and improves driving standards. Also drink driving is a immediate ban and possibly jail...You also lose your licence and have to retake your test... This is why it's exasperating to see what happens in Thailand..No tests ! No licenses in so many cases,no awareness of road rules and no real drink driving dettererent . If these issues were enforced or in some cases introduced you wouldn't have 70 people a day that's admitted to dying daily on Thai roads... I don't hate the Thai people in fact think their lovely people generally,always some bad apples in every nation, but the carnage on the roads for the most part can be avoided !! That's why

'Falang' are so outspoken about this...Today it's someone's father,mother son or daughter but tomorrow it could be any of us !!

Edited April 15, 2016 by Nigeone

[selftaopath]

Horrible place to drive -- anytime.

As has been discussed in some other threads, this number is right on the average through any recent year, assuming 2013 wasn't an exception.

According to WHO, there were 2437 traffic fatalities in Thailand in 2013. Dividing that by 365, we get an average of 66.4 per day, multiplied by 4 (days) it's 265.6.

I guess that's a good reminder to not let our guards down any after the holiday finishes.

"Letting our guard down" ever while on Thai murder roads is totally insane. The madness is utterly remarkable. Thais don't seem to know better.

[selftaopath]

Meanwhile, there are police at checkpoints right across the land staring at their phones wondering how this can happen. Again.

I seriously doubt that any of those police are 'wondering how this can happen'. That would imply that they actually care, which they obviously do not.

All the enforcers care about is Baht.

If all the Thai road warriors became legitimate in behavior/ driving etc. the bribe money would dry up to a point of genuine concern for those who embrace corruption.

[Nigeone]

Sorry for the long post above !

As a footnote..4 examples of Thai ladies who came to my country and all had been driving since there teens in Thailand..No licence for any of them

My ex wife.... Driving a car in Thailand for 14 years...took 3 tests and approx 15 months to pass her test..

My friends wife...Driving a car in Thailand for 12 years...took 7 tests and approx 26 months to pass her test

Ex wife's friend... Driving a car in Thailand for 10 years...took 6 tests and gave up ,not sure how long as had breaks between.

Thai friend..Driving a car in Thailand for 7 years...took 4 tests before passing and husband was a driving instructor 17 months!

All these people have pretty good English ability as a very good ESL course ran here incidentally by a guy who's wife is Thai also..most passed there theory first time as to be fair they all works really hard to learn the Highway Code.

[thai3]

Exactly, proves that the Thai driving test is a dangerous farce letting people who cannot drive out onto the roads to kill people, and themselves. It's a madness that nobody seems to care about until it's one of their family being stuffed in the oven at the wat.

[stereolab]

I seem to remember that the PM told the police to take care of the people over this period, seems neither the police nor the public took any notice, as usual.

I can only guess as to what part alcohol played in all this, you add to that Thai driving skills and its no surprise. Thais clearly cannot handle either and there seems no politcal will to change either of these. Until they take the bull by the horns and deal with these issues nothing will change, I will just keep off the roads until normal service has been resumed and thats bad enough.

I am not sure that the people of the area of Isaan I live in bother to watch the Prime Ministers show on a Friday night. I had to drive into Nong Khai on the 13th, and was abs olutely taken aback by the way locals were behaving, stopping cars on the main road, soaking motorcyclists, young children running over the road , and on my return trip it was noticeable that groups of young men, were intent on causing trouble. Defensive and very slow driving was the order of the day. Only one police checkpoint seen, no police present, just some uniformed locals busy texting.

[Nigeone]

He if he had any grey matter wouldn't need Falang to point out what the problem is..talk is cheap !! Actually carry out what you threaten to do would be a start !!

[jamesbrock]

I totally agree with jeab1980,

I am a farang in Thailand, and married to a Thai, I have been going to Thailand for the past fifteen years , and I think it is wrong of foreigners to talk about Thai people like this, of all the years I am going to Thailand I have been driving there with no trouble, main thing is to be very aware, I have driven all over Thailand this year and all over songkran as well, I have been stopped on numerous occasions , but I have also been very very aware of my surroundings,,,, if you don't break the law , you will have no trouble, who are we ( foreigners ) to tell the Thai people what to do and how to drive, we also must not forget the amount of foreigners who drink drive, non use of helmets etc. etc. etc.,,,, in Thailand,, im presuming they are all great drivers and the law should be different for them !!!! yes go enjoy Thailand but pay them the respect they deserve, Me personally have never had any trouble in fifteen years, just smiles and help,, I always remember I am a foreigner in there country,

and yes , they do need to do something about the road deaths and road sense and safety of Thai driving, BUT who are we to say or tell them what to do, are we foreigner's always right in our way of thinking,,,,,,

near enough everybody on this form are either living or working or just enjoying Thailand in general, why o why are ye all down on the Thai people, maybe they should change the name to Thai haters ! for gods sake or Buddha or whoever's sake guys, enjoy yourself and stay safe,

Are you a troll ? Not sure what to make of this.

We live here in Thailand , we , the foreigners contribute million of baht every week into the Thai economy . And we care , we care about Thailand, we do not hate Thailand. But we have the right to express what we feel about crime, politics , road deaths etc.

I could have settled down in Cambodia , in Malaysia, in Laos, in Singapore, in the Phillippines, but I choose Thailand. Because I like the atmosphere and the people. But I do not have to like the whole package . Do you understand ?

It's called freedom of speech , if Thais do not like it then you can just ask us to leave , all of us, and maybe Thailand can stay out of ASEAN too, if you do not want a real democracy .

These puerile responses from other foreigners really rile me. It's as though they want to impress their girlfriends/wives with their Thainess so much that they fall for the the idealised, fictional, narrative of the Thai nation and of what it means to be Thai, a narrative that depicts the country as a uniquely blessed kingdom in which nobody questions the established order. One can't blame jeab1980 for feeling this way, she was, after all, born into this culture and has been indoctrinated into this exceptionalism; the foreigners that convert to it, though, should be derided.

jeab1980's statement, "Yes PM (who is Thai)speaks about safer roads as all Thais do we listen and act on PM" proves the idealised narrative beyond doubt: if the people listened, or acted, the death rate would be going down, not up - yet, like the politicians, they say what sounds good, even if it is factually incorrect; and those that point this out, that do question the established order, are labelled 'haters.' This extreme response, labelling people 'haters,' is a product of the Thai exceptionalism - Thailand has forever looked inward, and any suggestion that another country may have a better way is attacked with venom.

I am glad I took my wife to Australia all those years ago, so she could view Thailand from outside its exceptionalist prism. To see the slow, gradual realisation that the official narrative is highly fictionalised, and that certain aspects of the culture (mass corruption, grossly uneven distribution of wealth because of this corruption, and police ineffectualness) are simply unacceptable was remarkable. This 'awakening,' so to speak, has enabled her to understand me better as well, and all the things that annoyed me about Thailand.

I don't hate Thailand. Far from it. Like most visitors before me over the centuries, I was beguiled by the luminous beauty and vibrancy of Thai culture, and moved and inspired by the graciousness, charm and warmth of most its people - it's just become impossible to ignore all the everyday horror and human misery that is allowed to flourish here alongside so much to cherish and admire, especially when these horrors and miseries affect my family and loved ones.

There are lots of things I do hate, though, just as there are a lot of things I hate about my home country. I hate the fact that 24,000 people die on the roads each year, and many more hundred of thousands are maimed or injured - and the authorities are seemingly incapable of doing anything to reduce this toll.

Is it 'hating' Thailand to want this annual slaughter to stop?

Yes, there are idiots on the roads in Australia - too many in fact - but the total number of people who died on Australian roads in 2014 was 1155 - this many people die in Thailand every 17 days. The annual economic cost of road crashes in Australia is estimated at AU$27 billion per annum—and the social impacts are devastating—imagine the economic cost to Thailand with 24,237 deaths, imagine the social impacts... Yes, Australia has far fewer people, but the road deaths per 100,000 people ratio, which is now 4.87—the lowest figure ever recorded—is only 13 percent of Thailand's. Since 1925, 90 years ago, over 187,000 people have died on Australian roads - this many people were killed in Thailand in the past 7 years. This is indefensible.

No other place in the world means more to me than Thailand, and nowhere else breaks my heart so often, and it troubles me that so many Thais seem to have lost faith in their ability to solve the problems their country faces, and have decided to just pretend the problems don’t exist at all, and attack those that do speak of them (even if they have no say in whether the country changes or not).

To jeab1980, I'm sorry that you feel the way you do. I'm sorry that you feel we hate you. Just understand that hating things you do, or allow to occur, is not hating you.

Edit: typo

Edited April 16, 2016 by jamesbrock

[jamesbrock]

Sorry for the long post above !

As a footnote..4 examples of Thai ladies who came to my country and all had been driving since there teens in Thailand..No licence for any of them

My ex wife.... Driving a car in Thailand for 14 years...took 3 tests and approx 15 months to pass her test..

My friends wife...Driving a car in Thailand for 12 years...took 7 tests and approx 26 months to pass her test

Ex wife's friend... Driving a car in Thailand for 10 years...took 6 tests and gave up ,not sure how long as had breaks between.

Thai friend..Driving a car in Thailand for 7 years...took 4 tests before passing and husband was a driving instructor 17 months!

All these people have pretty good English ability as a very good ESL course ran here incidentally by a guy who's wife is Thai also..most passed there theory first time as to be fair they all works really hard to learn the Highway Code.

Yes, I, too, apologise for my long post!

My wife rode a mocy for 30-odd years unlicensed, drove a car once 20-someting years ago - crashed it, unlicensed, never drove again.

Went for her learners permit in Australia, after studying for months, passed it first go; had three months of supervised driving with tons of lessons, passed her probationary test first go. Drives confidently and safely in Australia; won't drive in Thailand - which is fine by me!

[ChrisKC]

James Brock,

A nicely balanced perspective!

[apetley]

Please read headlines this is Thailand not your land. You visit here or live here on extensions you can not vote you can not make laws or change laws. Thai authority let's you stay some are married some are bar/girl hopers all of you are guests. Stop worrying about what Thai's do and do what you came here to do enjoy yourself for goodness sake I have never seen or read so much anti Thai comments as this forum gives maybe should be called Thai haters forum or We want to change everything in Thailand forum.

Why is a person a 'Thai hater' because they comment on the absolutely appalling carnage in the roads here and the seemingly inability to get a handle on the problem?

My Thai wife and mother in law must be haters too as their brother/son was killed by a drunk driver and they hate the situation as it stands too.

[TKDfella]

Please read headlines this is Thailand not your land. You visit here or live here on extensions you can not vote you can not make laws or change laws. Thai authority let's you stay some are married some are bar/girl hopers all of you are guests. Stop worrying about what Thai's do and do what you came here to do enjoy yourself for goodness sake I have never seen or read so much anti Thai comments as this forum gives maybe should be called Thai haters forum or We want to change everything in Thailand forum.

So is it not important to care about saving lifes ? Should we stop worrying about more road deaths ? It's our lives at stake here , both foreigners and Thais .

Or do you mean we should just "produce more children" if someone dies like an official person mentioned some time ago .....

Save your breath, balo they just don't care! Yesterday, I was turning right on a green light at a major intersection with my Thai girlfriend, her mother and aunt as passengers. I was halfway across the road when a silver pickup truck jumped the red light. If I hand't stopped he would have slammed into us and the driver was certainly not a farang. I suppose by Jeob's standards I shouldn't be treating my intended and her family to a day out and it was my fault for being there. In fact I just listened to the PM on his Friday TV talk and even he said that they have to find a way to cut down the accidents. Jeob, no one is saying that it is easy but if there were tougher laws for those who break traffic rules (like a two or more years driving ban) then people would think twice about breaking traffic laws especially at holiday time.

Driving ban, that would just increase the number of unlicensed drivers - not a cure.

Agreed, that is a possibility. But it would mean that people who drive without a license just didn't care about the law

[metisdead]

Offensive posts and replies have been removed.

[jamesbrock]

Driving ban, that would just increase the number of unlicensed drivers - not a cure.

Agreed, that is a possibility. But it would mean that people who drive without a license just didn't care about the law

And the people who speed, drink drive, overload vehicles and carry passengers in the rear of pickups, fail to wear seatbelts or helmets, or drive on footpaths or the wrong direction on roads care about the law?

[Artisi]

Driving ban, that would just increase the number of unlicensed drivers - not a cure.

Agreed, that is a possibility. But it would mean that people who drive without a license just didn't care about the law

And the people who speed, drink drive, overload vehicles and carry passengers in the rear of pickups, fail to wear seatbelts or helmets, or drive on footpaths or the wrong direction on roads care about the law?

They care alright, care to ignore the laws and common sense.

[TKDfella]

Driving ban, that would just increase the number of unlicensed drivers - not a cure.

Agreed, that is a possibility. But it would mean that people who drive without a license just didn't care about the law

And the people who speed, drink drive, overload vehicles and carry passengers in the rear of pickups, fail to wear seatbelts or helmets, or drive on footpaths or the wrong direction on roads care about the law?

Yes of course the same applies but my comment was in the particular only referring to D.L. at the time.

[Artisi]

Driving ban, that would just increase the number of unlicensed drivers - not a cure.

Agreed, that is a possibility. But it would mean that people who drive without a license just didn't care about the law

And the people who speed, drink drive, overload vehicles and carry passengers in the rear of pickups, fail to wear seatbelts or helmets, or drive on footpaths or the wrong direction on roads care about the law?

Yes of course the same applies but my comment was in the particular only referring to D.L. at the time.

If they cared about the law, they wouldn't be on the banned list to start with.