Kindergarten kid in lucky escape as she falls from school van at intersection

Image: MGR Online

CHIANG RAI: A clip that showed a kindergarten kid fall from the back of a school van caused much comment around Thailand yesterday.

The little girl is shown falling from the van into the middle of a quite busy intersection and it is fortunate that a following car brakes in time. Oblivious to what has happened the driver speeds off leaving the child on the tarmac. Luckily she is not badly hurt but she jumps up to chase the van putting herself in further peril of a serious accident.

The accident occurred at the Mor Peera intersection in central Chiang Rai on the Pahonyothin Road. It emerged that the girl, a kindergarten 2 pupil (that would put her age about four) was being taken to a nearby school. The back door had suddenly swung open when the girl fell out. She grazed bothe her knees but was otherwise unhurt.

Members of the public ran to help to stop the van, make sure she came to no more harm and collect up a bag that fell out with her.

Source: MGR Online

-- 2016-05-28

Wow.. just wow!

Safety ohh sorry where children are concerned safety does not matter.

Cram them in get more money, that is the only thought on the drivers mind.

Second Kid falling out of a moving vehicle in a week and Thais have no clue of Child safety in a vehicle SO sad

Someone is going to run over one of the kids that falls out of a moving Vehicle and it will NOT be their fault IT will be the fault of the parents

Interviewing with a Nursery School I was told how they would take my Child on certain day trips within Bangkok...

I asked about Van Safety, which company they use?, who inspects the Vans?, who vets the drivers?, checked their licence?... I asked about car seats in the Mini-Vans... None of my questions could be answered properly.

I was told that the safety is up to the responsibility of the Van company they Sub-Contract to. I walked straight out - Not interested in that school.

At the next School I asked the same question: The reply - Children of such a young age do not need to go on day trips - the nursery meets their needs. They also mentioned Van safety was an issue etc. I much preferred this reply.

----------

3rd Parties Transporting Kids in Thailand is a major issue for me. We have our Child in a Rear Facing car seat and will do so until at least 4 years old.

At some point over the next few years there will be 'day trip' with his nursery.... At the time I will have a long decision about Van's, seat-belts, child-seats etc.. and decide if its better or not do the drop off and pick up ourselves.

----------

In short - I have no trust in placing my child at the hands of a School Bus driver in Thailand.

With no safety, no child seats, sardine cans (poor crash protection), uneducated drivers, unmaintained vans... locking kids in cars and forgetting.... these are all things that tell me no way should I ever let my child go in these vans.

At the school my children attend the transport department inspect any vehicles outsourced for trips. They must have functional seat belts, they must also be used. The drivers are all breathalysed before the kids are allowed in the vehicles.

The school vans for transporting kids to/from school are regularly checked and have a driver and a bus monitor on each bus who is responsible for taking a register on/off the bus and ensuring the kids wear their seat belts.

The buses/vans are clearly identifiable with a number, if I see them driving irresponsibly I report them, I understand there is a 3 strike rule before they lose the contract.

My biggest concern is that how can you check on the competence of the drivers?

Is there special driver training for bus drivers in Thailand? Is there a special test that must be passed?

I do not know the answers to these questions but if anyone does, I would be interested to know.

At the school my children attend the transport department inspect any vehicles outsourced for trips. They must have functional seat belts, they must also be used. The drivers are all breathalysed before the kids are allowed in the vehicles.

The school vans for transporting kids to/from school are regularly checked and have a driver and a bus monitor on each bus who is responsible for taking a register on/off the bus and ensuring the kids wear their seat belts.

The buses/vans are clearly identifiable with a number, if I see them driving irresponsibly I report them, I understand there is a 3 strike rule before they lose the contract.

My biggest concern is that how can you check on the competence of the drivers?

Is there special driver training for bus drivers in Thailand? Is there a special test that must be passed?

I do not know the answers to these questions but if anyone does, I would be interested to know.

On a side note, I still do not allow my kids to use the daily school transport because I do not trust the drivers.

At the school my children attend the transport department inspect any vehicles outsourced for trips. They must have functional seat belts, they must also be used. The drivers are all breathalysed before the kids are allowed in the vehicles.

The school vans for transporting kids to/from school are regularly checked and have a driver and a bus monitor on each bus who is responsible for taking a register on/off the bus and ensuring the kids wear their seat belts.

The buses/vans are clearly identifiable with a number, if I see them driving irresponsibly I report them, I understand there is a 3 strike rule before they lose the contract.

My biggest concern is that how can you check on the competence of the drivers?

Is there special driver training for bus drivers in Thailand? Is there a special test that must be passed?

I do not know the answers to these questions but if anyone does, I would be interested to know.

I see the various different International School Mini-Van's picking up and dropping off kids at my Condo.

These Vans also have the 'bus-monitor'... It seems that they either don't bother or the kids don't listen - I see that they are not wearing their seat belts, standing on seats etc... (These are 3,4,5,6 year olds)...

Another Concern - I've never seen a Child Seat in any of these Mini-vans.

I'm not sure if the 'bus-monitor' pays any more attention than the driver !...

I doubt the job requires any motivation... this concerns me as it could simply be the most brain-dead and careless of people employed, a warm body there to do an unskilled job counting children on and off a bus.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/744890-four-year-old-thai-boy-dies-in-a-locked-school-van/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/916583-three-year-old-girl-died-of-suffocation-in-a-locked-van/

I think in Thailand that any accountability for the competence of the drivers is not taken seriously, there is an underlying culture which is far from proactive. Issues are only ever handled in a reactionary fashion - usually with a few press announcements of a crack-down and thats about it.

Where possible avoiding the regular transport is a smart move - Added to which, these transports often cost per term. It wouldn't take too much trouble to get with a couple of parents and arrange your own transport with your own driver, your own supervision, checks etc......

I know the company "Montri" is used by a few schools, they are expensive but bus chaperon makes all kids wear seat belts and this is enforced 100% of the time. If the kid does not listen and given several warnings, they will be denied boarding on the bus later on after their parents are warned.

The little girl was more concerned about catching up with the bus not thinking of the danger she was in or her school bag that she dropped.Glad she was not badly hurt.

the stock seat arrangement of those vans would make it impossible to 'fall out' of unless she was crammed in the space between the back door and the back of the rear seat...... ?

...not an accident....gross negligence....

the stock seat arrangement of those vans would make it impossible to 'fall out' of unless she was crammed in the space between the back door and the back of the rear seat...... ?

Some 14 seat versions have 2 inward facing seats at the back which fold up to make luggage space.

Not advisable to use this version with unsupervised 4 year olds and an unlocked rear door though.

Even if seat belts are used with a kid that size they are less than useful.

The parents should be taking these kids to school in their own cars, rather than handing them over to a man they don't know anything about to drive them there. This is for all sorts of reasons including road safety.

Poor girl... Falls out, then sees the van drive off..

Probably more concerned about being left behind, then anything else..

Sad...

The little girl was more concerned about catching up with the bus not thinking of the danger she was in or her school bag that she dropped.Glad she was not badly hurt.

what do you expect from a 4 year old?