New drunk-driving law would punish families

Chutharat Plerin

 

 

PHUKET:-- Provincial officials told the Phuket Gazette on October 7 that they are prepared to support and enforce a new law that would punish the families of drunk drivers, should the legislation be approved by Thailand’s Cabinet. 

Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith is behind the proposed new law aimed at cracking down on the number of drunk driving accidents, deaths and injuries across the Kingdom. In addition to stricter laws around what constitutes the act of drunk or impaired driving, the legislation seeks to extend punitive fines to the immediate family members of drunk driving offenders.

The legislation comes after a report by the World Health Organization found Thailand to have the second highest road accident fatality rate in the world, with more than a quarter of the Kingdom's deaths attributed to drunk driving.

 

Full Story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/New-drunkdriving-law-punish-families/65696?desktopversion#ad-image-0

 

-- © Copyright Phuket Gazette 2016-10-11

Just couldn't make the law to fine the dui driver......now they want to extend the fine to encompass the entire family..am I reading this right?...if so, what are these people trying to do??

Collective punishment? Seriously?

If they would just enforce the existing laws, they would not need new ones.

 

Great idea , so if the family is broke , who's paying ? 

 

 

22 minutes ago, balo said:

Great idea , so if the family is broke , who's paying ? 

 

 

The farang brother-in-law of course will have double fines levied.

Thai laws are often much stricter in terms of the scope, the punishment and the interpretation.

 

Thai laws are often unenforced.

 

This allows the police to become very rich and have tremendous power.

Ridiculous idea. What the police need to do is get out on the roads during the time of day when most drunk driving accidents occur and run breathalyser checks on anyone driving too fast or erratically.

 

 

Ridiculous idea, just another publicity grabbing headline to make it look as if something's being done.

Let's start with decent enforcement then a proper fine and disqualification for the driver. Charges against other people can be considered if, for example, they allow someone to drive their car without holding a licence or knowing they are drunk.

 

The downside of enforcement is how selective it can be depending on several factors and as far as I know there's no national register of disqualified drivers so someone who is ' disqualified ' can happily take a chance knowing the worst they face is not carrying a driving licence.  Disqualification itself is a joke unless it's for a meaningful period and driving while disqualified should be treated as a contempt of court and be punished accordingly.

 

Meanwhile all that will happen, as with so many issues, is that officials will talk, perhaps new laws will be enacted but will go on the books and forgotten about. Headlines and publicity have been achieved so move on to something else.

Unless of course they are from wealthy elite families like the Red Bull Ferrari hit and run cop killer.

So anyone married to an abusive alcoholic will now also have to pay fines for them too.

10 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Just couldn't make the law to fine the dui driver......now they want to extend the fine to encompass the entire family..am I reading this right?...if so, what are these people trying to do??

Punish the innocent as well as those at fault

10 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Just couldn't make the law to fine the dui driver......now they want to extend the fine to encompass the entire family..am I reading this right?...if so, what are these people trying to do??

Convince the driver not to drink....

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

So anyone married to an abusive alcoholic will now also have to pay fines for them too.

Did anybody bother to read the linked article.............it seems to specifically mention parents of teens as being the target........

What is the extent of 'family'?

 

Can't see this seriously imposed, surely the ones at home have no say in the matter.

 

Ridiculous.

1 minute ago, topt said:

Did anybody bother to read the linked article.............it seems to specifically mention parents of teens as being the target........

 

So the kids from rich families will know their parents will pay up instead of them. Sounds like encouragement to do it rather than deterrent. 

I'm not sure what the legal driving age is in Thailand to begin with, but I can sort of see this for teenagers driving their parents' cars.  And if you lend your vehicle to someone and then they're caught DUI I can see some responsibility attaching to the vehicle owner depending on circumstances.  But as someone else has pointed out in another thread, things like this never lead to universal enforcement.  They're merely a selective enforcement widget to give police officers more power (and more income...).   TIT 

So how many family members will be beaten trying to stop a drunk driving. Stupidity is to soft a word for this proposal education is the answer at a young age something the law makers could also do with.

This  law is aimed at the parents of teenagers who let them use Mom's or Dad's car and drive around drunk, killing people.

Teenagers who own their own cars will face different law, presumably?

Having gotten used to western media click bait and sensationalism I thought "punishing families" was some kind of  loose interpretation - no, they really are going to punish the family!

10 hours ago, luudee said:

If they would just enforce the existing laws, they would not need new ones.

 

Please, don't make me laugh

Do the police even know the laws or only how to collect money from everyone

Stupid is as stupid does.

What a ridiculous law. Unless as a family member you gave your drunk relative the car keys knowing he had been drinking

then how will you hold them responsible ?  Just because you are their relative That is totally rediculous

 

Guilt by association is very stupid

Once again, and all too often these days, I am speechless.

15 minutes ago, harrycallahan said:

Having gotten used to western media click bait and sensationalism I thought "punishing families" was some kind of  loose interpretation - no, they really are going to punish the family!

Yep' Fraid so

I heard that for repeat offenders crucifixion is making a comeback besides a whip round for family fines . 

The Thais have always been masters at the "overkill" approach. It appears in all fields, condo construction, fish nibbling massage parlours, so why not this ? Nothing surprises me

7 hours ago, Xircal said:

Ridiculous idea. What the police need to do is get out on the roads during the time of day when most drunk driving accidents occur and run breathalyser checks on anyone driving too fast or erratically.

 

 

And if they refuse arrest them for obstructing the police (and get away from status being an excuse)

The family-responsibility idea works in Japan. When thieves are caught, the entire family suffers.

 

Family members lose their jobs, are shunned and sometimes ostracized by the community, and basically become unemployable--parents and siblings alike. 

 

Ergo: Theft is hardly on the radar among crimes in Japan. 

"the legislation seeks to extend punitive fines to the immediate family members of drunk driving offenders. "

Me thinks that this guy has been looking too much to his mate Kim from North Korea.
Next "law" will be the killing of a drunk driver with an air missile?

7 hours ago, Xircal said:

Ridiculous idea. What the police need to do is get out on the roads during the time of day when most drunk driving accidents occur and run breathalyser checks on anyone driving too fast or erratically.

 

 

They need to make the bars and server, responsible also. Same as in the West.

WHO presentation, gives good info:

http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_traffic/death-on-the-roads/en/#intro