Emergency ward full to overflowing - this time it is young students in Thai road carnage

[webfact]

Emergency ward full to overflowing - this time it is young students in Thai road carnage

 

Picture: Thai News Agency

 

CHAIYAPHUM: -- Yet more carnage on the Thai roads yesterday saw 20 students from kindergarten to secondary hospitalized after a pick-up overturned.

 

The accident happened in Chaiyaphum - the children were being taken home by a woman who is just a part time driver.

 

Driver Neungreudee Hongharn, 46, has a main job of helping a poo yai ban. But yesterday she was doing her part time job taking students home from various schools in the area, reports Thai News Agency.

 

Authorities think she might have fallen asleep at the wheel.

 

The accident happened in the Kaeng Khlor area on route 201. The driver said that all of a sudden the Toyota Vigo started to "wobble" and the next thing she knew the vehicle had flipped and the students were all over the road.

 

Luckily an 18 wheel lorry coming up behind was able to brake in time.

 

Parents who rushed to the local hospital found their crying young ones spilling out of the emergency room into the corridor with broken noses, ruptured limbs and cuts. Twenty were injured - one girl had a serious neck problem.

 

The director of one of the schools involved said that a full investigation was underway to see if the accident was caused by the driver nodding off or possibly a puncture.

 

Source: Thai News Agency

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-12-07

 

[chiang mai]

The pickup doesn't appear to have a puncture, why investigate that possibility!

 

Some of the very worst drivers in Thailand are the people who drive school buses/trucks, they charge around at high speed as though they were exempt from all driving laws and as if they are on a mission from Budha. But I understand it's quite lucrative work for anyone who has the right vehicle, trouble is there's no testing or regulation of the drivers.

[zaphod reborn]

"The director of one of the schools involved said that a full investigation was underway to see if the accident was caused by the driver nodding off or possibly a puncture."

 

So, they've already ruled out excessive speed and inattention to driving?

[elgordo38]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Driver Neungreudee Hongharn, 46, has a main job of helping a poo yai ban. But yesterday she was doing her part time job taking students home from various schools in the area, reports Thai News Agency.

Over jobbed trying to keep the wolf away from the door. Something had to give. Catching up on your sleep while driving is bad especially with a load of children in the back. Will not be long before the standard work day is 16 hours to keep ones head above water. 

[williamgeorgeallen]

2 hours ago, zaphod reborn said:

"The director of one of the schools involved said that a full investigation was underway to see if the accident was caused by the driver nodding off or possibly a puncture."

 

So, they've already ruled out excessive speed and inattention to driving?

injuries were caused by having a load of kids in the back of a pickup truck with no seat belts. have i cracked the case?

[NCC1701A]

Anything new or different happening today?

Let's all hope the kids are going to be alright.

[darren84310]

The driver said.... All 9f a sudden the vehicle started t9 wobble and then flipped..... How would she know if she were asleep, yet they're going for that option or tyre failure. She's obviously got good connections working for the Puu Yai Baan.

[Sphere]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

...20 students from kindergarten...

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

...the Toyota Vigo...

 

[IMA_FARANG]

Many times  the OWNERS of such vans and not the driivers themselves are the cause of such accidents because they are the ones who force the drivers to do double shifts and do not spend money on necessary maintenance on the vehicles they own.

That is why you ofen hear the drivers say, I fell asleep, ot the brakes failed, or I had a tire blowout.

 

[sandgroper2]

44 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

Over jobbed trying to keep the wolf away from the door. Something had to give. Catching up on your sleep while driving is bad especially with a load of children in the back. Will not be long before the standard work day is 16 hours to keep ones head above water. 

Was that 6 assumptions? I lost count after 4.

[edwinchester]

Driver public vehicle training scheme and registration.

Forward facing seats with individual seat belts.

Passenger safety cell with side impact protection.

Alai wah!

[hdkane]

A recent study in the USA found that drivers are twice as likely to have an accident if they get 6 hours of sleep, and the rate of accidents increases with hour of deprivation...just one hours difference of sleep (6 hours compared to 7 hours) can significantly impair ability to operate machinery...everyone knew there was a relationship between sleep and performance, but most are stunned at the magnitude of impairment...

[Ratcher]

Just another day of the same same in Thailand. They never ever learn. I feel sorry for the kids. The parents should ensure in future a proper driver is deployed. Women drivers here are just as bad as the men.

[whatproblem]

I love my child ,I would never let it in one of those death traps driven by a <deleted> who is always in a rush to get to sleep somewhere

[jerome2]

Half the pickup drivers dont know how to brake with the gears.... that's the cause .What about a permit for mass transport ?????????????? Empty heads

[jerome2]

The only important thing is the somtam

[Oziex1]

Probably lack of maintenance as usual, worn steering and or suspension components, easy to lose control of vehicle in poor condition.

[biplanebluey]

2 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

injuries were caused by having a load of kids in the back of a pickup truck with no seat belts. have i cracked the case?

NO------- The accident was caused as something happened to the driver. She might have been travelling too fast----not paying attention-----falling asleep----etc

[geisha]

I wonder if the government have ever thought about having proper school buses and licensed drivers ? 

[Golden Triangle]

9 minutes ago, geisha said:

I wonder if the government have ever thought about having proper school buses and licensed drivers ? 

 

 

Don't be so daft, remember where you are 

[Pepper1959]

Driving back to Nakhon Phanom from Sakhon Nakon one afternoon I followed a 'school bus' which was overflowing and the overflow of students had no other option but to sit on the roof. As a retired school principal, I explained quite strongly my disbelief to my partner. As usual, the response was, 'Don't worry, nothing will happen, this is Thailand.'  I just pray this is not the overarching belief in everything that takes place in this country because if so, I feel very sad for the wonderful people of this country.

[optad]

12 minutes ago, Pepper1959 said:

Driving back to Nakhon Phanom from Sakhon Nakon one afternoon I followed a 'school bus' which was overflowing and the overflow of students had no other option but to sit on the roof. As a retired school principal, I explained quite strongly my disbelief to my partner. As usual, the response was, 'Don't worry, nothing will happen, this is Thailand.'  I just pray this is not the overarching belief in everything that takes place in this country because if so, I feel very sad for the wonderful people of this country.

 

Bet the kids are glad you retired. 

[Bangkok Barry]

23 minutes ago, Pepper1959 said:

Driving back to Nakhon Phanom from Sakhon Nakon one afternoon I followed a 'school bus' which was overflowing and the overflow of students had no other option but to sit on the roof. As a retired school principal, I explained quite strongly my disbelief to my partner. As usual, the response was, 'Don't worry, nothing will happen, this is Thailand.'  I just pray this is not the overarching belief in everything that takes place in this country because if so, I feel very sad for the wonderful people of this country.

 

They aren't so wonderful if they think and act this way. And we all know that schools and drivers and police don't care, because what you witnessed is the norm.....

[sambum]

2 hours ago, biplanebluey said:

NO------- The accident was caused as something happened to the driver. She might have been travelling too fast----not paying attention-----falling asleep----etc

Thank you Inspector Clouseau! So there's no possibility that something happened to the truck? Not necessarily a puncture or "tyre failure" - maybe loose wheel nuts or something else relatively simple. I'm not discounting what you say as a possibility, but you seem adamant that it was the driver's fault and not a mechanical failure without any proof of either!

[Dexlowe]

There were 20 kids in that pickup ?????? Wow, insanity! Must have been like one of those pics that Bangkok Barry (thanks, mate) posted above. 

[Moonmoon]

Some of these drivers driving school mini bus drives too fast!

 

Slow down there are kids in the vehicle.

 

The residents in my moo ban had to install humps all along the roads in our moo ban to prevent these vans or any motorists from driving too fast for the safety of the children.

[gemguy]

Seems like another case of : No Need To Worry ...until it is time to worry about such matters.

In other words, commonly there is very little prevention practiced in Thailand amongst the populace regarding safety precautions while driving that could be applied and help to avoid such incidents.

Time after time the same or similar accidents happen and not much of anything curbs the citizens at large from driving recklessly rather they carry on as usual and not really thinking about the passengers....

La Dee Da.........Som Tum On My Mind

 

Cheers

[khomlong1]

3 hours ago, jerome2 said:

Half the pickup drivers dont know how to brake with the gears.... that's the cause .What about a permit for mass transport ?????????????? Empty heads

Sadly lacking in basic car control skills

[berybert]

1 hour ago, sambum said:

Thank you Inspector Clouseau! So there's no possibility that something happened to the truck? Not necessarily a puncture or "tyre failure" - maybe loose wheel nuts or something else relatively simple. I'm not discounting what you say as a possibility, but you seem adamant that it was the driver's fault and not a mechanical failure without any proof of either!

As the driver of a vehicle  it is your responsibility to make sure it is road worthy. This includes checking the wheel nuts are not loose or anything relatively simple.

Passing the buck is a very easy game. If the truck driver behind had also been driving a defective vehicle there could have been 20 dead kids laying in the road.

Your response.  Not my problem.

[Briggsy]

Just pathetic and sad.

 

Pathetic excuse for driver training.

Pathetic excuse for driving standards.

Pathetic behaviour from this woman.

Pathetic duty of care from the school (s) if they had any role in the transport arrangements.

Pathetic enforcement nationwide of driving laws from the Royal Thai Police ever since they were created.

There will be a pathetic response in terms of charges from the police.

There will be a pathetic response in terms of sentencing from the courts if any court proceedings ever take place.

There will be a pathetic response in terms of changes from the school.

 

"Can't be arsed" culture rules the day.