Casualties up on last year after 2 days

By THE SUNDAY NATION

 

What is left after a fatal road accident in Surat Thani that left four people dead – all of them from the same family.

 

A TOTAL of 113 people were killed and 1,299 others injured in 1,204 road accidents nationwide during the first two days of the seven-day holiday period, despite a road-safety campaign.

 

 The northeastern province of Udon Thani reported the highest number of accidents (55 cases), resulting in |seven deaths and 59 injured, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said at the Road Safety Centre yesterday.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30303250

 

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-01-01

Great job Thailand.

From the news article,

Quote

"The majority of road accidents resulted from drunk driving (31.8 per cent) and speeding (31.3 per cent) and the great majority involved motorcycles (82.3 per cent). Nearly 53 per cent of those who were killed were in the working age – 20-49 years old..."

 

After sinking about 10 large Leo's with his buddy, my brother-in-law who normally shuns alcohol since he knows he can't handle it, decided he was hungry and at 1 AM, jumps on his bike and heads off to his neighbors new fishing hole to catch and fry some fish. The neighbour enjoyed telling us the next morning how totally sh!tfaced BiL was but when BiL woke up later, he had absolutely no recollection of the drinking, driving, fishing, cooking, eating and coming back home. Luckily, the route between the house and the fishing hole is all rural roads and probably only about 3 km but I imagine some of the reported carnage involves a similarly pissed up local jumping in the woopie and heading off to see someone and using a busier highway. It would have been easy for BiL to fall off the bike and get some gravel rash, worst case flying into the ponds that border the track to the fishing hole and drowning.

 

Mind you, when I was 18, we thought nothing of downing 8 or 9 pints of McEwans before driving 12 miles to the local, Saturday night dance venue. That was over 40 years ago so it will be a real long time before the penny drops in LOS.

Edited January 1, 20179 yr by NanLaew

It's been beaten to death on this fourum but, until a proper continous driving safety campaign is instituted with daily presentations on Thai TV channels in prime time driving traits will not improve. The snap traffic blocks during holiday times are little more than extended rhetoric.

 

I applaud the use of roadside breathalyser checks but with paltry fines and allowing the perp to drive off with a paid ticket is nonsense.

 

Sawadee Pee Mai na Khrap, drive defensively for others as well as yourself.

 

I can never tell the difference between a drunk Driver/Rider in Thailand

or a sober Driver/ Rider in Thailand.

They drive and ride exactly the same. ( crazy and  selfish )

Same same but same.

 

Impressive. Maybe they will be #1 in road casualties this year.

As someone mentioned this has been done to death on this Forum.

 

but actually have you ever heard Thais moaning or speaking in disgust about Driving Tragedys...., Deaths, Careless Driving ??? I Ain't ........

 

this wont change in our Life Time for sure...

 

its only us Farangs that are  In Shock and in total disbelief...

 

Be safe for 2017....

 

 

Looking at the wreckage in the photo above...how damn fast has that vehicle been going to get into that state on impact..??  The death toll will never change here due to the sheer speed & ignorance of these drivers..& this is before the 100's of pig-headed road-bullies hiding behind black glassed SUVs start forcing their way thru' /past all the sensible drivers...TiT.

Solid effort once again Thailand.

To be number one.....indeed!

I read somewhere that one definition of insanity is repeating the same thing time after time and expecting a different result.

The annual placing of tents by the side of the road staffed by middle aged ladies, there only to collect overtime payments, does nothing to reduce the carnage.

Anyone involved in actually trying to do something about this rolling tragedy should hang their head in shame because it is patently obvious they have absolutely no clue as to how to solve it.

5 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

I read somewhere that one definition of insanity is repeating the same thing time after time and expecting a different result.

The annual placing of tents by the side of the road staffed by middle aged ladies, there only to collect overtime payments, does nothing to reduce the carnage.

Anyone involved in actually trying to do something about this rolling tragedy should hang their head in shame because it is patently obvious they have absolutely no clue as to how to solve it.

Insanity yes; perhaps a bit of stupidity/laziness.

It's abundantly clear the authorities are having little or no effect on reducing vehicle accidents. When will the  authorities  get serious about reducing vehicle accidents and enforcing the law? How many people have to die or be injured or how much property has to be destroyed?

 

Lots of motorcyclists driving with no helmet and speeding in Pattaya last night, even past Policemen on motorcycles.

Edited January 1, 20179 yr by Banana7

A sad waste of life... 

I think they got it wrong 5% up on last years figures

 

Come on udon,come on udon..they are proper lunatics up here.we drove passed the scene where 4 people died the night before.glad to park up and close my gate by 8.my wife was saying just get home teerak,not good to be driving tonight.the carnage will continue for another generation or 2.

1 hour ago, edwinchester said:

I read somewhere that one definition of insanity is repeating the same thing time after time and expecting a different result.

The annual placing of tents by the side of the road staffed by middle aged ladies, there only to collect overtime payments, does nothing to reduce the carnage.

Anyone involved in actually trying to do something about this rolling tragedy should hang their head in shame because it is patently obvious they have absolutely no clue as to how to solve it.

"The annual placing of tents by the side of the road staffed by middle aged ladies, there only to collect overtime payments, does nothing to reduce the carnage."

 

We have that outside our Moo Baan. What are they supposedly there to do?

8 minutes ago, The man from udon said:

Come on udon,come on udon..they are proper lunatics up here.we drove passed the scene where 4 people died the night before.glad to park up and close my gate by 8.my wife was saying just get home teerak,not good to be driving tonight.the carnage will continue for another generation or 2.

Lucky you. Mrs baboon wants me out there on my bicycle at 2 AM with my lights off...

Finally the Thai excel at something! Rumour has it, that according to one very high TAT official  proudly declared that Thailand " is well on it's way to become the number one hub for road deaths in the world" in 2017.

RIP slaughtered family.

 

I retired in Thailand almost three years ago, and all I keep hearing since I got there is how everything is changing.

 

 its not true.

 

 

So now traffic accidents comes under "Tourism and Sports"? Thats amazing never saw that one coming.

Suuuuuurpriiiiiiise.....

4 hours ago, tracker1 said:

I think they got it wrong 5% up on last years figures

 

Yes that was quite a speech BEFORE the holiday season started a 5% decrease. File the so called good intent along with the good intent on stopping the burning in the north and many more dishonorable mentions. As long as the BIB is content with good intent nothing changes. Its like watching a bad movie over and over and expecting a different outcome. Makes one want to vomit in their popcorn. 

2 hours ago, nong38 said:

So now traffic accidents comes under "Tourism and Sports"? Thats amazing never saw that one coming.

 

4 hours ago, djayz said:

A sad waste of life... 

Yes we take life for granted till its gone. Life and dying does not have do overs. 

Edited January 1, 20179 yr by elgordo38

A split second is all it takes... 

Anyone know if its until third or fourth January this "seven deadly days last"?

 

26 minutes ago, Felt 35 said:

Anyone know if its until third or fourth January this "seven deadly days last"?

 

 

It is not seven deadly days

 

IT IS THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE DEADLY DAYS

 

I believe the norm is around 75 deaths per day on the roads

8 hours ago, NanLaew said:

From the news article,

 

After sinking about 10 large Leo's with his buddy, my brother-in-law who normally shuns alcohol since he knows he can't handle it, decided he was hungry and at 1 AM, jumps on his bike and heads off to his neighbors new fishing hole to catch and fry some fish. The neighbour enjoyed telling us the next morning how totally sh!tfaced BiL was but when BiL woke up later, he had absolutely no recollection of the drinking, driving, fishing, cooking, eating and coming back home. Luckily, the route between the house and the fishing hole is all rural roads and probably only about 3 km but I imagine some of the reported carnage involves a similarly pissed up local jumping in the woopie and heading off to see someone and using a busier highway. It would have been easy for BiL to fall off the bike and get some gravel rash, worst case flying into the ponds that border the track to the fishing hole and drowning.

 

Mind you, when I was 18, we thought nothing of downing 8 or 9 pints of McEwans before driving 12 miles to the local, Saturday night dance venue. That was over 40 years ago so it will be a real long time before the penny drops in LOS.

 

The penny will never drop in Thailand.

They're having Thai Baht as their currency and this will never change.

8 hours ago, onemorechang said:

I can never tell the difference between a drunk Driver/Rider in Thailand

or a sober Driver/ Rider in Thailand.

They drive and ride exactly the same. ( crazy and  selfish )

Same same but same.

 

 

4 hours ago, nong38 said:

So now traffic accidents comes under "Tourism and Sports"? Thats amazing never saw that one coming.

 

Yup. Every Minister or spokesperson likes to be seen to be saying something. I think it is called big noting (or paying lip service).

 

BUT nobody actually does anything! 

 

Doesn't anyone learn?