Crash helmet campaign to be strengthened to promote bike safety

[Ratcher]

Police where I live set up road blocks daily to catch the no helmet brigade. They have some success but the the majority of bikers are smarter and dodge the road blocks. At night nobody wears a helmet because there are no police about. The exception to this are Farang big bikers who always seem to wear a helmet. However, some Thai big bikers dont bother. Problem is the law is not enforced and the fines are not big enough. If the fine was 1000 baht you would see a big difference. As the motorbike is the mode of transport in SE Asia for the masses tragic motorbike child deaths will continue. 

[Alan Deer]

It is estimated that up to40% of deaths on motorcycles could be avoided if riders wore crash helmets.

 

Helmets don't protect you from massive or direct blows but they do protect you from the glancing blows experienced when you fall from a motorcycle - even at VERY SLOW speeds.

Many victims of head injuries look quite fine from the outside - it is only the autopsy that revels the brain damage that brough about death.

 

the classic reason for not wearing that is the length of journey

"I'm only popping to the shops"

I'm just nipping round the corner with the kid to school"

 

yet most accidents happen within 10 km of where that person lives.

 

Most road deaths in Thailand and suffered by motorcyclists - so anything that can be done to reduce this is a good idea - yet it is not just the motorcyclists that need to change - the whole attitude to road safety in Thailand needs to change. In places like the UK and other countries they still run "motorcycle aware" campaigns - aimed not at the riders but at other motorists - car drivers' the attitude to motorcyclists in Thailand is positively lethal - and the statistics - whichever way you look at them seem to back that up.

 

[trogers]

Threats of fines will not work.

 

If I can enact an effective law, I would make it compulsory and legal for hospitals to harvest the organs of a brain dead helmetless motorcycle rider, adults or children.

[hdkane]

1 hour ago, Black arab said:

30% ? I dont see hardly anyone wearing a helmet where i live 

 

Yes, I live in an area outside BKK, and I put usage at about 10%...usage must be determined by a survey, where people often lie...

[SpeakeasyThai]

Yet another law not enforced, just like smoking in bars. You could get away with murder in Thailand if you wanted to... and some often do.

[connda]

How about a family of five riding on one bike.  Perhaps that contributes to the death and injury of small children on motorcycles??? Helmet or not (generally not). 

However, in my own rural village and surrounding areas I have noticed considerably more people wearing helmets (and long pants, jackets, shoes) and have notices an increase of parents putting helmets on their small children.  There is no enforcement out here so safety mindedness is actually catching on and parents are looking out for the safety of their children.  I know many Thai who are about as disgusted as I am about the dangerous road conditions and the carnage on Thai roads.  Inroads to safety are slow coming, but they are happening.  This is a shift in culture that isn't a result of police enforcement, at least not out where I live in the land of rice fields and ox.

Edited February 6, 2017 by connda

[FunkyDunky58]

People should be just as concerned about School aged Children DRIVING motorbikes, without helmets, without suitable footwear, with 2 or 3 other children on the bike, trying to do wheelies, etc. I have seen a tiny girl outside a 7-11 at 11pm on a Sunday night, on her own, without a helmet and her feet could barely touch the ground. Parents have a big chunk of accountability in such cases.

 

[Pib]

They might want to try to get all police in uniform riding around on motorcycles to start wearing helmets--you know set a good example.  Yea, I know, this suggestion is a stretch of the imagination. 

[connda]

1 minute ago, FunkyDunky58 said:

People should be just as concerned about School aged Children DRIVING motorbikes, without helmets, without suitable footwear, with 2 or 3 other children on the bike, trying to do wheelies, etc. I have seen a tiny girl outside a 7-11 at 11pm on a Sunday night, on her own, without a helmet and her feet could barely touch the ground. Parents have a big chunk of accountability in such cases.

 

Just as far as age goes, its my experience that the pre-pubesent adolescence drivers that I see tend to drive better then their older siblings and friends.  Once the hormones kick in, so does the driving stupidity.  I'm probably speaking from experience.  I'm surprised I made it though my teenaged years.

[brewsterbudgen]

People seem to expect the same standards of road safety in a (fast) developing country as in their fully developed home countries.  Rather naive I'd say. 

[darksidedog]

2 hours ago, Keesters said:

Schools could certainly do a lot with regard to motorcycle offenses. After all education is their business and it should not stop at the 3Rs.

 

I wasn't aware that the 3 R's had been achieved.

[Jonmarleesco]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Partly because of the low use of helmets, more than 2,600 children die in road accidents each year, meaning over seven fatalities each day, the group points out. 

Nothing to do with the fact, then, that they shouldn't even be on a bike, never mind two, three, four up?

[Jonmarleesco]

25 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

People seem to expect the same standards of road safety in a (fast) developing country as in their fully developed home countries.  Rather naive I'd say. 

No. I think they expect the same standards of law enforcement, and of government and police accountability; as the Thai public should.

[Janner1]

Do the " authorities " really think that egg shell crash helmets are going to save any lives whilst they allow these monsters to weave in and out of traffic at break neck speeds and cut across oncoming traffic at traffic lights ?

 

These kinds of actions are carried out not only by the majority populace but by the police and by the very " authorities " who espouse the use of worthless crash helmets, but say nothing about common sense or the observation of the road rules as laid down in the Thai Highway Code, ( yes there is one ).

 

i despair at how stupid some of these so called drivers are, but I suppose that if you believe your local monk that if you die you will be reborn after 30 years, life becomes very cheap

[Thian]

Why not do another crackdown? Those always worked vely well 

[Surasak]

Useless helmets, useless police and useless education. Until they are taught to think for themselves and not what to think, nothing will change. The law to make helmets compulsory was introduced years ago, but only in Bangkok? It then became nationwide, but how many do we see daily riding without helment, within Bangkok and elseware? Until such time as these people learn how to use the brains they were born with, again, nothing will change. But we love it really because its Thainess!

[ghillie44]

2 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Every weekday morning, more than 100 bikes are parked on the road outside Prakhonchai Bus Station  by schoolkids from the nearby school. They are not allowed to take the bikes into school grounds unless thay have a licence and wear helmets.What a simple task it would be for the Police to be near the bus station at 4pm-after school -  and stop all the kids without helmets being worn, fine them and confiscate the bikes for 1 week. They are a sitting target! But of course that is too much trouble for our mighty Police, even though they could probably pocket half of what they fined the kids. 

 

It is time for everyone to start caring and do something about the horrific accidents that occur daily. 

It is not a matter of "not caring" .  It is an absence of an understanding or recognition of "cause and effect"

[Enoon]

 

To reiterate what recom273 has already pointed out:

 

This is not an initiative of the government.

 

There is no indication that it, or any of it's agencies, intends to act in concert with the campaign, which is being promoted by SAVE THE CHILDREN :

 

"The Save the Children group said it would continue its campaign to help children understand the importance of wearing crash helmets as a basic safety measure." 

 

Expect to see no assistance or support given by the government to an interfering "foreign" agency, that doesn't "understand" the unique beauty of Thai "thought".

 

Expect to see Save the Children being prosecuted for defaming the government, by highlighting it's utter disregard for its "livestock".

 

 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Enoon

[FitnessHealthTravel]

Great Idea!!! However, it's the quality of the helmet that counts. Let's hope the contract doesn't go to the lowest bidder otherwise they may as well wear plastic buckets.

[Revolutionary]

Again another example. Yesterday morning ( Sunday )  at 8.30 am. Two children stopped at a red light at Huay Khwang intersection. No helmets, no more than 14 years old so definitely no license.  When there was no traffic coming from the green light direction they just went straight across Rachadphisek Road against the red light. 

[MJKT2014]

Unfortunately it takes a long time to fix "stupid". It staggers the imagination why anyone would get on a bike and risk their life for a short ride without proper head protection, let alone teach their offspring the same stupid practice.

[nakhonandy]

I would like this to be true, however.....

 

How do you strengthen something that is not existent?

 

I don't believe the 30%, almost never see a kid with a helmet, never if you get out of the cities.

 

The helmets generally are about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Real safety helmets need to be available and the ubiquitous eggshell rubbish scrapped.

[Ceruhe]

Maybe 2020 will be the year the something something safety campaign will do a "check left and right before just turning the corner/lane and not assume as a matter of fact that the other dude will be in charge of your safety".

 

They are called dreams for a reason

[evadgib]

The helmet type on the child in the OP are about as much use as a home base flowerpot! 

[CGW]

The "supposed" compulsory crash helmet law came into force in 1994 - for drivers only! 23 years later..........................

[Enoon]

 

The scene,  Any National Assembly, Senate or Parliament:

 

"May I ask the Government what steps they will be taking to assist and support this new road safety campaign?"

 

No need to answer the question if there's no no where, and no one, to ask it.

 

And no need to worry about what votes may be lost by not answering.

 

 

 

 

[Get Real]

Maybe this child safety organisations should start to think little bit deeper. First there is a production of this article, where a grown up man have a real helmet and the child have some kind of, what I call, toy on the head. That helmet is not even worth it´s namne. Only with that message all the good story loose all the realistic views of ever have a chance to save lifes.

Even if the picture is not there, it´s also not going to work, due to that people here rather spend their last 50 bath on a bottle of Lao Khao instead of using 600-800 bath on a helmet for their children. That is something that is so deeply rooted so it´s going to take very hard measures to set straight. In my opinion the only thing that would work is that all the cheap and unsafe helmets are banned and made illegal to wear and sell. That combined with a hefty fine for not wearing a helmet on yours or your childs head raised up to 600 bath a time. Then more people might start think about buying the more expensive helmets.

[Lupatria]

4 hours ago, trogers said:

They would ask this question - Why is a crash helmet needed on a head that is harder?

Quote of a former Minister of Transport: “For Thais a requirement to wear a helmet is not necessary, because unlike other humans they have a thicker skull to protect them from injuries!"

 

An official of the Ministry was quoted saying: “We are perfectly capable of talking on the phone and writing SMS messages while driving in cars and on motorcycles."

[cyberfarang]

8 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Another good idea, but as many before, should have been started a long time ago.

It was started a long time ago but the law has never been strictly enforced.

[mikiea]

4 hours ago, jimstar1 said:

You Think I am Horrified when I see Mothers holding New Born babies in there arms as there Partners Drive bike no one wearing helmets

I see it every day in Chiang Mai My partner works I C U Chiang Mai Ram Hospital and the horror photos and sites I see of Young Children with there Heads caved in and there Bodies Tortured from Horrific Injuries every day but there will never be anything done as they are to busy Targeting Tourist for Tea Money

well someone must pay for coppers kid's school .