Highway chief: Speeding drivers responsible for 85% of accidents

[webfact]

Highway chief: Speeding drivers responsible for 85% of accidents

 

Picture: Daily News

 

BANGKOK: -- The chief of Thailand's highways has laid the blame for accidents firmly at the door of speeding drivers.

 

Somchai Kaosamran was speaking ahead of this year's Songkran celebrations when the focus in Thailand falls on road accidents, reported Daily News.

 

He said that 85% of accidents were caused by driving at too high speeds.

 

After this the next biggest problems were people who fell asleep at the wheel and then drivers who cut in front without giving enough room.

 

Both these were responsible for roughly the same amount of accidents. These two were factors in about half of the total of accidents.

 

After this the main problems were drink driving and going against traffic flow.

 

He said that statistics show that at normal times most accidents involve cars but at Songkran this changes to pick-ups being at the top of the list followed by cars then motorcycles, Daily News reported.

 

"Speed is the main problem," he said. "If people slowed down that would reduce accidents greatly". He also pointed to other problems like the state of the road surface, lighting and weather that drivers must be focused on.

 

He said that repairs to roads were constantly carried out and that there were warnings at black spots but what was needed most were two things:

 

"First and foremost we need the public to drive according to the law. And we need the law to be enforced," he said.

 

He said that this year the military were being drafted in to help reduce accidents after the government issued orders. Soldiers will be on duty at selected areas near their bases during Songkran.

 

He said that in the period of March 9 -15 24,775 people were stopped for speeding. This rose to 27,584 for the period March 18-24.

 

He said that contrary to some people's perceptions most accidents occur on straight stretches of road. Then comes bends and intersections.

 

The worst time for accidents is 12 noon until 4pm.

 

Somchai was speaking to Daily News who are working on a campaign with anti drink driving and other good driving foundations to help lower the accident rate at Songkran.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-03-28

[Cuchulainn]

No shit, Sherlock.

[cornishcarlos]

85% of accidents are caused by drunk policemen, falling asleep on the job !!

[onemorechang]

100%  of Accidents in Thailand

are caused by  Bad People 

[MorristheRunt]

No excrement, Somchai!

 

[Golden Triangle]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"First and foremost we need the public to drive according to the law. And we need the law to be enforced," he said.

That'll be a first then.......................

[alocacoc]

I'm sure speeding is an bigger problem than alcohol.

 

But, there are also plenty of cars which are driving way too slow. I don't know what's wrong with them.

[Ceruhe]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

And we need the law to be enforced," he said.

Fat drummroll to reveal exactly who is going to do said enforcing? I'm, like, very curious.

 

I'm still only half buying into the "fast drivers are the cause" thing. No doubt, many accidents involve fast driving cars, also no doubt that in another set of said accidents the speeding driver isn't exactly the cause of if (yea yea, he is speeding, I get that). Just like the other week with the blue pickup speeding the "slow" lanes as the "fast" ones were blocked by turtles and then the Taxi nailed the blue dude brilliantly with driver error. Yes, speeding involved but not exactly the cause of it (yea yea, he is speeding, I still get that).

 

Now if it said 85% were reckless drivers, different story to me.

[sstuff3]

Driving too slow in the right lane on the motorways and freeways is likely near the top of the list.  Not uncommon to see people putting along at 80kph (or less) in the right lane in a 120kph zone, also changing lanes without increasing speed or checking their mirrors first.

[survivalblue]

This is the best news I've read all day.

I never heard of the "good driving foundation" but they should be forefront of the media and daily news and force feed a safe driving campaign into society.

 

 

[DrTuner]

4 minutes ago, sstuff3 said:

Driving too slow in the right lane on the motorways and freeways is likely near the top of the list.  Not uncommon to see people putting along at 80kph (or less) in the right lane in a 120kph zone, also changing lanes without increasing speed or checking their mirrors first.

Those slowbies are never included in the accident statistics. They cause accidents by forcing others to weave around them, but manage make the escape from the carnage themselves.

[Ulic]

This guy is clearly not paying attention. Wet roads and brake failure are the cause of 85% of road accidents.

[seajae]

now if they actually put police in cars on the roads patrolling and booking drivers that were braking the law it might make a difference but simply telling everyone what the problem is when they already know but dont care does bugger all apart from get his face in the news for their 5 minutes of fame 

[spidermike007]

And why are these drivers speeding in the first place? The primary reason is the toy police force. Nobody, and I mean nobody takes these guys seriously. There is absolutely nothing in the way of a deterrent here, and both the local governments, the central government (weak Little P.) and the police do not take traffic safety seriously. Not even one iota. The safety of the public means less than zero to the small men in charge here. Nothing. They show that on a daily basis.

 

When I was growing up, we took drivers education classes. They showed us these horrendous films, of semi trucks crashing into cars, and literally obliterating them, and everything inside. Also, they showed very graphic images of head on collisions. Even as a young kid, it left a lasting impression, and I realized driving was no joking matter. Especially when you have your friends, or loved ones in the car with you. I am constantly astonished at the kinds of chances people take here, with their entire family in the car with them. Why? What is the logic? What is the reason? Why take those risks? Often, when someone cuts onto the highway in front of me, as I am doing 100kpm or more on the highway, I look in my rearview mirror, and there is nobody behind me for quite some distance. Which means, had they paused, and waited 2 or 3 seconds, there would have been zero risk to them, their family, or me and my family. What can one even say? All of this matters even more when driving a motorbike, where there is no protection. 

 

The only way to survive here on the road, is to be patient, have eyes in the back of your head, drive with caution, and always, and I mean always watch out of the other guy. Chances are, he does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, nor enforcement of the law. 

 

The traffic fatalities here, which are the second highest on the planet, per capita, could be lessened dramatically, if the government and the RTP (Royal Toy Police) gave a damn, or cared one iota. Intelligent enforcement of the existing laws would bring down the carnage. Traffic safety in general could be enforced, and severe penalties could be imposed for reckless or drunk driving.

 

Now for my scooter rant:

 

Many of us drive motorcycles or scooters here, and it is dangerous getting on the roads with some of these other drivers. 

 

Getting on a scooter, or a motorcycle anywhere in Thailand, much less Phuket, Phangan, Dark Tao, or Samui without a very good helmet, is like playing Russian Roulette with three or four bullets in the chamber. It is absolutely asking for problems. The degree of recklessness here is astounding. And many foreigners come here thinking "how much trouble could I get in on a little scooter, on a tropical island"? Well, the answer is alot. The amount of foreigners who are killed on the Southern islands is staggering. Most are not reported in the media. I had a friend who worked for Samui rescue for many years, and said the numbers were about 30-60 a month, on Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao. The official number is about 3 a month. Rider beware. Use as good a helmet as you can afford, and do not use these eggshells pieces of crap. They crack at the first impact, and what lies underneath them? Your skull, which is very delicate. 
 
Just ask yourself- do I have enough problems already, without a broken skull, or smashed head, or face injury, or lost eye? I have two friends who have been in motorbike accidents on Samui within the last two years. One still cannot walk, or talk or function on her own, from a motorbike accident, where she hit her head on the pavement going only 20 kph. The other one has lost alot of his mental capacity after hitting his head. He insisted for years he would never wear a helmet. Now, he seems 15 years older. 

 

My source did not have an agenda. He rescued alot of the survivors. He attended to alot of the ones who did not make it. The press here is highly censored. The report only what the so called leaders want them to report. Nothing else. Social media? Why would social media report these statistics? They report individual accidents, but not overall statistics. Anything you read about accidents on Samui in the media would be false. And if you post this kind of information on Facebook, you get arrested!

 

 

• Road deaths are now calculated based on fatalities on-site. Victims dying later in hospital not counted.
• In 2000 there was an average of 30 deaths a month on Koh Samui (official figures released each month).
• Now it is stated that Koh Samui has 3-5 deaths each month (using the new way of reporting road deaths).
• In the last ten years the population has almost doubled and there are now 5x more vehicles on Koh Samui.
• Based on ‘official figures’ today it is possible to estimate that Koh Samui currently has 60 deaths per million per year. (Compared to 23 in London.) Based on the population and traffic density statistics from 10 years ago Koh Samui has in reality 720 deaths per million per year. This is probably the highest rate of road deaths in the world. Samui is a fatality death spot that nobody is willing to acknowledge!

 

Little P. - moving Thailand backwards at an alarming and astonishing pace. 

[dcsw53]

In the UK in 2014 motorists were fined over THB 520m from fines imposed from going past speed cameras. This covered the cost of installation and operation of over 2300 cameras.

 

It's not rocket science, cameras cut speeding, staying within limits cuts accidents. Government again not willing to do the obvious, it would not cost them anything and would cut the carnage.

[Xaos]

They too busy catching no helmets ppl.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[Xaos]

And why are these drivers speeding in the first place? The primary reason is the toy police force. Nobody, and I mean nobody takes these guys seriously. There is absolutely nothing in the way of a deterrent here, and both the local governments, the central government (weak Little P.) and the police do not take traffic safety seriously. Not even one iota. The safety of the public means less than zero to the small men in charge here. Nothing. They show that on a daily basis.

 

When I was growing up, we took drivers education classes. They showed us these horrendous films, of semi trucks crashing into cars, and literally obliterating them, and everything inside. Also, they showed very graphic images of head on collisions. Even as a young kid, it left a lasting impression, and I realized driving was no joking matter. Especially when you have your friends, or loved ones in the car with you. I am constantly astonished at the kinds of chances people take here, with their entire family in the car with them. Why? What is the logic? What is the reason? Why take those risks? Often, when someone cuts onto the highway in front of me, as I am doing 100kpm or more on the highway, I look in my rearview mirror, and there is nobody behind me for quite some distance. Which means, had they paused, and waited 2 or 3 seconds, there would have been zero risk to them, their family, or me and my family. What can one even say? All of this matters even more when driving a motorbike, where there is no protection. 

 

The only way to survive here on the road, is to be patient, have eyes in the back of your head, drive with caution, and always, and I mean always watch out of the other guy. Chances are, he does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, nor enforcement of the law. 

 

The traffic fatalities here, which are the second highest on the planet, per capita, could be lessened dramatically, if the government and the RTP (Royal Toy Police) gave a damn, or cared one iota. Intelligent enforcement of the existing laws would bring down the carnage. Traffic safety in general could be enforced, and severe penalties could be imposed for reckless or drunk driving.

 

Now for my scooter rant:

 

Many of us drive motorcycles or scooters here, and it is dangerous getting on the roads with some of these other drivers. 

 

Getting on a scooter, or a motorcycle anywhere in Thailand, much less Phuket, Phangan, Dark Tao, or Samui without a very good helmet, is like playing Russian Roulette with three or four bullets in the chamber. It is absolutely asking for problems. The degree of recklessness here is astounding. And many foreigners come here thinking "how much trouble could I get in on a little scooter, on a tropical island"? Well, the answer is alot. The amount of foreigners who are killed on the Southern islands is staggering. Most are not reported in the media. I had a friend who worked for Samui rescue for many years, and said the numbers were about 30-60 a month, on Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao. The official number is about 3 a month. Rider beware. Use as good a helmet as you can afford, and do not use these eggshells pieces of crap. They crack at the first impact, and what lies underneath them? Your skull, which is very delicate. 

 

Just ask yourself- do I have enough problems already, without a broken skull, or smashed head, or face injury, or lost eye? I have two friends who have been in motorbike accidents on Samui within the last two years. One still cannot walk, or talk or function on her own, from a motorbike accident, where she hit her head on the pavement going only 20 kph. The other one has lost alot of his mental capacity after hitting his head. He insisted for years he would never wear a helmet. Now, he seems 15 years older. 

 

My source did not have an agenda. He rescued alot of the survivors. He attended to alot of the ones who did not make it. The press here is highly censored. The report only what the so called leaders want them to report. Nothing else. Social media? Why would social media report these statistics? They report individual accidents, but not overall statistics. Anything you read about accidents on Samui in the media would be false. And if you post this kind of information on Facebook, you get arrested!

 

 

• Road deaths are now calculated based on fatalities on-site. Victims dying later in hospital not counted.
• In 2000 there was an average of 30 deaths a month on Koh Samui (official figures released each month).
• Now it is stated that Koh Samui has 3-5 deaths each month (using the new way of reporting road deaths).
• In the last ten years the population has almost doubled and there are now 5x more vehicles on Koh Samui.
• Based on ‘official figures’ today it is possible to estimate that Koh Samui currently has 60 deaths per million per year. (Compared to 23 in London.) Based on the population and traffic density statistics from 10 years ago Koh Samui has in reality 720 deaths per million per year. This is probably the highest rate of road deaths in the world. Samui is a fatality death spot that nobody is willing to acknowledge!

 

Little P. - moving Thailand backwards at an alarming and astonishing pace. 

 

Thats whats strucks most first comers here, from west, where's cops drive hight tech cars with cameras radar lasers etc. Then u come thailand and see cops on little girly scooter. It looks funny.

 

 

 

 

[RandG]

Interesting that in TV forums, it is always the fault of the Thais, lack of enforcement, van drivers etc. A great deal of this is very true, but see plenty of "westerners" riding on the wrong side of the road, drunk, no helmets, no lights, riding around with whole family on bike, despite never having been on a bike in their life, no insurance, etc., etc. What's their excuse? In their own countries would in general not do it, so cannot blame lack of awareness. Only other "excuse" is lack of enforcement, which is zero excuse.

[gandalf12]

3 minutes ago, RandG said:

Interesting that in TV forums, it is always the fault of the Thais, lack of enforcement, van drivers etc. A great deal of this is very true, but see plenty of "westerners" riding on the wrong side of the road, drunk, no helmets, no lights, riding around with whole family on bike, despite never having been on a bike in their life, no insurance, etc., etc. What's their excuse? In their own countries would in general not do it, so cannot blame lack of awareness. Only other "excuse" is lack of enforcement, which is zero excuse.

Agreed but the reason Thai's are mentioned is because there are 65 million of them and only a handful of other nationalities

[fruitman]

1 hour ago, alocacoc said:

I don't know what's wrong with them

I do know:

- They like to sit in aircon, so they drive slow to waste more time.

- They can't drive well, so they drive slow.

-They don't like to drive on the left lane where cars are parked, motobikes go faster, motobikes drive against you so they drive middle lane.

- They can't see a duck with those very dark tanned windows

- They are too small to see the nose of the car so they drive slow

-They don't have a driverslicense at all

-They are drunk or very old or on the phone or all of that together

-They are very important so they can hold up the line (every thai is very important)

-They know the brakes of the car don't work properly, so they drive slow

-They have an old amulet, so tehy drive slow..

 

And they do drive so slow on the fast lanes because the police does NOTHING against that.

[Emster23]

" He said that 85% of accidents were caused by driving at too high speeds. "

and that is just on the sidewalks against traffic!

[darksidedog]

When you combine poor driving skills with excessive speed, accidents are always going to happen.

It's all well and good saying people need to drive according to the law, but as there is close to zero enforcement, especially of speeding, the carnage will continue.

[Destiny1990]

He is very right.Now how to reduce the speeding and not keeping enough distance?where the plan of aproach?How many less accidents and deaths estimated  for coming year?tv spots?max speed signs roads,fining non stop speeders and bumper tailors?

[alocacoc]

19 minutes ago, fruitman said:

I do know:

- They like to sit in aircon, so they drive slow to waste more time.

- They can't drive well, so they drive slow.

-They don't like to drive on the left lane where cars are parked, motobikes go faster, motobikes drive against you so they drive middle lane.

- They can't see a duck with those very dark tanned windows

- They are too small to see the nose of the car so they drive slow

-They don't have a driverslicense at all

-They are drunk or very old or on the phone or all of that together

-They are very important so they can hold up the line (every thai is very important)

-They know the brakes of the car don't work properly, so they drive slow

-They have an old amulet, so tehy drive slow..

 

And they do drive so slow on the fast lanes because the police does NOTHING against that.

Thanks for your effort. That was a good laugh. But probably every single point is true.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The Chief of Thailand's highways has laid the blame.....

The Chief of Thailand's Highways, Somchai Kaosamran, should accept the blame himself for Thailand having the second highest road death toll in the world. After all he is the one in charge.

This dufus just sits there and let's it all happen in front of his eyes. He is a total failure and if he was in a real job he would be sacked.

[Destiny1990]

Make Cities 50km zone, innercities 30 km zone highway 90 km,busses minivans 80km.These roads not really suitable to drive faster that this speed.Also pedestrians need some chance to cross roads.Sure will safe a lot of lives once implemented.

[GeorgeCross]

“First and foremost we need the public to drive according to the law. And we need the law to be enforced”

 

the latter will take care of the former

[kannot]

2 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

85% of accidents are caused by drunk policemen, falling asleep on the job !!

85% of  policeman are  caused by accidents.

Speed nonsense, speed isnt a problem, lack of awareness and plain moronic  behaviour is.

[kannot]

14 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Make Cities 50km zone, innercities 30 km zone highway 90 km,busses minivans 80km.These roads not really suitable to drive faster that this speed.Also pedestrians need some chance to cross roads.Sure will safe a lot of lives once implemented.

Bloody  hell its  like being back in the UK, how about  we wrap them all in cotton wool too..............all it really needs is something they dont have...common sense, I know when its ok to drive quickly and when its  better to slow  down, inappropriate use of speed is the problem, an accident at 50kmh due to lack of attention will be just as bad as  at a higher speed

[Destiny1990]

2 minutes ago, kannot said:

Bloody  hell its  like being back in the UK, how about  we wrap them all in cotton wool too..............all it really needs is something they dont have...common sense, I know when its ok to drive quickly and when its  better to slow  down, inappropriate use of speed is the problem, an accident at 50kmh due to lack of attention will be just as bad as  at a higher speed

Not much common sense on these roads here.Sorry that u will be 5 minutes later on your next destination