Today is D-Day as police get tough on seatbelts and sitting in the back of pick-ups

[webfact]

Today is D-Day as police get tough on seatbelts and sitting in the back of pick-ups

 

Picture: Thai News Agency

 

BANGKOK: -- National and metropolitan police have announced that strict road safety measures will be in place from today.

 

The regulations refer to seatbelt wearing by drivers and passengers and the practice of travelling in the flat bed of pick-ups.

 

Drivers and passengers will face fines from today, reported Thai News Agency.

 

Withaya Prayongphan at national police HQ said that from today people would not be allowed to travel in the back of pick-ups.

 

The only exception will be made at Songkran where people will be allowed to be in the back in designated areas where water splashing is allowed.

 

But if they stray out onto the highway and are still in the back people will be fined.

 

A meeting at 9.30 am today will clarify the matter for all concerned, he said.

 

Withaya said that he accepted that Thailand was number two in the world for the worst accident statistics. He said it was for the public's own good to follow the law.

 

Deputy commander of the met police Jiraphat Phumijit said that the city force will be very strict on drink driving in the capital.

 

The new seatbelt laws will also be in force from today. He said that initially those in private cars will be fined just 100 baht though the law allows for a 500 baht fine to be levied. This applies to drivers and passengers.

 

This is so that the public can get used to the measures.

 

But he warned there will be no leniency for drivers and passengers in public transport vehicles. He warned that drivers and passengers can be fined up to 5,000 baht in the case of public transport vehicles.

 

Source: Thai News Agency

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-04-05

[billy54]

I don't want to discuss the rights or wrongs of this , opinions' we all have them , but is this the thin end of the nanny state wedge , 

[onemorechang]

15 people in a pick up truck,   

will continue.

Just look under the plastic covers that will be coming.

 

Quote

The only exception will be made at Songkran where people will be allowed to be in the back in designated areas where water splashing is allowed.

Oh dear what ever next !!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Edited April 4, 2017 by onemorechang

[J Smith]

Not sure Thailand as developed far enough to the point where this makes sense......  Gonna hit builders, farmers, laborers and the like hard and am not sure financially they are at a point where alternative transport is viable.  How about police just getting out on the roads and enforcing some kind of driving standards..........   Far fetched blue sky thinking I know!

[davehowden]

Thais not allowed to sit in the back of a pick-up truck, you might as well try and stop my Thai Mother-in-Law from picking her nose!

[mallyrd]

I see absolutely nothing wrong with this "crackdown" provided it is carried out across the board.

[kannot]

17 minutes ago, davehowden said:

Thais not allowed to sit in the back of a pick-up truck, you might as well try and stop my Thai Mother-in-Law from picking her nose!

ok if  she  wears  her  seatbelt

[colinneil]

Police are going to enforce this.

Well thats songkran knackered before it starts, millions go home every year riding on the back of pickups.

How are they going to get home if police enforce this?

[kannot]

My Vigo  is the smartcab type in the rear it has a  bench seat but  no seatbelts, just wondering  not that I ever use them if  someone was in there would they get a 100 baht fine.

[jaltsc]

 “National and metropolitan police have announced that strict road safety measures will be in place from today.

 The regulations refer to seatbelt wearing by drivers and passengers and the practice of travelling in the flat bed of pick-ups.”

 

April first was 4 days ago. 

 

Even if people use seatbets, nothing will be done about using children as human air cushions by having them ride on the front seat passengers's laps, instead of child safety seats. I am sure they will also make exceptions for people riding in the back of pick ups if they are being transported to work. And of course, drunk revelers riding in the back of a pick up is much safer than sober riders doing the same just because it occurs in a designated area. 

 

Is the prerequisite for making laws here a total frontal lobotomy?

Edited April 4, 2017 by jaltsc

[onemorechang]

2 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Police are going to enforce this.

Well thats songkran knackered before it starts, millions go home every year riding on the back of pickups.

How are they going to get home if police enforce this?

 

If they carry a water pistol in there hand in the back of the pick up

they will be ok,

Thailand is one complete Songkran zone over this period.

Maybe they can soak the cops as they go by,   at 140k 

 

[canuckamuck]

Everybody knows that the only safe way to travel in the back of a pickup is to do so while engaged in a water fight.

This law makes perfect sense. 

[4MyEgo]

57 minutes ago, G Marks said:

Not sure Thailand as developed far enough to the point where this makes sense......  Gonna hit builders, farmers, laborers and the like hard and am not sure financially they are at a point where alternative transport is viable.  How about police just getting out on the roads and enforcing some kind of driving standards..........   Far fetched blue sky thinking I know!

Its a start in the right direction, but before you go on suggesting that they hit farmers and labourers and the hike hard, mate, have you ever lived in the bush, these people are doing it hard enough and your suggestion to hit them even harder goes to show your lack of empathy.

 

Education is the key, as the report said, initially 100 baht fine so as to get the message out there, these people have limited incomes I see their struggle daily, they will conform, everything takes time, but for your information, most don't own cars where I come from, hence the reason most are in the back of pick up trucks, as for the labourers, well hit the source between the eyes, i.e. the driver because he is getting paid for the shuttle isn't he, the labourer just wants to make a quid and the only way he is going to make that is to be at the pick up point.

 

I applaud the Thai government for finally taking the stance and trying to bring their people in line with most of the rest of the world, just hope their force keeps it going, because I know one thing, after Songkran they will want to take a break because they will have been very very busy, I hope spreading the word and saving lives.

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, G Marks said:

Not sure Thailand as developed far enough to the point where this makes sense......  Gonna hit builders, farmers, laborers and the like hard and am not sure financially they are at a point where alternative transport is viable.  How about police just getting out on the roads and enforcing some kind of driving standards..........   Far fetched blue sky thinking I know!

The additional revenue one would hope could go into additional transport as opposed into other "areas" if you get my drift, a start in the right direction IMO

[bubba]

Songthaews are pickups.

 

Will passengers now be prohibited from from sitting in the back of songthaews?

[bdenner]

Not a problem for the rural population as it will be as "Strictly Enforced" as the Helmet laws.

 

AND does it apply to Baht Buses, Tuk Tuks, Samlors, and the like?

 

"He warned that drivers and passengers can be fined up to 5,000 baht in the case of public transport vehicles. "

 

AND as someone has mentioned: What about the millions of extended cab pick ups on the roads without seat belts for rear seat pessengers?

 

Etc Etc Etc?

 

Very poorly thought money grab and excuse for another corruption avenue,

Edited April 5, 2017 by bdenner

[JAS21]

The law ... as I have just had it explained to me ... 

 

Travelling in th rear of a green plated PU has always been illegal ...same in a white plated one BUT police have let this slip by.

 

If the white plated pickup is covered and has seats ...sort of like a baht bus then ok to carry people.

[tominbkk]

Just another roadblock fine generating scheme.

[LazySlipper]

Is this another one of TV's funny April fool's pranks?

 

Never happen.

 

If it does I hope they also tackle the unlicensed side car motorcycles that are dangerously driving around...

[worgeordie]

This is going to be a nice little earner (well not so little) for the Police,

as more people wear crash helmets,they had to come up with a new

source of funds, people maybe safer ,but its still bad driving that

results in accidents.

regards worgeordie

[hansnl]

8 minutes ago, bubba said:

Songthaews are pickups.

 

Will passengers now be prohibited from from sitting in the back of songthaews?

A very interesting question!

[bubba]

3 minutes ago, JAS21 said:

The law ... as I have just had it explained to me ... 

 

Travelling in th rear of a green plated PU has always been illegal ...same in a white plated one BUT police have let this slip by.

 

If the white plated pickup is covered and has seats ...sort of like a baht bus then ok to carry people.

 

I see. So the seats and cover make it perfectly safe for passengers riding in the back.

[DrTuner]

The Thai national sports, how many Burmese construction workers can you jam into a Vigo?

[JAS21]

Bubba ... you make a good point. A Carryboy type cover ...wonder what happens in a roll over.

[bubba]

2 minutes ago, JAS21 said:

Bubba ... you make a good point. A Carryboy type cover ...wonder what happens in a roll over.

Here is a hypothetical question.

 

Given that:

 

- Riding in the back of a car without a seatbelt is illegal.

 

- Riding in the back of a songthaew is legal.

 

Which would you rather be in should said vehicle roll over or even involved in a minor accident?

[LennyW]

looking at the highways around Rayong and Mapthaput this morning i guess the news about nobody to be in the bed of the pick up has not filtered through! 

[rkidlad]

Well, just saw four guys in the back of a pickup this morning. There's a larger than usual police presence in my area as they're directing traffic due to massive congestion. Guess they missed these guys. 

[giddyup]

What next, no more than 2 people on a motorbike?

[DoctorG]

If I call my pick-up a ute, will I be OK?

[JAS21]

22 minutes ago, bubba said:

 

I see. So the seats and cover make it perfectly safe for passengers riding in the back.

I have a solution as to how to get the rear seat passenger to 'belt up'. 

 

I get my wife to ask them to occupy the middle seat so that ...if the car 'stops quickly' they will shoot forward ...miss my wife and I and then head on through the windscreen.

 

That way they won't kill either of us ... never fails to work ...

 

Somehow the wrong post got quoted ...should have been his 2nd post ...

Edited April 5, 2017 by JAS21