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

[Happyman58]

1 hour ago, spiroinusa1 said:

This is ripe for dissension. You can only push the people so far. "Father Knows Best" was an American TV show not a national anthem to the Prime Minister. It is a tough issue but to many people have no  other way to travel. Speeding causes most accidents in Thailand. That is what they should go after. 

They know that but it means they have to get of there <deleted> to actually catch the speeding drivers and half the time the cops are speeding themselves

[Happyman58]

1 hour ago, the guest said:

It seems in Thailand, the party is definitely over.

Bullshit its only just begun You think the police will enforce that Com eon They cant even stop cars going through red lights

[Eligius]

5 minutes ago, Happyman58 said:

Bullshit its only just begun You think the police will enforce that Com eon They cant even stop cars going through red lights

Right! I have used two taxis today - and neither driver said a word about using the seat belt (I deliberately tested them!). My guess is that if seat-belt use IS enforced during Songkran - it will all be forgotten a month later. 

[oceanyachting]

So a passenger is subject to a fine even when a Tuk-Tuk doesn't even have seatbelts?

 

[4MyEgo]

6 hours ago, G Marks said:

You need to read what I said again mate.

Apologies there mate, I misread your post, I thought you were having a go.

 

Thanks for pointing that out, it would appear a fair few people misread it as I got a fair few likes.

 

I see where your coming from now.

 

Cheers

[balo]

1 hour ago, brain150 said:

Your friend made a choice and it was his choice ... not yours !

So you don't care for others people safety , what a selfish thing to say .

 

If your friend ask you if he should use the seat belt in Thailand your reply would be no need , because you can enjoy your freedom here . 

Your perfect world is "freedom" and no laws at all. 

 

 

 

 

[billy54]

  17 hours ago, dageurreotype said:

No. It's not. A friend of mine would still be alive today if he hadn't been too lazy to buckle up. And enough with the bloody 'nanny state'. Humans mistake structure for oppression, and humans (if you hadn't noticed by now) need structure.

 

THere are many many instancy's were had the driver /passenger had not buckled up ,they would have been thrown clear and possibly would still be alive today , ( i'm not saying this is the case in your instance) yes install the safety equipment  , but freedom of choice , , so as far as your concerned we should have cameras on you at all times to make sure you comply with the LAW , EVen in the bog i presume , ( yes i know it's extreme )  but  everything you do should be monitored , ??? i'm affraid i take responsibilty for my actions , i swapped the oppression in my country  for the freedom ish here , 

[flexomike]

10 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

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.

He wasn't suggesting that they should hit them hard, he was saying that it will hit them hard

[4MyEgo]

4 hours ago, TPI said:

Well, in Oz Aboriginals are allowed to ride in the back of pickups because there's no other way for them to travel any distance!  what bizarre mental gymnastics brought about this idea? Thailand is a 3rd world country tring like crazy tobe a 2nd world country.....put a transport infrastructure that makes PU riding redundent and no problems!!

I'm out in the sticks, and a lot of people in the village don't have wheels, however there are the usual skylabs and the song whatever you call em available for the 30 minute journey to town, so there really isn't any excuse.

 

Initially I would let the twins boys (13) ride in the back tray as it would be getting a bit tight with the other two inside the ute always fighting with them, now I have to handle 4 kids and two adults in a Ford Ranger 4 door ute, well, 3 go to school so that's ok, me and the kids do the drive daily, but if mum wants to come into town with the almost 3 year old, she has to wait until I come back because I am not going to have her in the ute without a baby seat, and the boys now are not allowed in the back tray, seat belts on for everyone.

 

 See, If I can do it, so can everybody else, sure its a pain in the butt, but its the law that is now being enforced, so I will comply, however I don't know about that 8-9 hour drive for a holiday to Pattaya, might have to upgrade to a 7 seater 555

[4MyEgo]

4 minutes ago, flexomike said:

He wasn't suggesting that they should hit them hard, he was saying that it will hit them hard

Yes I misread his post and just apologised. 

 

Cheers

[Miaow]

2 minutes ago, balo said:

So you don't care for others people safety , what a selfish thing to say .

 

If your friend ask you if he should use the seat belt in Thailand your reply would be no need , because you can enjoy your freedom here . 

Your perfect world is "freedom" and no laws at all. 

 

 

 

 

Exactly, there is such a fine line bewteen freedom/democracy and chaos/ anarchy.....My question is WHO gets to decide where it should be drawn....

You can't really force your friend to buckle up, although you can strongly advise against....

 

[PETERTHEEATER]

11 hours ago, kannot said:

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.

No, the driver would be fined. It has long been a traffic law that it is illegal to carry pax in a pickup 'space cab/1-1/2 door type it just hasn't been enforced. A full twin cab pick-up has seat belts in the rear and is registered as four (or five) passenger capacity.

[4MyEgo]

9 hours ago, cooked said:

Good points. However the police will just see this as another source of income. Nothing is going to change.

Thai road safety policy is all about repression, this kind of announcement comes up every year just before Songkran and Christmas.

Hardly any money is spent on education, how about a few road safety spots on TV every day like we got in the UK 60 years ago?

I heard it was 100 baht per head.

 

Advertising on TV, yes brilliant idea,  TV commercials regarding road safety as we had back in Aus as recent as a couple of years ago.

Edited April 5, 2017 by 4MyEgo

[irlguy1]

The bench in back compartment of Smart Cabs, Open Cabs, whatever you want to call it is not meant for passengers and never was. You will never see Toyota or anyone else stating in print that this compartment is for passengers, although they clearly know that is the purpose. 

 

The concept was introduced years ago to get around a tax issue where proper back seats in a pickup (e.g. double cabs) were placed in a  higher tax category. This is why there are not seat belts, air bags or other safety features there.

 

Simply put: the back bench in a smart cab was not designed and built to safety standards for passengers, they do not have seat belts for that reason, and it it is not safe for passengers to ride there. 

 

 

So answer me this then,

Why does mine have a soft padded upholstered seat?

Do goods need to travel in luxury?

Your talking rubbish.

If it was for goods only ,then a more practical bench would be flat wood and not soft plush upholstery.

How is joe ordinary supposed to know that the 4 seat truck he just bought and had his kids with him trying it out that they are not allowed to ride in it?

It was sold then under false pretences.

[emoji35]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[irlguy1]

Also the trucks have now lost huge resale value. Petitions are already rolling in. Let's see how some social media rants on Toyota sites will stir things up.
At the very least everyone needs to demand a retro fit of belts for free.


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[irlguy1]

No, the driver would be fined. It has long been a traffic law that it is illegal to carry pax in a pickup 'space cab/1-1/2 door type it just hasn't been enforced. A full twin cab pick-up has seat belts in the rear and is registered as four (or five) passenger capacity.

Petition the dealer that sold it to you.
I don't know about you but I was never told that nor was my wife.


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[SiSePuede419]

10 hours ago, bubba said:

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?

In the Songthaew.  Especially if it's packed.  Thai human bubble wrap.  Great protection. ?

[geriatrickid]

11 hours ago, kannot said:

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.

yes.

[bubba]

9 minutes ago, irlguy1 said:

 

 

So answer me this then,

Why does mine have a soft padded upholstered seat?

Do goods need to travel in luxury?

Your talking rubbish.

If it was for goods only ,then a more practical bench would be flat wood and not soft plush upholstery.

How is joe ordinary supposed to know that the 4 seat truck he just bought and had his kids with him trying it out that they are not allowed to ride in it?

It was sold then under false pretences.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Perhaps we could be civil without accusations of "talking rubbish"?

 

Pickups that have cabs two rows of seats (double cabs) carry excise tax of seven or eight percent (depending on CO2 emissions) higher than pickups called "space cabs", having one row of seats with space behind the driver. Now everyone knows that people will use that space for passengers, so they put upholstered benches there. They are not like seats, do not have safety belts and do not meet safety specs for passengers, but they meet the lower tax definition and what you do with your padded bench is up to you.

 

You do have a valid point: they are indeed sold more or less under false pretences. The padded bench is not for passengers, and now it appears the police will enforce that.

[ThaidaGwaii]

Just another gimmick for the cops to make money on the side...

[whatawonderfulday]

Well I don't think the message has got thro. either to the people travelling in the back of the pick-up or the police.   I just got back from driving to Phitsanulok today and back and there were 5 police check points in total. At all five , there were pick ups in front of me with people in the back and guess what ? yep the BIB just waved them thro'

[nikmar]

Im guessing i may have to stop tying the Mum in Law to the roof rack then.

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[tuktuktuk]

Let's face it, Thailand's not ready for a modern approach to safety.  You see it everywhere, not just with vehicles.  I feel a chill run down my spine every time I see someone riding a motorcycle while wearing flip-flops.  What about babies sitting in mom or dad's lap on a motorcycle?  We bought a car seat for my wife's granddaughter.  Her mom and dad used it once and decided to leave it behind since the baby didn't seem to like it.

[dcnx]

Saw no less than 50 pick-up trucks with people in the back today. Even during a police stop where they stopped everyone on a bike looking for any reason to ticket them, not a single truck was stopped. Zilch.

 

No one is going to enforce this.

[weejun]

14 hours ago, billy54 said:

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 , 

The fact is that people die on the roads. Seatbelts will save lives. Enforcing the use of seat belts makes sense from all perspectives. When people are unable or unwilling to take care of themselves, the government can step in. Remember, these accidents cost not only money, but they also cause human suffering (witnesses suffering from terrible sights, grieving friends and family, etc.).

[newnative]

The pick-up law will never be enforced.  If you're sitting in the back of a hot pick-up you're likely not a candidate for a shake-down.  The police will see it as a waste of time.

[maxcorrigan]

13 hours ago, bubba said:

Songthaews are pickups.

 

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

I would think baht buses usually driven fairly slowly, are more of a danger to other drivers with their stop start anywhere type of driving,  than endangering their passengers, other than those swinging on the back of course, and obvious over loading which should be checked but won't be!

[Kwasaki]

2 minutes ago, weejun said:

The fact is that people die on the roads. Seatbelts will save lives. Enforcing the use of seat belts makes sense from all perspectives. When people are unable or unwilling to take care of themselves, the government can step in. Remember, these accidents cost not only money, but they also cause human suffering (witnesses suffering from terrible sights, grieving friends and family, etc.).

Sorry but you really do not understand the Thai way of doing things, they have family in the back of there old trucks (pick-ups) because they can't afford a coach.

So it's goodbye to baht buses (songtels) then.

[Wilsonandson]

Been researching the net and it is not a popular day for the junta. In fact I would say this is probably the most unpopular day for them so far since the coup. These new traffic regulations have really shocked the Thais. The pickup is the most popular car in Thailand. To bad even smartcabs from having passengers is way over the top.

[Eligius]

1 hour ago, tuktuktuk said:

Let's face it, Thailand's not ready for a modern approach to safety.  You see it everywhere, not just with vehicles.  I feel a chill run down my spine every time I see someone riding a motorcycle while wearing flip-flops.  What about babies sitting in mom or dad's lap on a motorcycle?  We bought a car seat for my wife's granddaughter.  Her mom and dad used it once and decided to leave it behind since the baby didn't seem to like it.

Totally agree with you, Tuktuktuk. One of the first forms of 'culture shock' I experienced when I came to Thailand was to see little toddlers of only 2 years of age precariously and recklessly perched - without any head protection - on their mothers' lap, or between their mothers' legs, as the mothers drove their motorbike along a busy Bangkok road. Of course I now know that this is totally standard - happens every minute of every day here. But I am still shocked and appalled by it. Are the mothers (and fathers) just plain stupid? Have they had a lobotomy?  - Or do they feel less love and concern for their kids than we do for ours?

 

Sadly, I fear it is the former - although it could of course be a combination of the two ...