Public backlash as Thais slam new pick-up passenger rules

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Please use common sense: A 4 door vehicle will have a proper seating restraints in the passenger area. The intent is to keep people out of the interior cargo area in the 2 door vehicles because the passengers are trapped and  cannot exit when the vehicle crashes. Passengers typically asphyxiate or burn to death in serious crashes that crumple the front ends. One should not transport people in a vehicle trunk either.

 

 

The government is to be commended for this attempt at dealing with a major source of death and serious injuries in car crashes. People are thrown out of the vehicles and have their heads split open like melons dropped on the  ground. Sadly, I anticipate it will be as enforced as effectively as the helmet law.

As people use this as a form of getting back and forth to work especially construction workers I presume if the law is enforced there will be a doubling or tripling of people applying for government assistance. I think in a previous thread they gave the ever increasing numbers of new sign ups. This should further speed that up. People will go from having a goal to the dole. Works for me. 

[little mary sunshine]

Finally an attempt to make people a little

safer on the Thai highways;   and it's being

rejected by the public....." You can't cure stupid"

[nahkbin]

Are there still 2 door sedans out there?   Do they have the same rules as extended cab pickups?  LOL

 

The restrictions would be suitable having been given sufficient warning. 

 

I hope that there is a large uprising of poorer Thais to these restrictions.   They are the ones that are really going to be hurt.   How about the poor farmer with an extended cab and 4 kids.  You put all of them in the passenger seat under one belt?  Not hardly safe!

[HHTel]

18 hours ago, colinneil said:

For years police have been trying to enforce the wearing of helmets on motorbikes.

Really?  Have they? Not seen much evidence of this!!

[HHTel]

18 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

 2 door vehicles because the passengers are trapped and  cannot exit when the vehicle crashes.

That logic has to apply to many 2 door cars and SUV's with the extra seats in the back!!

[ratcatcher]

4 hours ago, Thailand said:

Massive income increases on the way for the BIB

 

Awesome day today with another few billion baht spent on more usless tanks to go with the submarines and now this from the non think tank.

"...now this from the non think tank."

Was the "non-think" tank made in China perchance, and what was the purchase price?

[MJCM]

What about the unsold stock of the Smart Cabs / Extra Cab at the car manufactures ? I doubt it that they will be happy, but the sales of the 4 Door Cabs will increase.

[CGW]

35 minutes ago, kiwikeith said:

 

Lowering the speed limit would be a step in the right direction.

NZ has lowered it's limits and lowers them again during holiday period with zero tolerance over the speed limit at Xmas.

Enforcing helmets is a must.

NZ's lower speed limit has remarkably lowered holiday Rd tolls, I hope the PM is reading this.

 

THAILANDS MAX LIMIT SHOULD BE 100k country wide and 50k on main Rds.

IMHO - Nonsense! I have more trouble with slow drivers than "speeding" motorists! I drive a lot in Thailand a very small percentage are even capable off driving close to the speed limits!

[Miaow]

11 minutes ago, little mary sunshine said:

Finally an attempt to make people a little

safer on the Thai highways;   and it's being

rejected by the public....." You can't cure stupid"

Funny how westerners are selective when it's time to condemn or promote democracy...such hypocrisy...

[little mary sunshine]

1 minute ago, Miaow said:

Funny how westerners are selective when it's time to condemn or promote democracy...such hypocrisy...

Any attempt to make the roads in Thailand safer

should be applauded by everyone, especially the

Westerners, who were educated in safe driving but

appear to forget everything when on the roads.

Democracy  has nothing to do with Safety on the

roads and should not be voted on....the only

hyoocrical thing is when people know better but

choose it ignore the laws and judge others for

wanting safer roads.

[CGW]

44 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

Hmm I think this is the start of a backlash by the people. 

You mean the poor folks may revolt? may well happen as it primarily effects only them!

[Krataiboy]

The right idea, but the wrong timing. Like a great deal of what the junta proposes, there is obvious merit in these measures. But, typically, no thought has been given to the unavoidable problems which will arise from them being phased in too quickly, without much warning.

 

So instead of reaping plaudits for improving public safety, the generals are going to end up getting a lot of flak. Have they never heard the old maxim, Look before you leap?

 

 

[xerostar]

Little thought has been given by the authorities before bringing in this new rule.
Thai people are poor, so most people use motor cycles and pickups. 

 

A pickup is a practical vehicle that allows Thais to transport the whole family which often has 5 or more individuals. It's traditional to drive long distances for family reunions.

 

The trouble is that pickups are inherently dangerous vehicles because they can not pass a crash test and they are very quick to get out of control or roll over when driven by inexperienced (or drunk) drivers.

 

The authorities are not focused on the real cause of "accidents" that is the untrained drivers, speeding drivers and drunk drivers, (mainly motorcycle riders).

They should focus on policing the existing rules but they probably wont.
 
This rule will only bring more hardship for families. 
In any case the majority of deaths are attributed to motor cycle crashes so where is the logic?  
Most will ignore the rules anyway.

[little mary sunshine]

18 minutes ago, CGW said:

IMHO - Nonsense! I have more trouble with slow drivers than "speeding" motorists! I drive a lot in Thailand a very small percentage are even capable off driving close to the speed limits!

You can't be serious....these speeding idiots are

responsible for the majority of the road deaths...

speeding drunks!!.,!

[natway09]

I nearly got run over this morning by a policeman on a motorcycle on the footpath going the wrong way up a one way street. Does that not say it all?

Drove 1200 Km on the open road last week.   The Thais I am sure that they do not even know that a solid yellow line 

means no passing. High speed carnage the outcome,,, but do the police do their job,,, NO .

They need to ride "Mufti" in the traffic & book offenders.Road blocks everyone smiles & behaves themselves.

 

[hobz]

This is telling me what i've been suspecting for a long time. The people don't actually want road safety. 

[Miaow]

6 minutes ago, little mary sunshine said:

Any attempt to make the roads in Thailand safer

should be applauded by everyone, (...)

Democracy  has nothing to do with Safety on the

roads and should not be voted on...(..)

Exactly my point...Hypocrisy at its best.....

YOU decided what people should applause and YOU decide for the people what is democratic...

You sound like a dictator to me...

 

[DGS1244]

4 hours ago, Gulfsailor said:

If the license plate is black on white, then it's classed as a passenger vehicle, and with seat belts it should be allright to sit in the back. 

If the plate is green on white, then it's classed as a two door pick up and no passengers are allowed in the back. That's also why these cars are much cheaper than double cab or sedans and SUVs, because they have a much lower tax on it. 

Think you are rather confused re licence plates Black on White is a private vehicle and green is a commercial registered vehicle, nothing to do with doors etc. 

[Miaow]

12 minutes ago, little mary sunshine said:

33 minutes ago, CGW said:

IMHO - Nonsense! I have more trouble with slow drivers than "speeding" motorists! I drive a lot in Thailand a very small percentage are even capable off driving close to the speed limits!

You can't be serious....these speeding idiots are

responsible for the majority of the road deaths...

speeding drunks!!.,!

  I drive a lot in Thailand as well and totally agree with CGW...In my experience, slow drivers are as dangerous if not more than speedy drivers..Especially when they decide to switch lanes.....

Edited April 5, 2017 by Miaow

[chrisinth]

5 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Please use common sense: A 4 door vehicle will have a proper seating restraints in the passenger area. The intent is to keep people out of the interior cargo area in the 2 door vehicles because the passengers are trapped and  cannot exit when the vehicle crashes. Passengers typically asphyxiate or burn to death in serious crashes that crumple the front ends. One should not transport people in a vehicle trunk either.

 

 

The government is to be commended for this attempt at dealing with a major source of death and serious injuries in car crashes. People are thrown out of the vehicles and have their heads split open like melons dropped on the  ground. Sadly, I anticipate it will be as enforced as effectively as the helmet law.

 

Any idea why our company two door pickups have seat belts installed in them? In fact, why do they even have seats in that space if not designed for passengers?

Edited April 5, 2017 by chrisinth

[darksidedog]

1 hour ago, nahkbin said:

Completely irresponsible for the government to implement rules like this with out proper notice.

How many families have two door pickups with or without extended cab.  Are they expected to replace it today?

 

Yes. Many people bought them because the tax was lower than a car.

If you have ever seen the carnage when one of these things packed with people in the back have an accident (and I have), you would probably be less worried about the cost financially, and more about the cost in lives. You can buy a new vehicle, you can't bring people back from the dead. I personally applaud the move. It is long overdue.

[happysanook]

5 hours ago, Jeremy50 said:

It's a start, now all the other road madnesses need to be addressed.  Driving on the wrong side of the road, driving without lights, insane overtaking, cutting the corners at junctions, driving slowly in the fast lane, etc etc etc

Most importantly...Excessive speeding

[Artisi]

When all the building sites come to a standstill due to not being able to get the slave workers there and these people start going hungry as their B300 daily pittance stops and the developers see they investment buildings not being completed - you can bet that this ruling will soon fizzle out. 

Don't get me wrong, transporting people in the back of pickups is crazy, but until such times decent wages are paid allowing workers to afford transport or services put in place for people to get to work as in a developed country - the current system is the best available. 

[Chris Lawrence]

Its an OK law but instead of the military buying the need is for infrastructure development to get people to and from work. Then again what about motor bikes, helmets, drink driving and just obeying general traffic rules. He has the water buffalo before the cart.

[Happyman58]

Oh let them kill themselves Dont worry guys the keystone cops wont do anything It is just another game for them lol

[Chris Lawrence]

Its an OK law but instead of the military buying the need is for infrastructure development to get people to and from work. Then again what about motor bikes, helmets, drink driving and just obeying general traffic rules. He has the water buffalo before the cart.

[hugh2121]

5 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Please use common sense: A 4 door vehicle will have a proper seating restraints in the passenger area. The intent is to keep people out of the interior cargo area in the 2 door vehicles because the passengers are trapped and  cannot exit when the vehicle crashes. Passengers typically asphyxiate or burn to death in serious crashes that crumple the front ends. One should not transport people in a vehicle trunk either.

 

 

The government is to be commended for this attempt at dealing with a major source of death and serious injuries in car crashes. People are thrown out of the vehicles and have their heads split open like melons dropped on the  ground. Sadly, I anticipate it will be as enforced as effectively as the helmet law.

How does this differ from people in the back seat of a 2 door coupe?

[natway09]

If you want to catch an idiot, you have to think like one.

Mr Ministry of Transport ,,,,, if a pickup travelling at 150km an hour ( WHICH IS ILLEGAL)) 

hits something solid,,, seat belts will make no difference.

Get the police to start enforcing the laws 

[4MyEgo]

6 hours ago, colinneil said:

For years police have been trying to enforce the wearing of helmets on motorbikes.

That hasnt worked, neither will this 1.

It WILL if they keep issuing fines, after all, who rules the country, Thai's have had it too easy for donkey's years, think of those working in emergency rooms having to put back the pieces, its for their own good and they don't won't it, nothing to do with revenue, abide by the law and you shouldn't have a problem. 

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, colinneil said:

For years police have been trying to enforce the wearing of helmets on motorbikes.

That hasnt worked, neither will this 1.

It will be great for the police when tea money time comes around.