Prayut postpones new road safety regulations

[Bangna Betty]

Songkran 2016:  442 deaths, 3,447 accidents,  3,656 injuries.  And the authorities try to bring in badly thought-out additional laws just before Songkran. So inept.  Nothing will change in Thailand until the government and the enforcement agencies and Thais themselves want to stop the carnage. The combination of lack of enforcement and complete selfishness and ignorance by the population contribute to the ongoing annual horrendous toll.  What is it in the Thai psyche that allows people to ignore their responsibilities to themselves and the people around them?  ie allows the police to ignore their enforcement responsibilities to keep people safe and enables people to ignore laws that are for everyone's safety as road users??  

[bannork]

5 minutes ago, Bangna Betty said:

Songkran 2016:  442 deaths, 3,447 accidents,  3,656 injuries.  And the authorities try to bring in badly thought-out additional laws just before Songkran. So inept.  Nothing will change in Thailand until the government and the enforcement agencies and Thais themselves want to stop the carnage. The combination of lack of enforcement and complete selfishness and ignorance by the population contribute to the ongoing annual horrendous toll.  What is it in the Thai psyche that allows people to ignore their responsibilities to themselves and the people around them?  ie allows the police to ignore their enforcement responsibilities to keep people safe and enables people to ignore laws that are for everyone's safety as road users??  

Out of the vehicles involved in accidents, in 2016  80.67% were motorcycles, 8.85% pick-up trucks and 4.97% cars. 

Nearly all were youths on motorbikes. 

[Destiny1990]

8 minutes ago, Bangna Betty said:

Songkran 2016:  442 deaths, 3,447 accidents,  3,656 injuries.  And the authorities try to bring in badly thought-out additional laws just before Songkran. So inept.  Nothing will change in Thailand until the government and the enforcement agencies and Thais themselves want to stop the carnage. The combination of lack of enforcement and complete selfishness and ignorance by the population contribute to the ongoing annual horrendous toll.  What is it in the Thai psyche that allows people to ignore their responsibilities to themselves and the people around them?  ie allows the police to ignore their enforcement responsibilities to keep people safe and enables people to ignore laws that are for everyone's safety as road users??  

It wil get better step by step...speed cams,alchohol testing,red light cams,improved drive lessons ,more speed bumper hills ,40 km zones will eventually drastically bring deaths down over the coming years.

[Destiny1990]

3 minutes ago, bannork said:

Out of the vehicles involved in accidents, in 2016  80.67% were motorcycles, 8.85% pick-up trucks and 4.97% cars. 

Nearly all were youths on motorbikes. 

Very Interesting data and not even surprising 

[sinbin]

15 hours ago, bannork said:

Out of the vehicles involved in accidents, in 2016  80.67% were motorcycles, 8.85% pick-up trucks and 4.97% cars. 

Nearly all were youths on motorbikes. 

Do us a favour Bannork. Would you please put the link that you quoted from as your last sentence doesn't appear to be correct. You gave us false information and people believed you and thought your info to be correct. I Googled 'Nearly all were youths on motorbikes' and I couldn't find a link with that info in it.

 

 

 

Quote

Most deaths were in the age group 50 upwards (29.64%), followed by 20-24 (16.29%), 30-39 (15.16%) and 40-49 (14.03%)

Quote

Between October 2013 and September 2014, there were a total of 6,985 deaths on the roads in Thailand. This averages at 19 deaths per day.

Quote

In April 2014, there were 602 recorded deaths in road accidents. This averages out at 20 per day.

http://www.richardbarrow.com/2016/04/full-road-accident-statistics-for-songkran-2016/

 

So in April we get on average 1 extra death on the roads per day over the national average of 19 deaths per normal day. Out of a population of 60+ million, I'd say we're over reacting to the Songkran death toll.

Edited April 8, 2017 by sinbin

[bannork]

58 minutes ago, sinbin said:

Do us a favour Bannork. Would you please put the link that you quoted from as your last sentence doesn't appear to be correct. You gave us false information and people believed you and thought your info to be correct. I Googled 'Nearly all were youths on motorbikes' and I couldn't find a link with that info in it.

 

 

 

http://www.richardbarrow.com/2016/04/full-road-accident-statistics-for-songkran-2016/

 

So in April we get on average 1 extra death on the roads per day over the national average of 19 deaths per normal day. Out of a population of 60+ million, I'd say we're over reacting to the Songkran death toll

http://203.157.15.110/boe/getFile.php?id=NzY=&lbt=Y2Zm&rid=ZmlsZXNfdXBsb2FkL2NvbmZlcmVuY2U=

สรุป เทศกาลสงกรานต์ 2559-

This is from the Thai statistics office  for last year's Songkran. It's on page 11 of 43 of the pdf . Deaths and injuries

15-19 years old  -  21.04%

20-24- years old   -15.35%

25-29 years old    --9.28%

So nearly 46% of the deaths and  injuries were people under 30

According to Richard Barrow's statistics for last year's Songkran-

• 64.77% of vehicles involved in fatal accidents were motorcycles, followed by pick-up trucks (15.72%), cars (11.92%), and vans (1.36%)

• Most deaths were in the age group 50 upwards (29.64%), followed by 20-24 (16.29%), 30-39 (15.16%) and 40-49 (14.03%)- that leaves another 23% unaccounted for? Were they under 20 years old including the 15-19 years old I quote above?

 

 

 

 

[KhaoNiaw]

I think there's a chance this will gradually take, but not overnight of course.

There was something on the news last night about businesses that install seatbelts and the various carryboy options, including collapsible seating etc., for the back of pickups. They're already seeing a big jump in business, which means that some people are beginning to make the necessary changes. It means making some investment  and it would be good if there could be some kind of subsidy or special deals for people to make the conversions. 

 

I first saw this law being enforced several years ago around the Bangchak refinery area. This was after a couple of accidents where people in the back of pickups had been thrown from the overhead expressway down to ground level. I think at first they talked about enforcing the no passenger law and every morning for quite a while I would see the police pulling over the pickups carrying in the  Bangchak workers. It was actually pretty effective and to this day you see very few pickups transporting the workforce there.

 

Edited April 8, 2017 by KhaoNiaw

[bannork]

2 minutes ago, KhaoNiaw said:

I think there's a chance this will gradually take, but not overnight of course.

There was something on the news last night about businesses that install seatbelts and the various carryboy options, including collapsible seating etc., for the back of pickups. They're already seeing a big jump in business, which means that some people are beginning to make the necessary changes. It means making some investment  and it would be good if there could be some kind of subsidy or special deals for people to make the conversions. 

 

I first saw this law being enforced several years ago around the Bangchak refinery area. This was after a couple of accidents where people in the back of pickups had been thrown from the overhead expressway down to ground level. I think at first they talked about enforcing the no passenger law and every morning for quite a while I would see the police pulling over the pickups carrying in the  Bangchak workers. It was actually pretty effective and to this day you see very few pickups transporting the workforce there.

 

Maybe the portable canopy roof could be installed if carrying passengers in the back, of course the pick-up is often used for carrying all kinds of agricultural produce and fertilizers. There's nothing like lifting a 50 kg sack of fertilizer off the back of the truck to the farmhouse. 

[mfd101]

In all of this, I hope any actually useful government action & enforcement will remember the safety-beltless rear seats of Bangkok (& no doubt other areas') taxis - ridiculously small sedans of relatively recent manufacture which, for mysterious reasons, appear to be manufactured without rearseat belts [or the belts are - just as mysteriously - either removed or their connecting 'socket' pushed down out of sight or usability under the seat you're sitting on].

 

What fathomless logic led to that particular phenomenon?

[sandemara]

So many one-liners the coup authorities come out with. All hilarious, from the first promise about restoring fair elections to other fairy tales. Other memorable moments: claims to cherish  democracy and individuals' freedoms, the avowed desire to   determine a legally acceptable government, various definitions of what a democratic constitution might be, and claims of respect for human and civil rights for all,  not just the  rich, powerful and privileged.

A great act, wonderful entertainment.

[Notadoctor]

20 hours ago, KhaoNiaw said:

I think there's a chance this will gradually take, but not overnight of course.

There was something on the news last night about businesses that install seatbelts and the various carryboy options, including collapsible seating etc., for the back of pickups. They're already seeing a big jump in business, which means that some people are beginning to make the necessary changes. It means making some investment  and it would be good if there could be some kind of subsidy or special deals for people to make the conversions. 

 

I first saw this law being enforced several years ago around the Bangchak refinery area. This was after a couple of accidents where people in the back of pickups had been thrown from the overhead expressway down to ground level. I think at first they talked about enforcing the no passenger law and every morning for quite a while I would see the police pulling over the pickups carrying in the  Bangchak workers. It was actually pretty effective and to this day you see very few pickups transporting the workforce there.

 

It doesn't matter what you put into a carryboy they are still death traps and illegal for passengers in most countries.

 

Road safety takes YEARS  - it involves everything from driver education to road construction to a TOTAL REFORM OF THE POLICE - Thailand has so far addressed nothing - unless they actually embrace the world knowledge on this, they will achieve next to nothing.

 

it is also patently clear by the comments on this and similar threads that the average poster on TV simply has no idea what road safety involves, as even people who have lived in countries with relatively advanced road safety have no idea what chance is there for Thailand?

[DILLIGAD]

Lots of statistics being thrown around here. I wonder how many fatalities were a result (direct or indirect) to alcohol?


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[bannork]

1 hour ago, DILLIGAD said:

Lots of statistics being thrown around here. I wonder how many fatalities were a result (direct or indirect) to alcohol?


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The percentage of deaths and injuries due to alcohol over the last 3 years: 

2014- 26.21%

2015- 25.57%

2016- 22. 62%

Age group with most casualties due to alcohol :

1. 20-24 years old

2. 15-19 years old

Figures from http://203.157.15.110/boe/getFile.php?id=NzY=&lbt=Y2Zm&rid=ZmlsZXNfdXBsb2FkL2NvbmZlcmVuY2U=

[Sambotte]

Wonder how it can be really accurate about let say alcool... bad driving and speeding and alcool is counted how ?

IMO alcool is a sure issue, you can't drive well when drunk ; speeding... not sure, alone, if the driver is good he is 100% focus, and many time on motorcycle you are in danger if you drive slow ! I mean it, and i'm very experienced, 0 accident in y life - and i do speed when i can, or when i must, for my safety (dangerous situation, big truck coming from behind...) - ; but i don't drink.

 

The main deaths and severely injured are motorcyclists.

(-cheap- helmet will not change much to that)

(-> It's criminal to throw water on a motorcyclist, what measure here or control by police ? Or simply public debat ? I mean it, this is criminal ! At least obviously very dangerous )

 

Usual suspects otherwise :

- Motorcyclist "driving" with one hand ! That's just suicidal... Sometimes with wife and kid back, and mobile phone on use

- Mobile phone use by car driver too...

- Motorcyclist (or cars) joining a main road without checking and if necessary waiting there "turn"...

- Or changing direction without any visual control.

- Car driver not taking any care of motorcycle : this happen all the time, in front of you on the road - not much in town -, a car pass another, thinking the motorcycle has to avoid him, or maybe does not represent a danger for him... So too many car driver do absolutely not care about motorcycle...

Same with some car before turning left - usually in town here -, they start to pass you, then realise they can't really turn, so they then slow down : total non sense : so some car driver have zero driving lesson, seriously.

Last, driver tend to make mistake but veryyyy sloooowly :) Like if it could be less dangerous, or like they know they are doing bad but can't refrain :) Typically : car joining a main road, they can't wait safety for passage, they try to insert slowly.

 

What are the law and measure about that ?... I think those main mistake could represent 80% of accident. Easy to fix with some good TV spots, and a real exam for driving license. So what ?...

 

That said, ok Songkran will be a bloodbath like usual, but otherwise, generally (being in different part of Thailand in many years), the driving is slowly improving i would say.

Could be natural selection though :) Sorry have to joke, because so many dead and injured for just 4-5 basic big mistake witch could be easilly adressed, it's so crazy...

 

Thailand does not want this image of the last country on earth for driving, it's bad for business anyway :)

But police control (except for drunk driving), helmet, safetybelt, regulation about trucks, etc. will not change a thing ! Or what ? Less dead, more injured ?

The root is basic driving education, witch is not provided ! Obviously. Easy to fix, by better license exam (for motorcycle too), and TV spots. It's just always the same 4-5 big mistakes that create the danger and the accidents.

It's so crazy that it would be very easy to improve. Government's call. Easy call. I mean, theorically :)

[fforest1]

I think the only people who are taking this law seriously are

certain posters on Thai Visa....

 

With-in a week or 2 most Thais will have already forgotten about it

and will be carrying on as usual....

[Wilsonandson]

I think the only people who are taking this law seriously are

certain posters on Thai Visa....

 

With-in a week or 2 most Thais will have already forgotten about it

and will be carrying on as usual....

I think the opposite of you. I think me who like the majority of expats living out here only ride a motorbike will be carrying on as usual.

But the Thai with 2 pickup trucks, a salon and a honda jazz (that they're paying off for on hp for the next 50 years) will crazy.

 

So don't forget to go up to these angry, crazy pickup truck owners and say nicely and calmly with a big smile in Thai Language "Calm down, a calm heart is a good heart. There, there, never mind, fight on, chin up"

555