Vehicles under close scrutiny in run-up to Songkran Festival

[webfact]

Vehicles under close scrutiny in run-up to Songkran Festival
By The Nation

 

PHICHIT: -- Phichit Transport Office chief Surachai Tabya on Friday inspected the condition of public transport vehicles, especially vans, to boost road safety ahead of the Songkran Festival next week.

 

Besides ensuring each van's brake system worked properly, all seats had belts, tyres were in proper condition, and the vehicles equipped with safety items like hammer and fire-extinguisher, he and officials also checked on drivers’ sobriety. 

 

Surachai said all transport vans were supposed to install the GPS system, which involved swiping a card, to monitor if any driver was speeding. If any driver were found to have used another driver's card, the card owner would be held responsible for any violation of law by the borrower, he warned.

 

Phichit also launched a campaign on March 13, valid until April 24, to provide free-of-charge inspections for personal vehicles. He instructed cargo trucks and those transporting hazardous items to avoid using the roads from April 11-17.

 

Earlier on Thursday, Minister of Transport Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said his agency aimed to reduce road accidents on highways by five per cent, or less than 1,290 cases compared to the previous Songkran's 1,358 cases. Among the measures being taken are:

repairs of roads, better lighting, visible traffic signs, rest stops that offer refreshments and other services to drivers and passengers, real-time traffic monitoring system, the Highway Department's free hotline 1586 to advise around the clock and toll-free motorway services from April 11-18. 

 

He also urged motorists to not exceed the legal speed limit, to use the headlights and to fasten seatbelts.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30311585

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-07

[SiamBeast]

The problem with speed limits is that they are set so ridiculously low that every motorist will violate them. If you follow the limit, you'll become a public danger and get rear-ended within 30 seconds.

 

Regarding headlights, that's common sense - motorcycles not turning their lights on are just wanting to get an accident.

 

 

[ferguston]

Motorcycles have their lights turned on all of the time it's 50% of them with no bulbs or broken bulbs, that's the problem.

[elgordo38]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

he and officials also checked on drivers’ sobriety. 

You better rig him with one of those new 24/7/365 alcohol monitors

[Happyman58]

Inspection of vehicle thai way Has it got 4 wheels with tyres on them? Pass Now where did you put that brown envelope driver?

[MarkusAUST]

19 hours ago, ferguston said:

Motorcycles have their lights turned on all of the time it's 50% of them with no bulbs or broken bulbs, that's the problem.

It's way better here than Cambodia. Over there it is illegal to have your headlights on during the day! And it's enforced.

Thailand is not the only crazy place.

[Jeremy50]

Headlight during the day is just plain annoying. Why do Thai drivers put their fog lights on all the time at night?  Just dangerous and idiotic. 

[AlphaSoiDog]

They just made the world safer. We didn't have our new tax sticker on the scooter yet and paid the price.

 

To do this they closed a lane leading off the main highway causing total mayhem on an already tricky (read dangerous Thai style) part of the highway. Big delays, short tempers and I'd guess more than one "accident".

 

And again, I have yet to see them pull over anything other than a motorbike. Targeting vans my a.....