226 died, 2,457 injured in four days of Songkran festival

[glanville63]

How many fell out of the back of trucks or did they all die in motor-cycle accidents.

 

 

[Airbagwill]

1 minute ago, jippytum said:

Yes it has changed the total deaths were increased recently  by nine fatalities that died in hospital after accidents

There is a standard internationally accepted set of methodologies for gathering road safety stats...see WHO ... Sadly  Thailand doesn't even appear to gather or publish the two grades of injuries and the stats gathered for deaths used to be massaged by successive govts changing criteria...however it is quite possible adjust these to compensate for this and get figures that are internationally comparable 

[Dag Ekeberg]

2 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

There is a standard internationally accepted set of methodologies for gathering road safety stats...see WHO ... Sadly  Thailand doesn't even appear to gather or publish the two grades of injuries and the stats gathered for deaths used to be massaged by successive govts changing criteria...however it is quite possible adjust these to compensate for this and get figures that are internationally comparable 

WHO compared 180 countries in 2015. They adjusted the Thai numbers up by 72 percent...

[tandor]

"Drunk driving is a major cause of yesterday fatality rates or 44.08%,"

 

...i think you mean Driving under the influence of alcohol...you can be 'drunk' on one standard beer and not exceed the 50mg limit. (for example hot day, drink down rapidly one beer and within minutes some drivers would appear drunk..slurred speech, unsteady, light-headed, particularly a young person with a low tolerance to alcohol...case by case of course).

To establish the degree of drunkenness you would need to conduct a 'sobriety test'.

How many of the your 44.08% were Breathalyzed and what percentage of drivers elected a Blood test..the results of which would not be available within 48hrs. ??

You really should be more precise in your reporting.

Edited April 15, 2017 by metisdead
Font reset to normal. Please post using the default forum font like everybody else does. Thank you.

[nuananddon]

If you have been here for a number of years as I and many others have, this is just more of the same. Seems people here never learn to except how dangerous these holidays are on the highways and roads of Thailand. My vehicle hasn't moved in 5 days. As I sit here on my porch and watch how these crazy people race through this little village with cars,pickups, and motorbikes it no wonder there's so much carnage. And now it's starting to rain, be safe out there people.

[BigDaddy66]

Please stop counting the dead.

 

You guys understand nothing.

 

You are going to kill all the fun. They already stopped the topless girls and the funny water canons.

Go outside to enjoy a bit instead of mourning home about others fun.

[jak2002003]

2 minutes ago, BigDaddy66 said:

Please stop counting the dead.

 

You guys understand nothing.

 

You are going to kill all the fun. They already stopped the topless girls and the funny water canons.

Go outside to enjoy a bit instead of mourning home about others fun.

OK, so I can say that to you if your child, partner or other family member(s) get killed during this festival by some drunk driver or massive safety negligence?

[user4365423653]

I have lived four years in T. Just got back to Canada. With my wife, we've covered over 25,000 km on our motorcycles everywhere in T and in the adjacent countries. Almost every week, we came to the rescue of people who just had an accident. mostly motorcycles. We stopped traffic, check pulse, apply bandages, and generally showed compassion. Many were dead, some just babies... Thai drivers are fatalistic: they believe in pre-destiny. If your time is up, then why bother with safe driving. They don't adjust their driving to weather conditions, ie torrential rain. But, mostly, Thailand has a pathological problem with alcohol. An inhibited society regulated by myriad of religious, social and political taboos. Alcoholism is rampant in this country, many drivers are not competent, half of motorcycles don't show proper lights at night, and poverty overcrowds the seats of motorcycles and pickup trucks. We are lucky to have covered so many kilometers on our Honda CBRs without an accident. 

Edited April 15, 2017 by michelsavage

[SGD]

Also, apparently, the Thai figures are manipulated down to show only those who died at the scene, thoughtfully ignoring anyone who died later or was not actually pronounced dead at the time of the accident.

 

So if you survive the accident but die in the ambulance, then you don't count.

[user4365423653]

Oh, and I forgot to mention that corruption, being an accepted and established way of life (for better or worse), makes laws inoperable or at least, "flexible". I could tell so many stories of drivers stopped by the police because they were careless and drunk, and police just gently offered coffee, or advice... Sometimes with the help of a little gift.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Pungdo said:

I was told a while back that if you make it to a hospital and die there and don't die on the road, then you are not counted as being part of the road toll, so just what is the real figure ??

 

Death at the scene of the accident.. on-route to or in the hospital does not factor in the total count... 

[ChakaKhan]

The PURGE 2017--Songkran Edition

 

Darwinism in full effect or is it Karma...up to U!

[Assurancetourix]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

"We're No. 1... We're No. 1..."

 

Just keep chanting like that, as the bodies pile up on the highways, hospitals and morgues.

 

 

[Airbagwill]

51 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Death at the scene of the accident.. on-route to or in the hospital does not factor in the total count... 

Yes it does...there are a lot of myths about how the stats are compiled....once gathered some may be discarded by certain agencies 

[Airbagwill]

1 hour ago, tandor said:

"Drunk driving is a major cause of yesterday fatality rates or 44.08%,"

 

...i think you mean Driving under the influence of alcohol...you can be 'drunk' on one standard beer and not exceed the 50mg limit. (for example hot day, drink down rapidly one beer and within minutes some drivers would appear drunk..slurred speech, unsteady, light-headed, particularly a young person with a low tolerance to alcohol...case by case of course).

To establish the degree of drunkenness you would need to conduct a 'sobriety test'.

How many of the your 44.08% were Breathalyzed and what percentage of drivers elected a Blood test..the results of which would not be available within 48hrs. ??

You really should be more precise in your reporting.

Actually the usual terminology is that there was alcohol in the incident this could be in one or more if those involved.....blame and terms like drunk driving are inventions of the media 

Edited April 15, 2017 by Airbagwill

[janpharma]

The official figures will show a decline in deaths versus last year...just to make sure police not "lose face" every year...

[wvavin]

more to come.

[verticalift]

Only Stats from the government state run hospitals are published by Thai authorities. Stats from the "private" hospitals where most expats find themselves going, go unpublished. "Actual" numbers, are much different than "Published". 

 

18 years ago when I first arrived in T'land, I was taken out by a 60' tour bus, with the bus driving over the bike I was on. Had I not been wearing a proper certified helmet strapped on tight, I wouldn't be typing this now.

6 years ago my wife sustained a fractured C2 vertebrae when her car was hit. She fortunately survived, but has two stainless steel rods in her neck as a reminder of that day. 

We were both very fortunate to have survived.

I now drive a Volvo.........Hahaha.

 

Apathy seams to permeate the very core  of Thai society, at every level when it come to drinking and driving, speeding, running red lights, driving their bikes the wrong way/opposite direction to the traffic flow, lack of enforcement of the traffic laws by the police, the list is long..........

 

Car cams front and back, make for interesting evening viewing after a day out on the road.

I have a "Blackvue 650 - 2 Channel" and won't leave the driveway without it up and running. 

Though I purchased through "Blackbox-My-Car" in Vancouver, The Blackvue 650 2 channel can be purchased in Bangkok.

 

www.blackboxmycar.com

https://www.blackboxmycar.com/collections/blackvue/products/blackvue-dr650s-2ch?variant=33779262919

 

Be safe out there guys...........

 

Edited April 15, 2017 by verticalift
Typo

[anon467367354]

considering the average number of motorist deaths in Thailand is a little more than 30 per 100, 000 people, the national average should be around 55 deaths per day.

We're only 6 over or reasonably thinking par for the course. Just another day in Thailand, the holiday has nothing do to with anything in this case.

source: http://www.thaiwebsites.com/caraccidents.asp

[BigDaddy66]

3 minutes ago, gr8fldanielle said:

considering the average number of motorist deaths in Thailand is a little more than 30 per 100, 000 people, the national average should be around 55 deaths per day.

We're only 6 over or reasonably thinking par for the course. Just another day in Thailand, the holiday has nothing do to with anything in this case.

source: http://www.thaiwebsites.com/caraccidents.asp

 

Yes.

 

Stop blaming the fun.

 

Such an amount of craziness would be impossible in the western world, when it is cultural here.

 

I'm not surprise to read westerners trying to shut down something they wouldn't be able to have home.

 

 

[Harold the Great]

The absolute madness is well madness. I live in Phuket and have lived here for years. Every year we, me and my Thai wife stay in doors and plan in advance not to leave our villa for days before and after the holiday. The lack of intelligence, common sense and respect truly challenges me as to the offset of this wonderful place and its people in general vs the regulatory western world way of life. I love this country and its people yet the behaviour and tolerance for bad behaviors knowing in advance its going to happen I can't understand.  My Thai wife is the one pushing me for us to leave here due to so much of this bad behavior in general. We have tried to help the community in may ways and I'm really disappointed. 

Does anyone have any positive suggestions?

[TumblinDice]

Pay it forward.


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

27 minutes ago, BigDaddy66 said:

 

I'm not surprise to read westerners trying to shut down something they wouldn't be able to have home.

 

 

I don't mind Thais or foreigners playing water during Song Kran, if done responsibly and respectfully -- as in, not causing harm or danger to others, and not involving those who wish to stay dry for whatever reason.

 

But I do mind Thais or foreigners who use Song Kran as an excuse to get mindlessly drunk and then go driving to kill and injure themselves and others (the latter often innocent bystanders) on the country's roadways. Or likewise those who stand on the streets and highways , often drunk, and toss buckets of water and such on passing motorcycles and cars in a way that can and does cause crashes.

 

The original Thai tradition of Song Kran was a time to show respect to elders for the New Year by pouring water from a cup over their hands, or similarly over statues of Buddha. Todays drunken morons, Thai and farang, have lost touch with what the Song Kran tradition is supposed to be about.

 

Edited April 15, 2017 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Harold the Great]

As a farang I would not dare involve myself in the Song Kran insanity as I believe if an incident occurred and a scooter ever wiped out I would be either beaten to death on the street, jailed or ousted out of the country after I was rapped for everything I own including any bank accounts here. Not smart to participate in anything locally. 

[Moonlover]

5 hours ago, Dag Ekeberg said:

The 2015 WHO (World Health Org.) report cites 14,059 yearly deaths (2012 numbers) and has a footnote regarding the Thai government numbers that reads: "Unlimited time period following crash".

The WHO's estimate is 24.237 deaths per year

This is how last year's Songkran figures were complied. You can see from this that hospital deaths were included and there is a footnote that explains how.

 

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

[Moonlover]

10 minutes ago, Harold the Great said:

As a farang I would not dare involve myself in the Song Kran insanity as I believe if an incident occurred and a scooter ever wiped out I would be either beaten to death on the street, jailed or ousted out of the country after I was rapped for everything I own including any bank accounts here. Not smart to participate in anything locally. 

Very wise decision. 

[Moonlover]

24 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I'm not surprise to read westerners trying to shut down something they wouldn't be able to have home.

 

We westerners have more respect for the safety, comfort and welfare of our fellow man.

 

We do NOT risk their lives and our own, by playing stupid, childish games on the highway!

 

 

Edited April 15, 2017 by Moonlover

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Your quoted material in the prior post, Moonlover, is from BigDaddy, not from me, as written in your post. He's the one who wrote about not being surprised.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Someone else earlier posted some info suggesting that the road deaths during Song Kran were no worse than other days of the year in Thailand, or the average day.

 

I see Richard Barrow's article linked above has just the opposite assessment of the statistics:

 

 

Quote

 

What’s it like on a normal day?

• 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.
• In April 2014, there were 602 recorded deaths in road accidents. This averages out at 20 per day. On Day 2 of Songkran this year, 64 people died in just one day.

 

 

And the daily death toll for other individual Song Kran days last year according to Richard's article ranged from 45 to 79  -- well beyond the earlier daily road death averages Richard cited.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

Do you honestly think that obtaining a license would make them less stupid?

All that would be done there would be a case of licensing the stupidity, which of course would be more face for them, having a licence for being stupid, 'Now i can be stupid and I'm legaly stupid.