Pickups allowed to carry passengers until new rules done: police

[webfact]

Pickups allowed to carry passengers until new rules done: police
By The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- SENIOR police are pressing the Land Transport Department (LTD) for new regulations that would allow pickups to carry passengers, not just cargo, in cabs or beds – as long as they have safety belts installed.

 

Until the new regulations are issued, police have no plan to arrest or fine pickup drivers or owners who carry passengers.

 

“We won’t take legal action against people who use their pickups for carrying passengers until the New Year,” Assistant National Police Commissioner Pol Lt-General Wittaya Prayongpan said yesterday.

 

He said the National Police Office had written to the LTD to propose measures for new regulations and would raise the issue at a meeting again today.

 

Earlier, various authorities pledged to take action against pickup drivers carrying passengers because laws currently state that pickup beds could transport cargo only. As a result, few people were seen in the back of pickups during the recent Songkran holidays.

 

“We believe we can be lenient and also help ensure people’s safety,” Wittaya said.

 

Police have recommended installing safety belts in pickup cabs, and safety belts or railings in pickup beds. They also want pickups with passengers to drive at less than 80 kilometres an hour.

 

Songkran led to a media focus on road safety, given that millions of people travel to their home provinces or tourist destinations during the festival, which marks the traditional Thai New Year.

 

Officials said 3,388 road accidents occurred between last Tuesday and Sunday, April 11 to 16, claiming 335 lives and injuring 3,506 people.

 

Of these accidents, about 82 per cent were related to motorcycles and just over 8 per cent were related to pickups.

 

A total of 403 road accidents took place on Sunday, causing 44 deaths and injuring 427 people, according to the Road Safety Centre. Common causes were drunk driving and speeding.

 

Sunday was the sixth of the so-called “seven dangerous days” associated with the Songkran festival.

 

Of all provinces, Chiang Mai had the highest number of accidents – 153 – during the period. The northern province also had the highest number of injured victims at 160.

 

Nakhon Ratchasima had the highest road death toll at 17. Compared with the same period last year, the number of accidents during the first six of Songkran’s seven dangerous days was up by 284. The number of people injured increased by 235. But the number of deaths was down by 62.

 

Officials worked hard to promote road safety to prevent accidents, seizing 6,544 vehicles between Wednesday and Sunday after drivers were found to be drunk or had been drinking.

 

Yesterday was the last official holiday for Songkran, so many thousands of people headed back to Bangkok from the provinces.

Buses run by the Transport Co, a state enterprise, carried about 190,000 passengers in the morning.

 

Train stations also saw huge crowds of people boarding Bangkok-bound wagons. Many roads to the capital were also congested. The tailback on Paholyothin Road was so long officials had to allocate outbound lanes for inbound traffic.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312542

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-18

[PatOngo]

“We believe we can be lenient and also help ensure people’s safety,” Wittaya said.

Officials said 3,388 road accidents occurred between last Tuesday and Sunday, April 11 to 16, claiming 335 lives and injuring 3,506 people.

 

Yes ok, got it!

 

[tracker1]

Reports state the Thailand will lead the gymnastics championships due to the number of back flips they do in matters !

[IamNoone88]

As usual, a well oiled decision decision making process.

[biplanebluey]

82% MOTORCYCLES!!!!!---------- Never mind there's nothing we can do about  that,lets get back to this pickup thing.The rest is drink driving and speeding------ not much we can do about that either,let's get back to this pickup thing.Don't know what the devil we're going to do about this.Let's make it legal to ride in the back,then we have got ourselves out of a hole that we are in and all the people will be happy----- AND MAN WILL I BE POPULAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RichardColeman]

Fail to see how seat belts help in the slightest, if the idiot driver is going too fast, drunk, asleep or the pickup suffers from the 'brake-failure' disease.

 

Personally, i'd allow travel in a pick-up if speeds of people carrying pickups were limited to 30 miles an hour on an inside lane.

[faraday]

But at least he is attempting to address the whole road safety issue, rather than just implementing a poorly thought out law.

 

Instead of just heaping criticism on this whole debacle, why don't people suggest some workable solutions?

 

Or is this just yet another opportunity for tv members to denigrate Thailand again?

 

 

 

 

[metisdead]

A post containing profanity has been removed. 

[starky]

12 minutes ago, faraday said:

But at least he is attempting to address the whole road safety issue, rather than just implementing a poorly thought out law.

 

Instead of just heaping criticism on this whole debacle, why don't people suggest some workable solutions?

 

Or is this just yet another opportunity for tv members to denigrate Thailand again?

 

 

 

 

Agreed ( especially on the excessive Thai Bashing) but this wasn't an issue before last week. The current government made it an issue, right before Songkran. Things certainly need to change but perhaps initially the time, effort and resources may be better utilised on the biggest issues motorcycles, drink driving, excessive speed and get back to the pick-ups if they have success in other areas. 

[faraday]

Just now, starky said:

Agreed ( especially on the excessive Thai Bashing) but this wasn't an issue before last week. The current government made it an issue, right before Songkran. Things certainly need to change but perhaps initially the time, effort and resources may be better utilised on the biggest issues motorcycles, drink driving, excessive speed and get back to the pick-ups if they have success in other areas. 

Quite agree Mr S.....

Going after the drink/fast driving & doing it consistently would, I hope, show people that road safety is vital. They would then be more amenable to other changes in the law. I hope.

 

 

 

 

[maoro2013]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

As a result, few people were seen in the back of pickups during the recent Songkran holidays.

Well they didn't look around my area in Isaan.

[helloagain]

24 minutes ago, faraday said:

But at least he is attempting to address the whole road safety issue, rather than just implementing a poorly thought out law.

 

Instead of just heaping criticism on this whole debacle, why don't people suggest some workable solutions?

 

Or is this just yet another opportunity for tv members to denigrate Thailand again?

 

 

 

 

They dont need any help from us they do a good job themselves

[AGareth2]

41 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Personally, i'd allow travel in a pick-up if speeds of people carrying pickups were limited to 30 miles an hour on an inside lane.

if they limit to 80 KPH

you might be onto something

and the left lane

[faraday]

18 minutes ago, helloagain said:

They dont need any help from us they do a good job themselves

 

Just proved my point, haven't you......

[stephenterry]

21 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

if they limit to 80 KPH

you might be onto something

and the left lane

In principle, I'd agree, but (if it was  introduced) could you really see it working in practice? It would be another of those unenforceable laws - unless the major highways had working speed cameras all along the road, and regular police checking points like at Lampang. 

[darksidedog]

The problem with accidents involving pick ups is that the people in the back tend to get thrown out, thus causing bad injuries.

Multi prong attack on it. First, ensure seat belts or similar restraints are fitted, so all passengers are firmly in place, ensure a full roll bar cage is fitted to prevent people being crushed if it rolls and speed restrict to 80 KMH. Not perfect, but a good start.

I hope one day to see a similar level of fuss being focused on the Motor Bike accident issue, which is a way bigger problem.

[Destiny1990]

Having special designed seatbelts in the floorbed of the pick up installed and max the pickup its speed to 80 km is a really fair solution and will safe lots of lives.

[Destiny1990]

1 minute ago, darksidedog said:

The problem with accidents involving pick ups is that the people in the back tend to get thrown out, thus causing bad injuries.

Multi prong attack on it. First, ensure seat belts or similar restraints are fitted, so all passengers are firmly in place, ensure a full roll bar cage is fitted to prevent people being crushed if it rolls and speed restrict to 80 KMH. Not perfect, but a good start.

I hope one day to see a similar level of fuss being focused on the Motor Bike accident issue, which is a way bigger problem.

Agree for bikes having a harsh speed limitation and more in dept license training program should be next.

[TheFishman1]

TIT

[jimstar1]

What a Crock nothing will ever be done or Changed 

[binjalin]

these people could not organise sex in a Pattaya soapy

 

When I first came here I was critical of 3/4 riding motor bikes etc. until I learnt, fairly swiftly, many have NO choice and same with pick-ups. Bet they hate riding in those to and from work and bet they have NO choice.

 

The Hi-So Junta have no empathy for the poor only contempt.

[JAG]

But at least he is attempting to address the whole road safety issue, rather than just implementing a poorly thought out law.
 
Instead of just heaping criticism on this whole debacle, why don't people suggest some workable solutions?
 
Or is this just yet another opportunity for tv members to denigrate Thailand again?
 
 
 
 

The post before yours does just that.

[fish monger]

“We believe we can be lenient and also help ensure people’s safety,” Wittaya said. 

 

One of the reasons so many people die is because the cops are so lenient....Stronger enforcement results in a higher success rate in preventing fatalities. 

[faraday]

27 minutes ago, JAG said:

The post before yours does just that.

Thank you so much for bringing this my attention.

I'll try harder in future to post in a correct timeline.

 

[jojothai]

1 hour ago, faraday said:

Quite agree Mr S.....

Going after the drink/fast driving & doing it consistently would, I hope, show people that road safety is vital. They would then be more amenable to other changes in the law. I hope.

 

 

 

 

There has been a good many posts on this subject in the last couple of weeks and in my opinion it is good that they are at last trying to look at the issue with more sense,  however its also about time the road safety argument was properly judged .

 

Many people state an d argue that the rules are good for safety, however what most people seem to miss is that if implemented it will more likely increase the accidents and deaths, because the people will end up having to travel on motorbikes.

The statistics indicate where the biggest issues are, and we should all be well aware that the majority of deaths (not just accidents) are motorbike users. Some of the posters rightly point out that motorbikes are  the much bigger issue.

 

Does it really make sense to force people out of the pickups onto  motorbikes?

 

[fdch]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Fail to see how seat belts help in the slightest, if the idiot driver is going too fast, drunk, asleep or the pickup suffers from the 'brake-failure' disease.

 

Personally, i'd allow travel in a pick-up if speeds of people carrying pickups were limited to 30 miles an hour on an inside lane.

ow man and they already drive so anoyingly slow, that is why most accidents happen in thailand to slow to sleepy to drunk

[Bangkok Barry]

Bottom line is that if everyone drove at a safe speed and in a safe manner then there would be no danger at all in sitting in the back of pickups. But they don't, so there is. They are tackling the problem from the wrong angle - trying to introduce an unenforceable law instead of getting people to drive responsibly, which of course in Thailand is impossible as no-one ever accepts responsibility for anything.

[MaxLee]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Pickups allowed to carry passengers until new rules done: police

Until, until, until  

[hocuspocus]

1 hour ago, Destiny1990 said:

Agree for bikes having a harsh speed limitation and more in dept license training program should be next.

Will they still allow an upper tier and lower tier in pick-ups as long as there is seat belts for all and if they eliminate ALL deaths in pick-ups will Thailand stay at number 2 with 82% of all deaths on motor cycles.

[Classic Ray]

When I was a young driver/rider in the UK no one wore helmets unless it was cold and seat belts were not fitted/used. Training for motorcyclists was non-existent. Drink driving was common and acceptable.There were always plenty of organ donors as lots of people died in/after collisions. Others were disabled for life.

 

Then the Government realised the cost to the economy of all the urgent treatment and palliative care, and workers removed from the taxpayer base, and introduced drink driving, compulsory helmets and seat belt laws, and finally Compulsory Basic Training for motorcyclists. A lot of people hated it at first but gradually saw the common sense of the measures, backed by excellent road safety marketing and training, and vigorous enforcement. Fatalities and life changing injuries dropped like a stone and organ donors are now in short supply.

 

I realise that things here take time, but how long and how many more have to die and suffer unnecessarily before the Thai Government and people learn the lessons from the West and start making sure that everyone has a chance to grow up without them and their relatives being slaughtered?