Thai driving standards: Will raising training from five hours to 15 make any difference?

[hobz]

58 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Nothing in the article address's the issue of motorcycle deaths, which we've all seen so many times stands at around 73% of the nation's total.

 

In fact if one does the math and reduces the annual death rate by 73%, it brings it down to about the same level of the USA.

 

If wants government wants to get serious about reducing the nation's, appalling number of road deaths that is where it need to address its resources.

 

Compulsory training for motorcycle riders before obtaining a licence should, in my opinion, be their highest priority, along with educating parents and guardians that allowing young children to ride them before they have a licence is absolutely taboo!

 

Having said that, any effort to tackle road safety issues in Thailand should be applauded. It is, at least a recognition that they know something needs to done.

Good point, 

 

I wonder how many of those motorbike deaths happen because they got hit by a car?

The uturns from the fast lane that are so common everywhere are a  nightmare for motorbike drivers. Specially considering that cars dont let anyone in here.

 

I doubt that the motorbikes are at fault most of the time. So, educating them further will not reduce accidents significantly.

Banning them completely would.

 

I wonder also have many car accidents there are in thailand compared to the usa. If you are correct then the overall number of car accidents should be same in thailand and us. The ones that are not fatal i mean.

If i am correct i bet thailand has 10x more accidents.

Also, how is us ranked? Are they really a model country for safe driving?

 

 

[dageurreotype]

8 hours ago, Crossy said:

The problem in Thailand and many other developing countries is that students are taught to operate the vehicle, they are not necessarily taught to drive. Things like road sense, anticipation, reading the road etc. just don't get the attention they should.

 

Even 5 hours of training should be enough, if performed on actual roads with a decent instructor.

I agree. A decent well planned five hours is doable. Fifteen hours would be unnecessary and tedious for a Thai and is unthinkable. Would the fee of 6k remain the same? Doubt, already having been floated, a school would accept less and a local pay more. 

[dageurreotype]

2 hours ago, William C F Pierce said:

Although this is a sensible step in the right direction. It is not enough. Will the instructors teach thinking distance, breaking distance, and stopping distance, but the government is also responsible for many road accidents. There are many junctions and crossroads that do not have road markings or traffic lights. No road signs warning you to stop. Many a Thai will drive out of a soi junction without stopping or looking to see if the road is clear, because nothing says they have to stop. The government does not have a highway code that teaches the international road signs. Many foreigners can drive safely in many countries because international road signs are easy to understand by those who obey them. The biggest omission is, there is not a 15 hour course for motorcycle riders who are the cause of the biggest percentage of accidents. On top of the 15 hours training there should be a written test along with a driving test on road skills. Passing the written test should be passed before being tested on the roads.

Agree with the first part of your post, the all important braking/stopping distance in the Land of Tailgating is not taught here as neither how to manoeuvre a traffic circle, never mind pedestrian crossings, they simply don't exist in any driver training here and best avoided. As to the 'many junctions and crossroads with no markings', where are you? Nakhon Nowhere? Even in the wilds of Phang Nga there are signs, and if there aren't, use common sense (whoops) and approach with caution as in other countries. I  disagree motorcycles are the actual cause of the majority of accidents, as another poster pointed out, anything larger should 'think once, think twice, think bike' and the same doubly so for pedestrians. You're in a metal box for Christ's sake, don't be so selfish. Also, there are written tests. However, even a 100% pass rate won't see you through if a Test Center bloke is on his period/immediately jettisoned when leaving said test center as no law enforcement/kreng jai.

 

[Srikcir]

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

15 hours of training before taking a test compared to the previous 5 hour requirement. This will now all be farmed out to private driving schools registered with the relevant ministry.

Triple the hours WILL make a difference ... for the driving schools who will triple their revenues. Maybe the "relevant" ministry will also "benefit?"

[ross163103]

No, because they don't teach the rules of the road/laws, they only learn practical driving. Plus as long as they can buy a license--like my wife did, nothing will change.

[owenm]

"would see driving schools responsible for testing and issuing of driver's license"  If the One Stop Shop can do everything, surely there's a strong possibility of corruption and extra money changing hands... 

Instruction is one step, but testing should still be handled by the Ministry of Transport, the government authority,  to ensure that the driver is sufficiently skilled to obtain a DL. And at the same time, to assess the driving school's competence...  ...   

[just.a.thought]

Of course it will make a difference,it goes with out saying that extra time behind the wheel with PROPER instructions is better than what we have now.....and for <deleted> sake teach them to keep left on the motorway......ban all heavy and slow traffic from the right lane on the motorway,,,,,PLEASE 

[Si Thea01]

You can take horses to water but you can't force them to drink.

[TEFLKrabi]

So much of this is to do with practical training on the roads not just in a contained environment. Learners should get bumper stickers and be allowed to drive on roads before they're tested. 

[little mary sunshine]

Of course not!!  Look at all the Foreigners who drive so

stupid and do things on the road they would never do

in their own country because the police would have

them in jail after a B10,000 fine.

 

The only serious way to improve driving and SAVE LIVES

is for the police to enforce the law, give tickets for speeding,

arrest the drunks, impound the cars and charge huge sums

to return the cars.   Anyone speeding in excess of 30km 

over the posted speed, stopped, ticketB5000 impound car.

 

Drunks, off to jail 15 days first offense, B 10,000 fine.  

 

THE ROADS would be MUCH SAFER!!

 

The Hi-So Mercedes and Beamer Drivers,  Double the fines!!

foreigners too,  They know better and just don't care!!!!

 

 

[SEEDGER]

No 15 hours will not help! What would help greatly is to have a program that teaches younger children road safety. Kids at about age  7 are taken onto a course and drive  small electric cars around a track. They learn early the correct way to drive. As they age  they repeat the class using larger vehicles on a different larger more complicated track, until they graduate High school.  Upon Graduation they should have amassed enough driving credits to take the exam and pass it and get there driving license. There is no easy solution here in the US drunk driving is still a problem and stricter harsher punishment has had little effect.

Teaching the children is the most effective way to change the driving habits of Thais.

[SiSePuede419]

Yes.

 

Education, Training and Enforcement.

 

The three legs of a safe Highway system. ?

[ttrd]

14 hours ago, colinneil said:

Will increasing driver training from 5 to 15 hours make any difference? 

No nothing will change 1 bit, still have daily carnage on the roads.

10 hours increase in classroom lessons means 10 hours less time on the streets for ten thousands at the time every week throughout the year so yeah a change it is...;)

Edited April 29, 2017 by ttrd

[A1Str8]

No. 

[diehard60]

yea this is a problem. 15 hours of training is not that much. that would be good for classroom training or theory. now they should think about hands-on training. actual driving practice on the road.

after that there needs to be better law enforcement. not just at road blocks. 

[Wavel]

There are 192 Countries on planet earth & in this PC world i would not want to be brash with unfounded statements. So saying that LOS comes between 185 & 192 in the realms of safety is in fact being rather kind to the Thai populas. So make every single driver re-sit there test with a minimum of 30 hours training, then perhaps road deaths will go down to a more acceptable level.

Edited April 29, 2017 by Wavel

[Damrongsak]

14 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

It isn't just about the training, it is also about the me, me and me attitude. Until that is all but eradicated, and people start driving within the letter of the law then nothing will change. 

I have a Thai niece here in the USA, mid-20's.  She's about one speeding ticket from getting her license pulled. Fluff-head. Her Dad is OK.  Long-time motorcycle mechanic/racer and nice guy.  But they don't teach their kids.  To be fair, we have all kinds of native idiots here. Impatient, zoom zoom all around.  I never understood why people haul ass up to a red light in the fast lane, while I pass them in the slow lane without even hitting my brakes.  My old Toyota pickup truck has 120,000 kilos on it and I just recently put on some front disc pads.  But the first set lasted about 15 years.

[Moonlover]

6 hours ago, hobz said:

Good point, 

 

I wonder how many of those motorbike deaths happen because they got hit by a car?

The uturns from the fast lane that are so common everywhere are a  nightmare for motorbike drivers. Specially considering that cars dont let anyone in here.

 

I doubt that the motorbikes are at fault most of the time. So, educating them further will not reduce accidents significantly.

Banning them completely would.

 

I wonder also have many car accidents there are in thailand compared to the usa. If you are correct then the overall number of car accidents should be same in thailand and us. The ones that are not fatal i mean.

If i am correct i bet thailand has 10x more accidents.

Also, how is us ranked? Are they really a model country for safe driving?

 

 

A correctly trained motorcyclist is taught 'defensive riding'. When I ride, I am constantly scanning my surroundings, watching out for every potential threat. And I've avoided quite a few accidents because I've always been on the alert.

 

But I watch in horror as many of my fellow riders seem to blindly race through gaps in traffic without any thought for their own safety. Nor do they seem to be alert to potential threats that abound. A typical example was that one we saw on here recently.

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/980628-accident-video-whos-in-the-wrong/#comment-11837408

 

Granted, the women was primarily to blame, but had the motorcyclist been more patient and waited until he could pass on the correct side, (the right) the accident would not have happened. Passing on the inside is one of the most hazardous maneuvers that a rider can make, in urban traffic, yet you see it constantly.

 

The other oft reported fact is that good proportion of these deaths are on rural roads and alcohol is a common factor. Throw in the stubborn refusal to wear a helmet, using mobile phones, carrying unsuitable/unstable loads, etc and there you have accidents in the making.

 

Granted, there bound to accidents, where the motorist is to blame, they happen in every country, But quite often, if the rider had been more alert, the accident could still have been avoided. However, that aside, the shear ratio of deaths here make it inevitable that it's the motorcyclist to blame in most cases.

 

As far the US is concerned, I only compared annual death rates and it just so happened that theirs was one the closest on the WHO table. They are below the world average, but at 10.6 there's room for improvement. (I say that somewhat smugly as, being a Brit, we have just about the lowest in the world)

 

And one last factor. I strongly believe that a properly trained motorcyclist, will progress on to being a better motorist. So there is added value to be gained.

 

Safe motoring everyone.

 

 

[Moonmoon]

Its at least a step in the right direction, perhaps the money used to buy the submarines can be use to subsidize compulsory safety n defensive driving and riding for existing drivers. 

 

 

[fruitman]

13 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

the government goes out of its way to avoid police reform

they must be really, really scared of that

What can they do when loads of them are on inactive posts but still need a salary. They won't sack them, not gonna happen.

[wakeupplease]

Try 500 and it may get halfway

[sanukjim]

17 hours ago, colinneil said:

Will increasing driver training from 5 to 15 hours make any difference? 

No nothing will change 1 bit, still have daily carnage on the roads.

The Thai driving actions are more from their attitude then from their lack of knowledge. The Thai's "Me First" personality is what drives them to pull in front of you on the road or keep changing lanes in traffic in order to gain one more car length and double park on a busy street while they are shopping or eating.No ,it is not the driving skills that Thais need but an overhaul of their character that is needed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[onemorechang]

1 hour ago, sanukjim said:

The Thai driving actions are more from their attitude then from their lack of knowledge. The Thai's "Me First" personality is what drives them to pull in front of you on the road or keep changing lanes in traffic in order to gain one more car length and double park on a busy street while they are shopping or eating.No ,it is not the driving skills that Thais need but an overhaul of their character that is needed. 

 

The me first attitude,   starts,  at very early age in Thailand.

Carried through to adulthood around  72 years old

Edited April 30, 2017 by onemorechang

[nickmondo]

one day, the powers that be here will realise that the only way it will get better is to have the same system as we have in the UK.

Its not freeking rocket science!!!!!

 

[garbolino]

I had 12 full months learning to drive (NOT 5 hours or even 15 hours TRAINING)...then had 6 driving lessons before going in for my test.

The answer to this is a bi bi big BIG no extending from 5 hrs to 15 is a complete joke. Should be 15 months or longer. This country should implement the English driving test which is a theory test and a practical test. 

NO THAI would EVER pass they don"t have the mentality, understanding, and will to learn how to drive properly.

Get licence I CAN DRIVE is their attitude ....how wrong they are. There is a Thai HIGHWAY CODE none even know that this exists so how can they ever drive properly....many can not even read.

You can not instill anticipation, perception and the reading of the road to people who do not have the brain. 

I am sorry to say that bad driving and carnage will exists in this country for many centuries.

The attitude is I have motorbike ...I am bigger than a cycle....I have car ...I am bigger than both of these....I have pickup.....I am bigger than all these...I have bus so I AM BIGGER than all of you!!!

[Happyman58]

18 hours ago, Pdaz said:

On a daily basis I see dozens of simple driving mistakes ( mamy of which have a high potential to cause an accident ) All of these mistakes are either evidence of poor training or of just sheer laziness to follow the rules of the road.

 

Cutting corners at junctions

Changing lane without checking mirrors

Not checking blindspot before turning into a side road

Not indicating or checking mirrors before moving off

Failing to accelerate to the speed of the traffic

Changing lanes at junctions

Not maintaining adequate distance between vehicles

Driving against the flow of the traffic

 

The list is never ending... All can be witnessed in a twenty minute drive to the shops. 

 

There is simply no simple way to re-train and instil good driving habits in pretty much the entire population.

God u are so right They go through red lights They just about break every rule in the book and get away with it. 15 hours would not be enough for driving lessons  You have to change the attitude of the drivers here Me Me Me is there attitude While they at it train their police force to enforce the law Nah nothing will happen Blah Blah Blah all they do here

[asiaexpat]

Just another opportunity for corruption! The general mentality is to bribe if one can not or will not do what the law requires so school owners will profit handsomely. Many people only understand punishment as an incentive for proper behavior therefore only improved enforcement will achieve improvement on the roads.

[Grumpy Duck]

All I see here is another chance for even more corruption. Going to a school, paying a fee and the same school approve a license makes driving a joke. 

 

When I learned to drive 50 years ago, I spent months watching my dad drive, then in high school we had Drivers education, a classroom learning experience, then drivers training, you had to pass the classroom test then go to the DMV to pass the written test before being allowed in the behind the wheel training class. Still only DMV can issue a licence only after passing Their tests, written & driving. At one time the class was mandatory to get a license, then all it did was get cheaper insurance rates. 

Now I understand some states only allow teens to drive during certain hours and/or with an adult present. When I was in Germany, I saw they had many good ideas one of which was a sign attached to a car with any new driver "Warnung-Student-Treiber" or warning student driver in vehicle. 

I believe requiring such a sign until a person drives for a certain amount of time accident and violation free is a good idea.

but in my opinion driving a car on a closed course with no traffic whether for 5, 10, 15 or 100 hours will never produce better drivers. The key to good driving is Experience. 

Edited April 30, 2017 by Grumpy Duck
Make corrections

[Happyman58]

2 minutes ago, Grumpy Duck said:

All I see here is another chance for even more corruption. Going to a school, paying a fee and the same school approve a license makes driving a joke. 

 

When I learned to drive 50 years ago, I spent months watching my dad drive, then in high school we had Drivers education, a classroom learning experience, then drivers training, you had to pass the training then go to the DMV to pass the written test before being allowed in the behind the wheel training class. At one time the class was mandatory to get a license, then all it did was get cheaper insurance rates. 

Now I understand some states only allow teens to drive during certain hours and/or with an adult present. When I was in Germany, I saw they had many good ideas one of which was a sign attached to a car with any new driver "Warnung-Student-Treiber" or warning student driver in vehicle. 

I believe requiring such a sign until a person drives for a certain amount of time accident and violation free is a good idea.

but in my opinion driving a car on a closed course with no traffic whether for 5, 10, 15 or 100 hours will never produce better drivers. The key to good driving is Experience. 

You only have to watch Thai drivers 70% of them have no idea what they are doing That is because they have no training on how to drive a car 15 hours is nothing should be 150 hours

[Grumpy Duck]

3 minutes ago, Happyman58 said:

You only have to watch Thai drivers 70% of them have no idea what they are doing That is because they have no training on how to drive a car 15 hours is nothing should be 150 hours

No matter how many hours on a closed course with no traffic experience, a person will not learn to drive in traffic.