Shock horror tactics employed to stop under fifteens driving to school on motorcycles

[quadperfect]

It is so easy to enforce,like everyone says here fines are the only way.

This little dog and pony show is something they read about and felt if they do this it will be as though they care.

[halloween]

Often it's just a matter of expediency. If you have 2 or 3 (or even 4 or 5) that need to get to school and it is too far to walk, what do you do when both parents are at work, or mum is looking after baby/toddlers? Even if there is a song thaew, with more than one the economics work out cheaper to buy an old bike.

I'm not agreeing with the behaviour, but I can understand it.

 

BTW As a lad I rode to high school, ~200m on the road and ~2km through national park, initially on a BSA Super Bantam, and later on a C15, as an alternative to a bus trip 3 times the distance. There 5 or 6 of us, and only one serious incident, a broken leg, but a 500 Matchless really wasn't the best bike on a muddy track. 

[marko kok prong]

My girlfreind has no licence,she got stopped and issued with a ticket over songkran,the last time i asked if she had payed it,she just laughed,and said she would get around to it,why don't you get one i asked,too much trouble she told me i think the fine was 200 b or something.

[DavoTheGun]

Should also take them to the Hospitals to see all the Kids in a Coma,and a big fine for no Helmet, 2000 Baht at least.

 

[BangkokTony]

Who buys the motor cycles?  The parents? They are equally to blame.

[chrisinth]

1 hour ago, Scott said:

Part of the solution is for schools to not allow students to drive motorcycles to school.   I have long wondered why they not only allow it, but provide parking for the students and don't even make a remedial effort to see that anybody either driving or riding a motorcycle has a helmet.  

 

Last year we had two students at one of our schools get seriously injured, with one having brain damage as they rode out the school gate and were promptly smeared all over the pavement by a truck.   Still no effort to stop this insanity.  

 

.....But God help any student who shows up with their uniform not quite up to scratch, or their hair too long, or their fingernails dirty.  

 

It's all about priorities.  

So very true reference priorities.

 

Many years ago when I moved to Phitsanulok and asked the question as to how the children got away with riding motorbikes I was told something along the lines of; "Never mind, if it is their only means of transport to school then the police won't do anything. Education is important".

 

We are in a city that has 30+ schools, xx colleges and 3 universities. The amount of motorbikes on the roads has increased by at least 5 fold since then and still it happens with the kids on their bikes. Of course this isn't taking into account the increase in car numbers as well. Between 16:00 and 18:00 every night all the hospital emergency rooms are bursting at the seams. It is eye-opening at the least.

 

"Education is important". You would think that schools would be the perfect place to start the education that is needed for life, and not just for the classroom.

[wvavin]

They don't need to do a mock up because there is always a real scenario around the schools. No trouble at all to recreate this.

[Ron19]

There are two in our family, one daughter of a niece and another a son of another niece.

Both ten years old, one had her parents buy her a full sized Fino. (they had bought her a

smaller sized MC 18 months ago)

The other one rides his grandmothers 6 km each way to school and back every day.

Both with no helmets all the time and with passengers most of the time.

The nieces rides quite sensibly but the nephew although he handles with skill is heading 

for a fall being a smart arse with speed and showing off.

What can I say ? I've spoken to my wife about it and all she can say is that it's not our

problem and we can't interfere.

[Cadbury]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

I saw a Thai policeman do something once.

 

Weird.

Looking at his smartphone doesn't count I'm sorry.

Edited June 23, 2017 by Cadbury

[richard_smith237]

This is pure showmanship, a media bite.... 

 

So many posters have already identified the simple solution here, this very same simple solution could also be employed to reduce the carnage on Thailands roads nationwide. 

 

Under 15's caught on Bikes - Confiscate the bike (i.e. for a Month), Fine the Parents who are ultimately responsible for a minor. 

 

15's + riding dangerously or breaking traffic regulations - Fine them, if they cannot afford the fine, confiscate the bike until they can. 

Riding without a license etc - Confiscate the bike until they can produce the correct paperwork and fine them. 

 

Of course, this takes leg work, actually work, physically moving and doing something which also involves independent thinking.

 

Until a morally sound work ethic exists within the Police force nothing much will improve - it's is very sad state of affairs when the future is so predictable with these issues. 

[cornishcarlos]

Not very realistic set up, there's a helmet on the floor !!!

[starky]

1 hour ago, halloween said:

Often it's just a matter of expediency. If you have 2 or 3 (or even 4 or 5) that need to get to school and it is too far to walk, what do you do when both parents are at work, or mum is looking after baby/toddlers? Even if there is a song thaew, with more than one the economics work out cheaper to buy an old bike.

I'm not agreeing with the behaviour, but I can understand it.

 

BTW As a lad I rode to high school, ~200m on the road and ~2km through national park, initially on a BSA Super Bantam, and later on a C15, as an alternative to a bus trip 3 times the distance. There 5 or 6 of us, and only one serious incident, a broken leg, but a 500 Matchless really wasn't the best bike on a muddy track. 

Thats it! some of those old fogeys on here must of had the most boring childhood wrapped in their safe, perfect, risk free little bubbles.I was riding minibikes at 6 and full size trail bikes as soon as my feet could touch the ground @9 years old, me dear old pop used to let me drive the car around the empty parking lot at the supermarket when I was 10. I got no problem with kids on motorcycles give them the right safety gear and keep them away from main roads/ highways. Its not like they have a lot of choice, very easy to say dont do it when most here can so easily afford a car. 

[Morch]

3 hours ago, overherebc said:

Not for a month. Crush the bikes with all looking on.

Motorcycle manufacturers and dealers approve.

[Mosha]

Confiscate the bikes, and put them in a crusher. That'll make parents sit up and take notice.

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[Mosha]

Part of the solution is for schools to not allow students to drive motorcycles to school.   I have long wondered why they not only allow it, but provide parking for the students and don't even make a remedial effort to see that anybody either driving or riding a motorcycle has a helmet.  
 
Last year we had two students at one of our schools get seriously injured, with one having brain damage as they rode out the school gate and were promptly smeared all over the pavement by a truck.   Still no effort to stop this insanity.  
 
.....But God help any student who shows up with their uniform not quite up to scratch, or their hair too long, or their fingernails dirty.  
 
It's all about priorities.  

A mates ex a teacher told him she'd be late home as the police were coming to the school, and talk about the law. My mate says. "You mean like not letting kids drive motorbikes to school?"
She gives the you're so stupid look.
"How can they get to school? You so stupid".

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[spidermike007]

I think it is a good idea. Many Thais simply do not consider the consequences of their actions, and the way I see some driving here makes me think there is no thought as to the potential hazards they are creating for themselves, or others.

 

When I was growing up, we took drivers education classes. They showed us these horrendous films, of semi trucks crashing into cars, and literally obliterating them, and everything inside. Also, they showed very graphic images of head on collisions. Even as a young kid, it left a lasting impression, and I realized driving was no joking matter. Especially when you have your friends, or loved ones in the car with you. I am constantly astonished at the kinds of chances people take here, with their entire family in the car with them. Why? What is the logic? What is the reason? Why take those risks? Often, when someone cuts onto the highway in front of me, as I am doing 100kpm or more on the highway, I look in my rearview mirror, and there is nobody behind me for quite some distance. Which means, had they paused, and waited 2 or 3 seconds, there would have been zero risk to them, their family, or me and my family. What can one even say? All of this matters even more when driving a motorbike, where there is no protection. 

 

The only way to survive here on the road, is to be patient, have eyes in the back of your head, drive with caution, and always, and I mean always watch out of the other guy. Chances are, he does not have much driving skill, nor patience, nor reason, nor common sense. You cannot be too careful on the road here. Especially considering that the toy police offer no traffic safety, nor enforcement of the law. Many of us drive motorcycles or scooters here, and it is dangerous getting on the roads with some of these other drivers. Getting on a scooter, or a motorcycle anywhere in Thailand, much less Phuket, Phangan, Dark Tao, or Samui without a very good helmet, is like playing Russian Roulette with three or four bullets in the chamber. It is absolutely asking for problems. The degree of recklessness here is astounding. And many foreigners come here thinking "how much trouble could I get in on a little scooter, on a tropical island"? Well, the answer is alot. The amount of foreigners who are killed on the Southern islands is staggering. Most are not reported in the media. I had a friend who worked for Samui rescue for many years, and said the numbers were about 30-60 a month, on Samui, Phangan and Koh Tao. The official number is about 3 a month. Rider beware. Use as good a helmet as you can afford, and do not use these eggshells pieces of crap. They crack at the first impact, and what lies underneath them? Your skull, which is very delicate. 
 
Just ask yourself- do I have enough problems already, without a broken skull, or smashed head, or face injury, or lost eye? I have two friends who have been in motorbike accidents on Samui within the last two years. One still cannot walk, or talk or function on her own, from a motorbike accident, where she hit her head on the pavement going only 20 kph. The other one has lost alot of his mental capacity after hitting his head. He insisted for years he would never wear a helmet. Now, he seems 15 years older. 

 

I was told by a very reliable source. He did not have an agenda. He rescued alot of the survivors. He attended to alot of the ones who did not make it. The press here is highly censored. The report only what the so called leaders want them to report. Nothing else. Social media? Why would social media report these statistics? They report individual accidents, but not overall statistics. Anything you read about accidents on Samui in the media would be false. 

[thhMan]

Avoiding the work by using a STAGED event ???

The best way to stop kids riding bikes to school is to begin sacking Police who are letting this happen

DOH!

[Mosha]

Avoiding the work by using a STAGED event ???
The best way to stop kids riding bikes to school is to begin sacking Police who are letting this happen
DOH!

There'd be none left 555

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[Orton Rd]

Nearly hit one last week, driving one handed looking at phone in other hand, no helmet. Some way to go I think and road safety lesson would do them a lot more good than marching up and down to patriotic songs every morning

[transam]

This stunt will do absolutely nothing.....Many have seen dead folk in the road.....Police directing traffic at schools SEE underage kids riding bikes out of schools, probably their own kids do too.............Nobody has a clue here..

[anon4637435435]

Starting age in my area is 8. Problem is they like to skip school on regular basis yet mysteriously come back to circle after school on there outdated not road worthy pink finos and so on.

My kids school wont allow kids to be picked up with out a helmet now which is impressive and i was used to get up and talk about safety as a known local bike enthuseiest. Lets hope the rest follow suit...

Edited June 23, 2017 by bsdthai
Bad spelling

[TomTao]

Shock and awe doesn't work on Thai kids, most have probably either seen or been involved in motorcycle accidents. My wife and I tried to convince my wife's granddaughter to wear a helmet and ride carefully, she said she would be careful, but wouldn't wear a helmet because it would mess up her hair, so we asked her how messy her hair would be if it was full of brains and blood, she just smiled and shrugged her shoulders and said no one else wears a helmet, she doesn't want to be laughed at by the other students.

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[masuk]

6 hours ago, Scott said:

Part of the solution is for schools to not allow students to drive motorcycles to school.   I have long wondered why they not only allow it, but provide parking for the students and don't even make a remedial effort to see that anybody either driving or riding a motorcycle has a helmet.  

 

Last year we had two students at one of our schools get seriously injured, with one having brain damage as they rode out the school gate and were promptly smeared all over the pavement by a truck.   Still no effort to stop this insanity.  

 

.....But God help any student who shows up with their uniform not quite up to scratch, or their hair too long, or their fingernails dirty.  

 

It's all about priorities.  

Stand near an entrance/exit to a well-known university in Chiang Mai, and be amazed at the number of 'educated' students who have no helmet, or it's in the shopping basket, or in some cases dangling on the handle bars.  

A popular reason for no helmet is that it's difficult to put on when you've got earphones.

[Beats56]

Why do you think they want young kids for motercyle races on the tracks. Because they have no fear. Saw a kid today and I swear he was only 10 years old. Unbelievable.

[transam]

The solution is soooooo easy if the BiB had brains and cared....

 

BiB stands at any school, asks for their license...If they do not have a license or a crash hat tell them to not use the scooter again if you do not have a license or crash helmet, if you do we will come to your house and fine your parents 1000bht, if they do not pay we will take away your television until it is paid....If you persist in riding illegally we will crush the bike...

[ICECOOL]

6 hours ago, DLang said:

Fine the parents. Seize the motorbike for 1 month.

 

Fine the schools.

 

Fine the teachers.

How ridiculous ! Your suggesting the Police do their job!

[snowgard]

6 hours ago, DLang said:

Fine the parents. Seize the motorbike for 1 month.

 

Fine the schools.

 

Fine the teachers.

No!!! Not only for 1 month. Take it to the auction and spent the money for disabled people.

That the kid can drive with the motorbike to school shows that the family not need the bike.

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I am not a fan of Thai authorities, but I'll give them credit for this.

 

Do it again, do it often, and add more (fake!) blood!

It won't make any difference. Their parents are that stupid that they really don't believe anything can happen to their children, until it does.

Edited June 23, 2017 by possum1931

[owl sees all]

7 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

The problem is that children under 15 can not be fined.
Give the parents the fine and the problem is gone.

Yes why not.

 

I take it also that a under 15 cannot have a licence, own a motorbike or get insurance. Stop the parents giving the kids the bikes and all is sorted.

[Chongalulu]

Just don't bother with anything. Neither the will,the culture or the intelligence exists to address the issue- they are quite happy to continue with what they regard as acceptable carnage. Proof? If they can't be arsed to replace a 50 baht bulb in the rear light that is their evaluation of their own worth.