Why does Thailand have so many traffic deaths?

[Inspire]

Why does Thailand have so many traffic deaths?

Orlando Barton

 

 

According to an article in Forbes Magazine in 2016, Thailand ranks #2 in traffic deaths globally just after #1 Libya and before #3 Malawi.  36.2 out of 100,000 people will lose their lives on Thai roads in any given year.  Why is that do you suppose?

 

I understand that war-torn Libya would be a dangerous place to be on the road.  And Malawi suffers from all kinds of problems from underdevelopment to civil war; one would expect getting behind the wheel of any type of conveyance hazardous.  But Thailand?  This is a civilized country with relatively good roads and nobody dropping bombs or mortar shells.

 

Perhaps the answer lies in the Thai people’s attitude towards life, death and danger.  Have you ever been out driving and seen a “near miss” incident involving Thais on motorbikes?  Two or more young Thais will come screaming down a narrow alley and burst onto a main thoroughfare without even glancing towards oncoming traffic.  After the blaring horn, screeching brakes and violet swerve to avoid certain death, all passengers on the motorbike will be smiling and laughing like idiots.  It’s as if to say, “Ahhhh, what a lucky day for me”.  They are aware they’ve just cheated death, but they are unfazed.  It will not change their behavior in the slightest.

 

Is it that they do not fear death?  Maybe.  Most Thais believe in reincarnation as part of the Buddhist religion. Perhaps their reasoning is, “My life’s not so great anyway.  Why not see what’s next?”  Is it that they don’t think about the future?  Maybe.  Living in the moment is also part of their culture.  Considering consequences of one’s actions is not a deeply ingrained concept.

 

Full story: http://www.inspirepattaya.com/pattaya/thailand-many-traffic-deaths/

 

 

-- © Copyright Inspire Pattaya 2017-06-25

[Dave67]

Good article. Second only to war torn Libya for road deaths per annum, Most people who run a red light and almost have an accident will think twice about doing it again. Many Thais would think this is my lucky day and run more. As the article suggests

[clockman]

There is a direct connection, between road deaths. And how corrupt a country is!

[canuckamuck]

Because there is effectively no penalty for dangerous driving unless you get into a crash. If there was even a little enforcement on moving violations, the statistics would begin to change.

[Thaiwrath]

How many are actually taught, legally, how to drive/ride in traffic, or even control a vehicle properly ?

Add this to the 'I am better than every other vehicle user on the road' mentality, and it is a recipe for complete disaster !

[Pattaya28]

Reason for the death-toll, is Thais have no common sense driving / riding on the roads. 

Clueless regarding speed / distance / what might happen / road sense. 

A few examples are undertaking / no helmet / no lights / red-light jumping.

Nothing whatsoever to do with the reasoning in the above article.

[Lingba]

Why?...Because people in Thailand..when it comes to driving are selfish and haven't any consideration for other people...they are clueless with road rules and think they own the road...They simply just don't care about life.

[Orton Rd]

Civilization, it's built on the law and depends on people obeying the laws. Compare the madness on Thai roads to say Japan where people are not thinking me first and sod any rules all the time. 

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, Dave67 said:

Good article. Second only to war torn Libya for road deaths per annum, Most people who run a red light and almost have an accident will think twice about doing it again. Many Thais would think this is my lucky day and run more. As the article suggests

I didn't think it was a particularly good article, as it barely touched upon many of the problems, but no doubt the responses to this on TV will make up for that.

[pattjock]

If you remove the deaths from accidents involving motorbikes, people on the back of pick-ups and minibuses you will see death numbers very comparable with any western country. Motorbike deaths alone is something like 85% of all fatalities.

 

To compare  traffic death rate between countries where motorbikes is the main mode of daily transport for most of the population and countries where the portion of motorbike traffic is very small is like comparing apples with oranges.

[Muggi1968]

Any country where police do not care have the same problems

 

[petermik]

7 hours ago, Muggi1968 said:

Any country where police do not care have the same problems

 

And the government

[wirat69]

2 hours ago, Inspire said:

After the blaring horn, screeching brakes and violet swerve

Yes, have to admit I am violet with rage as I swerve to avoid yet another dent and 2-3 hours wasted with an insurance claim!!

[RareDingo]

When "natural selection" is involved in road death, there is not much you can do about it.  It does, however, remove them from the gene pool.  What is sad though is when a Darwin award candidate takes out an innocent human being just going about their day, that is a tragedy...

[eggers]

Two main reasons:

1. V poor driving skills & habits, i.e. excessive no. passengers, both M/bikes & utes.

2. Poor standards of road laws & policing of laws, though, slight improvement policing in  last year or so, but no where near good enough. 

[DGS1244]

Simple answer, Train the police to enforce the traffic laws, which has to include themselves.

[everett kendall]

There are traffic laws.

But there are no traffic police to enforce the laws.

Where are the motorcycle police?

Imagine if you had police cruising around and handing out traffic tickets.

And ticketing all who violated the simplest law.

1. Going the wrong way against traffic

2. Passing on the wrong side.

3. Cutting in front of a car

4.Over loaded trucks.

5.Big trucks in the  right lane

and many others.

 

Sure people would get upset, but

traffic deaths would decrease.

 

[cardinalblue]

Not knowing the rules, lack of ineffective testing, lack of proper training/practice, lack of enforcement and poor punishment system....

 

it's a sanuk culture not a serious one so no connection between driving and consequences...

 

gov 100% at fault....can't, unable or unwilling to properly manage a program...

[lordblackader]

2 hours ago, clockman said:

There is a direct connection, between road deaths. And how corrupt a country is!

By that logic Cambodian road deaths would be significantly higher...guess what, they're not. 

[Classic Ray]

46 minutes ago, pattjock said:

If you remove the deaths from accidents involving motorbikes, people on the back of pick-ups and minibuses you will see death numbers very comparable with any western country. Motorbike deaths alone is something like 85% of all fatalities.

 

To compare  traffic death rate between countries where motorbikes is the main mode of daily transport for most of the population and countries where the portion of motorbike traffic is very small is like comparing apples with oranges.

Forgive me, but when you die in a road collision, you are still dead whether you were on a camel, motorbike, truck, pickup etc.

This is about risk, and risk of death or serious injury is greater here than almost every other country. 

Other posters have already detailed most of the root causes, but the government here only play with solutions for several reasons.

1. More law enforcement makes them less popular.

2. Most deaths affect only poor people who have no power or influence.

3. Apathy as part of Thai culture, no willingness to rise up or campaign against road deaths, as opposed to red v yellow, really a power struggle between leaders trying to push each others' noses out of the trough.

4. Buddhist thought as detailed in other posts.

5. Resistance to training and education, the easier way being to ignore the requirement or buy a licence.

 

Until these attitudes are changed by comparison with other countries, or heaven forbid, injury or death is suffered by royalty or the ruling elite, nothing will change.

 

[pmarlin]

When you put immature and self centered people behind the wheel you are going to have a problem. 

[Just1Voice]

Five or six years ago, Vietnam, who has as many motorbike riders as Thailand, seriously cracked down on motorbike riders.  No helmet?  They confiscate your bike.  You want it back?  Show up with a helmet, and pay a major fine. Driving recklessly or speeding?  They take your bike and hit you with a huge fine.  In less than two years they cut their motorbike accident and death rate in half.  

 

But then, they have an actual police force that enforces the law, totally unlike Thailand. 

 

 

Edited June 25, 2017 by Just1Voice

[brewsterbudgen]

Rapid development of a car culture, encouraged by government subsidies and discounts, combined with an existing motorbike culture and not enough time for driver education.  Imagine if western countries had had access to today's cars in the 1940s!

[canuckamuck]

7 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Rapid development of a car culture, encouraged by government subsidies and discounts, combined with an existing motorbike culture and not enough time for driver education.  Imagine if western countries had had access to today's cars in the 1940s!

Yes I see your point, even though you can teach a 14 year old in the west to be an excellent driver in a few short lessons. Over here we shouldn't expect them to get the hang of driving for a few more generations. Kind of like how after 80 years of trying, they are still completely baffled by how democracy works.

[slippery snake]

3 hours ago, Pattaya28 said:

Reason for the death-toll, is Thais have no common sense driving / riding on the roads. 

Clueless regarding speed / distance / what might happen / road sense. 

A few examples are undertaking / no helmet / no lights / red-light jumping.

Nothing whatsoever to do with the reasoning in the above article.

Exactly !!!!! 

[Borzandy]

4 hours ago, Inspire said:

Why does Thailand have so many traffic deaths?

Better to ask, why blinds cannot see...

[dotpoom]

3 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Because there is effectively no penalty for dangerous driving unless you get into a crash. If there was even a little enforcement on moving violations, the statistics would begin to change.

Absolutely bang on.

[NoshowJones]

I know I will be accused of Thai bashing here, but I have to say what I think. My reasoning is that many Thais have a very low mentality and IQ, and you can see this by their behaviour on the roads, they do not have a lot of common sense, ie they actually think they are doing no wrong by riding on the wrong side of the road, or leaving a side road on to the main road without even making sure it is safe to do so.

 

They do not have the mentality to see that their actions cost innocent lives, then again, meet these same people when they are not riding and driving, they are the most helpful, honest people you will meet. Their road behaviour is all down to their lack of common sense.

 

Mums and dads all over the country give their underage children the keys to their motorbikes, again causing the death and injury of innocent people.

Need I say more?

[Just1Voice]

A few years back I read somewhere that the average Thai IQ is 84, and that IQ scores actually DROP when a child enters school.  That might have something to do with it. 

 

CORRECTION:  I just looked it up and it is actually 91, which still isn't high, but shows they aren't idiots.  So it has to be something else. 

 

Edited June 25, 2017 by Just1Voice

[little mary sunshine]

Lots of traffic rules and regulations, just like in

Western Countries but absolutely no law

enforcement of the rules.  Cops don't care

if people kill themselves driving like idiots.

 

Foreigners, that know better, drive like fools too

because they know no police will enforce,the laws.