Bangkok aims to halve road deaths

[webfact]

Bangkok aims to halve road deaths

By Seyhak Parinha 
The Nation 

 

File : A policeman flags down a female motorcyclist and her young pillion rider for failing to wear a crash helmet in Bangkok’s Phya Thai district. About 600 people were killed in road accidents in the capital in 2016, many in motorcycle accidents.

 

BANGKOK: -- AFTER EXPERIENCING 600 road deaths last year, Bangkok is ramping up efforts to significantly lower its road casualties by 2019.

 

The timeframe is based on the five-year Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), which was launched in 2015. Bangkok is one of the 10 world cities participating in the initiative. 

 

“If we can get a 50-per-cent reduction in fatalities, from 600 to 300, in the next two years, that would be tremendous progress,” Kelly Larson, Bloomberg Philanthropies director of road safety, said at a recent press conference.

 

BIGRS has made it a mission to reduce traffic injuries and road accidents in the Thai capital. 

 

To ensure success, Larson said all parties concerned must identify and understand their local risk factors.

 

“It takes time to see the impact. Also, understanding the impact means that we have to make sure we get strong and reliable data on crashes, and fatalities and injuries,” she said. BIGRS has focused on four risks: failure to properly wear crash helmet, failure to properly wear safety belts, speeding, and drunk driving. 

 

Surveys conducted by Johns Hopkins University found that only about half of motorcyclists and their passengers properly wore a crash helmet in Bangkok, and most cars lacked a baby seat. 

 

In addition, a significant number of Bangkok motorists and passengers did not wear a safety belt. 

 

The latest survey, conducted between August and October last year, put the number of people who wore safety belts in Bangkok at about 69 per cent and those who wore crash helmets with straps fastened at 51 per cent. Only 18 per cent of babies had baby seats, while 22 per cent of people were speeding, and 20 per cent were driving after drinking.

 

According to the survey, traffic accident risks are highest in Lat Krabang, Bang Khun Thien, Nong Chok, Prawet, Min Buri and Taling Chan. 

 

The initiative has also waged campaigns to reduce risky behaviours and promote road safety.

 

The strategy to reduce street fatality also includes redesigning roads to make them safer for pedestrians. Portions of Asok, Silom, and Yaowarat roads, for example, have already been revamped. 

 

In 2015, Bloomberg Philanthropies launched phase two of the Initiative for Global Road Safety which addresses road traffic safety with the primary goal of reducing road traffic fatalities and injuries. Phase two covers 10 cities (Accra, Addis Ababa, Bandung, Bangkok, Bogota, Fortaleza, Ho Chi Minh City, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, and Shanghai), five countries (China, India, Philippines, Tanzania, and Thailand), and three vehicle market regions (Latin America, India, and Southeast Asia).

 

In 2015, Thailand earned the reputation as the country with the second deadliest roads in the world, according to the Global Status Report of Road Safety by the World Health Organisation. Official statistics stated that 14,059 people were killed on Thai roads and highways in 2012, translating to a road-death rate of 36.2 people per 100,000.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30322019

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-07-28

 

[Moonmoon]

Bangkok aims to halve road deaths. After reading the whole article... I have 1 question. HOW?

[inThailand]

41 minutes ago, Moonmoon said:

Bangkok aims to halve road deaths. After reading the whole article... I have 1 question. HOW?

By killing half the population! Half the number on the roads = half the accidents.  

[cornishcarlos]

46 minutes ago, inThailand said:

By killing half the population! Half the number on the roads = half the accidents.  

 

Only if you manage to kill half of the bad drivers... If you just killed good drivers, the road deaths would be the same, if not worse !!

[inThailand]

Killing just all the bad drivers would result in way more than 50% being eliminated.

[colinneil]

Another crazy idea, halve the road deaths.

First step, teach people how to drive second educate people about wearing helmets.

Stupid me, it will never happen.

[Gumballl]

1 hour ago, Moonmoon said:

Bangkok aims to halve road deaths. After reading the whole article... I have 1 question. HOW?

The BiB will devise a new way to keep statistics.  Only road deaths that occur on Tuesdays, between the hours of 1400-1700 will be counted.

[DoctorG]

58 minutes ago, Gumballl said:

The BiB will devise a new way to keep statistics.  Only road deaths that occur on Tuesdays, between the hours of 1400-1700 will be counted.

Just beat me to it Gumball. I was going to suggest that the authorities simply report half the actual numbers.

[captspectre]

in your dreams! the thai's just can't handle or care about road rules! just look at the photo.

[Moonlover]

Whilst I would welcome any initiative that addresses the appalling death rate on this country's roads, concentrating their efforts on just one city where only 1.25% of those deaths take place seems somewhat short sighted.

 

This initiative needs to be nationwide and sustained if it is to have any hope of having any significant impact.

 

There is a large school close to where I live which opens out onto a main highway, which is dual. If one watches the kids leaving that school. many of them leave on motorcycles,

 

The majority have no helmet, many are 3 up. And at least half of them turn in the wrong direction and 'ghost ride' against the traffic. If kids of that age have contempt for the law, what hope for the rest of society?

 

It's in the schools where they need to address this problem. The kids are the adults of tomorrow and it is them that need to learn respect for the law and a culture of safety for themselves and others.

 

 

[prakhonchai nick]

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

Another crazy idea, halve the road deaths.

First step, teach people how to drive second educate people about wearing helmets.

Stupid me, it will never happen.

Too late to teach current drivers how to drive. Spend an hour a week in the schools teaching the kids, rather than waste time on some of the other rubbish they teach. No need to educate them into wearing helmets. Just demand it, with a 5000bt+ fine each time. They will soon learn.. Same goes for speeding and drink driving. 5/10,000baht fine for every 10kms over the speed limit, and a prison sentence for drunk driving. Spell it out and then enforce it.

 

No speeding, no drunks on the road, and every motorcyclist wearing a helmet, will bring the death toll down dramatically.

[phantomfiddler]

Where are they going to ship half the population ?

[thhMan]

A fine thats so big that they have many sleepless nights, trying to figure out how to pay it.... is a simple solution...

[Lupatria]

And I thought, the idea convincing the pope to become my son in law was a bit unrealistic...

[inThailand]

1 hour ago, DoctorG said:

Just beat me to it Gumball. I was going to suggest that the authorities simply report half the actual numbers.

That's to much work to divide the total in half. Just lop off a couple of digits.

[Deli]

The pic says it all, 3 people on the bike, no helmet, no clue.

[zyphodb]

Not going to happen...    

[b2bme]

20 minutes ago, phantomfiddler said:

Where are they going to ship half the population ?

Libya. There they can learn from the leaders of traffic accident deaths (WHO stats per capita 2013-2015) and then return to Thailand and pass on their experience  so Thailand can be number one. 

You got to change the culture first before you will see any results. This won't happen for another 2 generations at least.

[recom273]

4 hours ago, Moonmoon said:

Bangkok aims to halve road deaths. After reading the whole article... I have 1 question. HOW?

I didn't bother reading the comments or the article .. but I suggest, they will only report half the incidents.

[NextStationBangkok]

Most accidents happens, when they try to switch the lanes to avoid going in the right lane for right turns. And then speeding vans ferrying people. Police should carefully monitor and short with a hand held camera about the violators and send them bills. Other day i saw one tuk-tuk making really wrong turn, and get into accident.

Another reason for accident is bikes swarm the junctions, and suddenly all move in high speed. Police, time to time should ride in Public bus, and learn and monitor what kind of violations people are doing while driving, and impose or penalize the violators. Standing on the ground they can only see signal jumpers, but other behaviors cannot be monitored.

[inThailand]

I'll be killed in a road accident before this happens!

[connda]

What are they going to do?  Require motorcyclists to wear Buddha amulets and cars and trucks to have a little Buddha statue on the dash?  
More roadblocks?  Reading between the lines of the article, all I see in the future is the cops setting up more roadblocks and shaking down motorcyclists with increasing frequency - in Bangkok.  It's a money maker wrapped up in a package labelled "Safety First" which is bs at best.  The good 'leaders', politicians, police, and bureaucrats have found another cause celebrity  to gain prestige for themselves on the world stage.  They're crossing the 'T"s and dotting the "I"s and giving themselves a big pat on the back. Utter nonsense.  It's business as usual.  
Get serious Thailand.  You need cops in patrol cars pulling idiots over for moving violations, and you need fines and sanctions that provide a real deterrent. When Thais see lights in their rear view mirror their blood pressure should spike, their heart rates should go up, as they instinctively pull over.  
Until then, Thailand will be the model of ineffective traffic policing and the butt-end of jokes from other cops around the world, and your citizens who know there is no effective traffic law enforcement will drive in any manner they see fit - just as they do now.

[anon467367354]

If they are serious and want to make the roads safe, make the roads safe!

Check points for registrations does nothing to make the roads any safer.

Illegal parking makes the roads dangerous!

 

[KIWIBATCH]

So a survey by  American based Bloomberg in 2015 determines what is causing the road deaths in Bangkok and is just released in 2017 2 years later.......!!!

The causes are painfully obvious......any person with half a brain standing on the side of the road in Bangkok could "determine the causes" in 5 minutes.

 

Why was it necessary to employ a New York based company, who are under investigation by the American Government for massive tax evasion. (Google it)...I digress....

 

One "cause" not mentioned ( and of course Bloomberg wouldn't mention it would they) is the complete and utter lack of enforcement of existing traffic laws by none other than the RTP.

 

If they did their job properly the tragic loss of so many lives in Bangkok from road accidents would reduce all on it's own accord.

 

One puzzling question is why just highlight Bangkok? 

Thailand is second in the world for road accident fatalities per head of population....a figure I believe is mis-reported....I place them first.

[johnno2]

56 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Whilst I would welcome any initiative that addresses the appalling death rate on this country's roads, concentrating their efforts on just one city where only 1.25% of those deaths take place seems somewhat short sighted.

 

This initiative needs to be nationwide and sustained if it is to have any hope of having any significant impact.

 

There is a large school close to where I live which opens out onto a main highway, which is dual. If one watches the kids leaving that school. many of them leave on motorcycles,

 

The majority have no helmet, many are 3 up. And at least half of them turn in the wrong direction and 'ghost ride' against the traffic. If kids of that age have contempt for the law, what hope for the rest of society?

 

It's in the schools where they need to address this problem. The kids are the adults of tomorrow and it is them that need to learn respect for the law and a culture of safety for themselves and others.

 

 

Stop talking sensible logic, you know that doesn't work here. someone has signed up to an initiative, that's how they are going to fix this. and if that doesn't fix the problem, they'll sign up for something else

[4MyEgo]

The 1st step would be the police stop treating offenders as if they are their friends, strict enforcement is required, and we all know that means on the spot heavy fines, loss of points & license depending on the speed, if they actually have a license, if no license a much heavier fine and banning them from driving for 2 years, after that they can apply for a license.

 

Same applies for no wearing of seat belts and no baby seat/booster.

 

For the drunk drivers, immediate loss of license until court decides how long the loss will remain in force till, 2nd offenders, lose it for life and confiscation of the vehicle to be sold by the government with all monies going to the government, less any owing to the bank.

 

Mandatory comprehensive third party insurance, "no have", no registration renewal, no registration and driving on road, big fine, loss of points on license, vehicle confiscated until "have", i.e. 6 month period, then vehicle sold by government.

 

This government shows its might on drug enforcement, but how about showing its might and enforcing proper road rules, its a bigger killer than drugs, the roads, that is !!!  

 

Seriously this government in my eyes is like a farther who has a big stick but keeps missing its target, one big hit and am sure the problem will cease, some might need two or three hits, but hitting in the pocket at the same time and maybe some jail time for re-offenders will eventually not only halve the deaths, will reduce it even further.

 

Then again, I am not the government, so I have to keep my big stick in my pant's so to speak 555

[KOZMO]

HA, HA, HA , HA, HA, HA,  DREAM ON !!!

[Rc2702]

It's a good thing it might be a big target but it's a positive sign and even if they reduce it by only 5% it's a step in the right direction. 

[recom273]

4 hours ago, Moonmoon said:

Bangkok aims to halve road deaths. After reading the whole article... I have 1 question. HOW?

I didn't bother reading the comments or the article .. but I suggest, they will only report half the incidents.

[Jim walker]

education is the only answer and large fines for any non compliance with the laws of the road not slip the policeman 100 baht and carry on . l might aswell face facts thai people dont care becauae it will never happen to them 600 its only figures not real people carry on as usual and no one will get hurt .