Bangkok aims to halve road deaths

[Gumballl]

Just now, HuaHinHim said:

I thought that's what they do now

Not quite.  There's still the 0000-1100 time period.  The jab at the 1400-1700 hours was meant to imply that it is only foreigners, who find the law prohibiting alcohol sales at peak shopping hours (every day of the week?), are the sole reason for causing craziness on roadways, which lead to accidents/deaths on the roadways.

 

Perhaps you missed the Thai logic from years ago (and perhaps still exercised today)... accidents involving a foreigner are ALWAYS the fault of the foreigner.  The accident would not have occurred if the foreigner was not visiting Thailand.

[lvr181]

Halve the road deaths? Really?  

 

Just another "talk fest" I think, if history is anything to judge by 

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, fxe1200 said:

Germany has 290 policemen per 100.00 citizen, Thailand 344.  In Germany you see them working night and day everywhere. Here the police sits in cafes, and they do not give a hoot, when traffic offenders pass by, even when policemen are under way with a car or motorcycle. Have a look at the army helmets, also worn on motorcycles. It is hopeless to implement changes and laws, as long the police will not enforce these, and start to educate their selves and the people. And with the self imposed junta leader in place, I doubt anything will change.

The Germans also have self discipline, which Thais seem to lack completely. No law enforcement can work effectively without the cooperation of the populace. It is like trying to stem the flow of the Chao Phraya with a squeegee!

[wirat69]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

“It takes time to see the impact.

Bad choice of words in this context!!!

 

Impact at a road accident is usually immediately visible!!!!

[Cranky]

Stopping the death toll rising would be a start.  Unrealistic goals are never hit, might as well aim for zero deaths.  

[impulse]

21 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

The Germans also have self discipline, which Thais seem to lack completely. No law enforcement can work effectively without the cooperation of the populace. It is like trying to stem the flow of the Chao Phraya with a squeegee!

 

Try being a cop on a BKK cop's salary (after you've bought your position), then try it on a German cop's salary.  Then come back and tell us whether it's self discipline, or just the fact that BKK cops have to supplement their income and that takes a lot of time out of a day of fighting crime and bad driving.

 

The hundreds of Thais I work with have plenty of self discipline.  Probably because we pay 'em enough that they're not constantly worried about where their next month's rent is coming from.

 

[lvr181]

"“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."

 

That would be a miracle!!

[natway09]

A good start would be to get the police to enforce the rules as they stand.

Motorcycle taxis riding the wrong way up the pavement in our Soi would be a a good start

Taxis & others parking right in front of a no parking sign so that when pedestrians enter the Soi they

have to walk straight into oncoming traffic.

Nobody cares,,,,,,,, next

[anon467367354]

It's not just a helmet thing. We know why this happens, too many illegally parked cars to use the left lane.

As long as registrations are the only thing that remain important.....

[Destiny1990]

Why stop at only 50% less accidents or deaths or whatever?

[David Walden]

And a flock of polar bears just flew by.

[David Walden]

32 minutes ago, lvr181 said:

"“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."

 

That would be a miracle!!

First they need to tell the truth about how many people are killed, not just at the scene of the accident but those that die as result of an accident some time latter...like that afternoon or the next day in hospital?

[lvr181]

51 minutes ago, David Walden said:

First they need to tell the truth about how many people are killed, not just at the scene of the accident but those that die as result of an accident some time latter...like that afternoon or the next day in hospital?

As always, the first casualty of any war (in this case the war on road deaths) is the truth!  History repeats itself 

[Lucky mike]

Might be easier building a road to Siri Lanka ? ( big bridge).......

[terryofcrete]

The first thing I tell a friend intending to visit Thailand is to be very careful crossinf a road, ESPECIALLY IF THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS ARE RED !!! 

[KKr]

Personally, before putting the headlined measure in place, I think it is more beneficial to start with measures halving the number.
 

[rak sa_ngop]

The first thing I tell a friend intending to visit Thailand is to be very careful crossinf a road, ESPECIALLY IF THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS ARE RED !!! 

I was told by a friend to be very careful crossing a road: to look left, right, front, back and UP!

[sambum]

1 hour ago, rak sa_ngop said:

I was told by a friend to be very careful crossing a road: to look left, right, front, back and UP!

I was just told to look OUT!

[wavemanwww]

Only way for Thailand to cut 50% road deaths under their current legal system ie no police patrols booking speeders, no Randpn Breath Testing Units (RBT) , no bribes, so on and so on. IS TO SHUT 50% of THE ROADS in Bangkock so people just have to walk or catch public transport. LOL. That of course won't happen.

[Moonlover]

5 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Try being a cop on a BKK cop's salary (after you've bought your position), then try it on a German cop's salary.  Then come back and tell us whether it's self discipline, or just the fact that BKK cops have to supplement their income and that takes a lot of time out of a day of fighting crime and bad driving.

 

The hundreds of Thais I work with have plenty of self discipline.  Probably because we pay 'em enough that they're not constantly worried about where their next month's rent is coming from.

 

I recall a Police Traffic Specialist giving a lecture back in UK a long time ago (it seems!) He said that 'we traffic cops, in our high profile vehicles, travel around the highways in a bubble of good drivers. The ones that can see us and know that we're there watching. The most important aspect, that contributes to road safety, is how those drivers behave when we're not there watching them''.

 

And what he meant, of course is how much self discipline those drivers have. In all countries that have low death and accident rates, drivers have a highly developed sense of self discipline when they're driving. Thailand has a lot of catching up to do in that regard. Which by the way has little to do with how they behave in the workplace.

[impulse]

27 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

And what he meant, of course is how much self discipline those drivers have. In all countries that have low death and accident rates, drivers have a highly developed sense of self discipline when they're driving. Thailand has a lot of catching up to do in that regard. Which by the way has little to do with how they behave in the workplace.

 

Drivers back home do have more discipline, but I wouldn't call it self discipline.  More of an imposed discipline- a Pavlovian response to the ubiquitous traffic cops.  Sooner or later, we all figure out we're better off acting as if there's one around every corner, and behind every billboard.  That's not self discipline.  It's a conditioned response.  Deliberately and studiously imposed on us.

 

That stimulus to invoke the Pavlovian response is what's missing in Thailand.  Behavior at work proves that discipline is achievable with the right incentives, and is very relevant.

 

Edit:  And when we congratulate ourselves for being self disciplined drivers and good citizens, that's part of a carefully crafted reward mechanism.

 

[RichardColeman]

14 hours ago, Moonmoon said:

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

Cunning plan to double the traffic and bring it to a stand-still, there by reducing speed and deaths.

[tryasimight]

11 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

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.

While well meaning I'm sure  you're comment is, it is totally unrealistic. Where in the world do they fine anyone a months wages (10,000 baht) for 10kms over the speed limit?

You propose to make a family starve because the primary breadwinner speeds a little over the limit?

I think education is the key initiative  followed up by progressive enforcement.

The West didn't go all in to start with....lets give our hosts the same chance.

 

 

[tryasimight]

9 hours ago, meatboy said:

seems they cant count either,there's 3on the bike. 

female driver.

pillion rider.

and a young kid on the front.

Astute observation...so what? Is there something wrong with that?

[wvavin]

Who is afraid of the Mickey Mouse Law of this country?

[Essaybloke]

11 hours ago, malt25 said:

This is probably a crazy idea, but here goes anyway.

Why not have a system where Expats are permitted to visit schools in an attempt to educate the kids on road safety. Make the clsses compulsory for all students.

No reward for the expat. The service should be provided for the right reason, not for a reward.

I for one would be happy to give a few hours each week. I'm not silly enough to think there would be immediate results, but it might be a step in the right direction.

But hey, I'm just a silly ol farang.

In your last line you forgot to use the adjective 'patronizing'.

[Essaybloke]

13 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

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.

Yep, the kids don't need English, or Science or Maths. Get those lazy school teachers off their butts, right?

Don't bother with starving the family for a month, or punishing the dek-dek and kuhn Yai for the sins of one family member...

 

Bring back public crucifixion!

NAIL SOME SENSE INTO 'EM! NAIL 'EM UP! Give them the taste of a couple of 6d nails and a heavy claw hammer! See that road toll plummet! And feed the family!

[Essaybloke]

1 hour ago, wvavin said:

Who is afraid of the Mickey Mouse Law of this country?

YOU are.

 

Try testing the Lèse majesté Thai Criminal Code section 112.

 

Don't worry, I'll send you a post card every 5 years.

[ableguy]

You all can rant on as much as you like, the only way road deaths would be reduced here is to ban everyone from driving, then only the ones who could pay the bib would be driving, hence few could pay , result less deaths.

jeeeez I should be a politition in the government, oh no I forgot we don't have one , silly me.

[Keesters]

And the rest of the country?.....Is the carnage to continue?