Bangkok aims to halve road deaths

[spidermike007]

“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. 

 

Well, since a foreign entity is involved, I tend to take the talk about traffic safety more seriously. But, what are they going to do to engage the toy police? Their indifference is astonishing. And what can they do to engage the government? To get them to care about the common people? Some of the reasons why I am skeptical are as follows:

 

One of the primary reasons for the astonishing death rate here, is the toy police force. Nobody, and I mean nobody takes these guys seriously. There is absolutely nothing in the way of a deterrent here, and both the local governments, the central government, and the police do not take traffic safety seriously. Not even one iota. The safety of the public means less than zero to the small men in charge here. Nothing. They show that on a daily basis.

 

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. 

Now for my scooter rant:

 

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. 

 

 

• Road deaths are now calculated based on fatalities on-site. Victims dying later in hospital not counted.
• In 2000 there was an average of 30 deaths a month on Koh Samui (official figures released each month).
• Now it is stated that Koh Samui has 3-5 deaths each month (using the new way of reporting road deaths).
• In the last ten years the population has almost doubled and there are now 5x more vehicles on Koh Samui.
• Based on ‘official figures’ today it is possible to estimate that Koh Samui currently has 60 deaths per million per year. (Compared to 23 in London.) Based on the population and traffic density statistics from 10 years ago Koh Samui has in reality 720 deaths per million per year. This is probably the highest rate of road deaths in the world. Samui is a fatality death spot that nobody is willing to acknowledge!

[VocalNeal]

How many complainers on here learned to cross the road in front of a big yellow school bus with flashing lights rather than waiting for the bus to drive away and cross when the traffic was visible and mom was waiting on the other side?

 

Driving is dangerous in all of Asia. The standard of driving in Bangkok is better than the rest of the country.

 

The secret of driving here (Asia) is 100% concentration and assume nothing. Also works for crossing the road.

[free123]

A human life in Thailand is not so valued by society as in the west... Many do not understand this fact.... It is about day to day survival to make money for the own lot (, family),.... Nobody is interested in anything that does not make immediate profit... Cops are out there to get as much as bribes as fast as possible (, they are underplayed and state ask them to charge society by themselves) so are politicians.... Policy's to better society are only on paper not ment to change anything a tool to create more bribes... If u have the advantage in anything u must exercise it to the max for your own profit and to the maximum damage to those who are in disadvantage, if u don't u seen as weak which will be used against u immediately..... In any conflict Thais will number up and arm up to be in advantage, they always will attack a weaker or one in lesser numbers... This is seen as smart and not as cowardly... If that weaker proves to be stronger (, maybe he is armed and shoot faster)  they will disappear quickly as nobody wants to die as a hero because no profit no gain only loss in life or face will be the result.. thus basic principle works also in relationships with Thai women... they always try to get the upper hand against the partner /Thai or falang / ( emotionaly) to make as much money out of this advantage... in a Thai relationship this results in physical abuse from the stronger against the weaker (usually Thai wife's are beaten like shit from their emotionaly underdeveloped Thai husbands) weak falangs are often milked for cash and abused permanent by their th wife's over the whole period of that relationship)... as she try to make it for her own lot ( herThai parents) 

[darren84310]

Education education education..... And I'm not talking about road safety.