Jump to content

61 people killed EVERY DAY: More damning stats reveal the carnage on Thailand’s roads


rooster59

Recommended Posts

Just now, Curmudgeon1 said:

No law enforcement... the number 1 problem. Their laws are great.... the system is so corrupt you have to start a policing force from scratch and then dissolve the original over time. The financing will come from the heavier fines from no sharing lanes, to helmets, to no modified 3 wheelers, to max 2 on a bike as designed. That's just the beginning. Then comes driver training and car insurance overhaul. Imo

LOL. If that were to happen, Thailand itself would have had to be dissolved and started again from scratch. It just wouldn't be the Thailand I know and love anymore and that's not a reference to the traffic.

I have almost been killed several times on the roads by Thai drivers head on in my lane, and been hospitalised after a m'bike accident caused by someone not looking where they were going, but "mai pen rai", I don't have to stay here if I don't like it.

I'm certainly not going to start demanding the Thais change to suit my druthers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 429
  • Created
  • Last Reply

They forget every time, the Politicians, The Police even those that say it is FATE , none of those really apply WHILE you have the Bultural ATTITUDE amongst Drivers ( The Human Element ) to act stupidly, incompetently and dangerously , whether it be a Ten wheeler, Pick-up truck, Minivan, motorcycle, machines needs a Human hand in working efficiently.

Unfortunately here logic, adherence to the law and driving skills are not on the list of things you need to drive here. Hence the appalling death toll.

No current practice nor possible enforcement will change anything , as change is not in Thai drivers mind nor will the Police change their LAX, Enforcement attitude if there is no money in it , they do not do it. And judging by the way many Police drive they do not adhere to the law either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Unfortunantly there are even those who accept the carnage just as long as they are not forced to live in a "nanny state"!  And where are these countries with draconian policing where there are anything like the deaths we see in countries with ineffective policing like Thailand?  I do not believe there are any!  In my country there are less than 10% of the deaths but the same population, I would not call our laws draconian either, just necessary in preventing unnecessary deaths.  The fact that there are some deaths despite having effective policing is reason for you to think there should not be any policing?!?  Wierd!

And please tell me what I can do to keep my family safe from a speeding bus smashing through the central reservation into the oncoming traffic as happens weekly in Thailand.  But yes, you do not want to be fined for speeding, how very thoughtful of you, clearly you care so much about the 20 odd thousand deaths just as long as you are free from a 500baht fine, nice stuff.

I can only assume you do not comprehend what I'm actually saying, as you have it all wrong.

I'm not going to try and set you right as you seem out to quarrel with me regardless of what I say.

 

a speeding bus smashing through the central reservation into the oncoming traffic as happens weekly in Thailand.

Can you back that up? A link to some actual stats would be good.

There are many accidents but few involving speeding buses smashing through central reservations which would certainly be reported in the news.

I doubt that you or yours are at any significant risk of such, as I've only seen one bus on it's side in a central reservation in decades of travelling on Thai roads.

The most dangerous thing one can do is travel in a van, but somehow I've survived countless van journeys.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Russell17au said:

I have a 2005 Isuzu pick up and it must be inspected for roadworthy every 12 months for registration and insurance. All the maintenance is my responsibility the same as it was in Australia

Maybe like in Denmark years ago You could hand over a brown envelope to the inspektors and make him look the other way and go on with bad brakes and bad steering mechanics, maybe worn out tires.  When I read about corruption in other fields here in Thailand it could certainly be a possibility..  sad to mention.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

I have a 2005 Isuzu pick up and it must be inspected for roadworthy every 12 months for registration and insurance. All the maintenance is my responsibility the same as it was in Australia

 

Our second car is a  Honda Civic 3 door, bought new 15 years ago, and we keep it in near to new order.

 

Here in CM every year it must be inspected before payment of the road tax and over the last 3 or so years the check is getting more thorough and more serious.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

While the gov are tightening their grip on this and that, people are dying in thousands on the roads. Saving Life is obviously not a priority, it seems.

Strange thing to say. The government is spending billions on making safer roads, but it's not possible to improve every road fast enough to make a difference in the whole country.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You can thank Thaksin for that. It was he that advocated the use of inferior tar seal over concrete during his unfortunate premiership.

I'm not sure if it was also him, but they changed the regs to allow heavier trucks on the roads, despite not being constructed to the required standard.

 

Tar over concrete is way better than just asphalt, it is what we use for highways the world over, just asphalt is fluid, it moves in hot weather, and it is easily subsided in heavy rain, it is just not suitable for Thailand.  And if you can remember before Thaksin, the roads are certainly better now!  As for not being built to the required standard for the new weight limits, they certainly wouldn't be if they hadn't of introduced reinforced concrete bases!  Please show me some evidence that the roads are not built to standard for the weight limit, I would like to see that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Unfortunantly there are even those who accept the carnage just as long as they are not forced to live in a "nanny state"!  And where are these countries with draconian policing where there are anything like the deaths we see in countries with ineffective policing like Thailand?  I do not believe there are any!  In my country there are less than 10% of the deaths but the same population, I would not call our laws draconian either, just necessary in preventing unnecessary deaths.  The fact that there are some deaths despite having effective policing is reason for you to think there should not be any policing?!?  Wierd!

And please tell me what I can do to keep my family safe from a speeding bus smashing through the central reservation into the oncoming traffic as happens weekly in Thailand.  But yes, you do not want to be fined for speeding, how very thoughtful of you, clearly you care so much about the 20 odd thousand deaths just as long as you are free from a 500baht fine, nice stuff.

 

Well said.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Strange thing to say. The government is spending billions on making safer roads, but it's not possible to improve every road fast enough to make a difference in the whole country.

My comment refers to the OP. You can have the best roads in the world but it won't help carnage if they filled with bad drivers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. If that were to happen, Thailand itself would have had to be dissolved and started again from scratch. It just wouldn't be the Thailand I know and love anymore and that's not a reference to the traffic.

I have almost been killed several times on the roads by Thai drivers head on in my lane, and been hospitalised after a m'bike accident caused by someone not looking where they were going, but "mai pen rai", I don't have to stay here if I don't like it.

I'm certainly not going to start demanding the Thais change to suit my druthers.

 

"LOL. If that were to happen, Thailand itself would have had to be dissolved and started again from scratch. It just wouldn't be the Thailand I know and love anymore and that's not a reference to the traffic."

 

If you didn't notice, this thread is specifically about the road toll.

 

I doubt anybody would disagree there are many wonderful things about the Thai way, but that doesn't include the carnage on the roads. As I said before I want safer roads and better drivers and proper police action to reduce the unbelievable road toll. Why? Simple answer, for the safety of the family I dearly love..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

While I don't know that particular road, I have never seen a lane just for cyclists anywhere in LOS, except when they put a cycle lane in the middle of the pavement beside Sukhumvit Rd after Soi 3. Many have a cycle/ motorcycle lane, but usually wider than the one in your photo.

Unfortunately, m'bike lanes are often obstructed by parked cars, forcing m'bike riders into the car lane.

I know it is not commonly seen in Thailand. There are a few stretches in this region actually. Though, it seems a bit a waste of money, as they are used so little. I do understand why cycling is not popular in Thailand. And I think it would be better to assign it for motor cycles instead. It might appear narrow on this image but it is a two direction bicycle lane and the lane for each direction is quite a bit wider than the narrow bit the cyclists in the image are driving on now. When you see the situation in real life you will understand the stupidity, ;-)
This was photographed on the following road: https://goo.gl/maps/19wUxRKjXN82

And actually I have only once seen a car parked on it. But it is wide enough to get around. There are certainly not more obstructions than on any other road. And because it is separated by grass from the main road an obstruction would not force them onto the main road.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, YetAnother said:

cultural, can't fix that

True, but cultures can be changed - and fairly quickly in historic terms. The evidence is clear from the success of the "don't drink and drive" campaign, underpinned by tough laws and a police force dedicated to enforcing them, which dramatically cut the carnage on Britain's roads.

 

The problem is Thailand is governed by gesture politics, where political leaders pay lip service to tackling serious societal problems but shy away from taking appropriate action which might be unpopular with the electorate.

 

Short of political initiatives to produce the necessary culture change, we shall have to wait for the arrival of the robotics revolution and the introduction of of driverless cars, due to be rolled out on UK motorways by 2021.

 

But don't hold your breath. Saving Thai lives seems a low priority with the present Government, though it has no problem finding billions of baht of taxpayer money to spend on death-dealing war machines such as Chinese submarines and tanks. And I don 't think they are going anywhere any time soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He said that drivers in Thailand regularly drive under the influence of alcohol, use their smartphones behind the wheel and show little consideration for others when driving.

Almost sums it up.........Just need to add almost total lack of driver education and almost total lack of traffic law enforcement by police.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What I have noticed during the last 5 years in Thailand on most of the major roads is that pick-up trucks overloaded with all kinds of stuff drive very slow in the overtaking lane and refuses to move over if you flash your light or use you horn to make them change lane, this behavior has become a norm now and its very frustrating. Drivers of heavy trucks also drive worse now compared to before and the general driving environment has become more hostile, I have been chased by Thai drivers just because I have flashed my light to make them move over into the left lane. Never seen this behavior when driving in Malaysia.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

What I have noticed during the last 5 years in Thailand on most of major roads is that pick-up trucks overloaded with all kinds of stuff drive very slow in the overtaking lane and refuses to move over if you flash your light or use you horn to make them change lane, this behavior has become a norm now and its very frustrating. Drivers of heavy trucks also drive worse now compared to before and the general driving environment has become more hostile, I have been chased by Thai drivers just because I have flashed my light to make them move over into the left lane. Never seen this behavior when driving in Malaysia.   

Be careful, or you'll look into a gun. Happened to me when a dinlo almost killed me doing a traffic light and I was stupid enough to give him my finger. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I pulled up to the lights on my bicycle one morning in Shanghai and several other Cyclists rolled through the red light. From the side I heard "you don't want to do that, your life is worth more than there's" I looked over at this old Chinese man stationary on his bicycle. I thought about what he said and smiled and from that moment I knew what he was talking about, natural selection. Cull the population through stupidity and carelessness. More people are born everyday than die. While this is a tragedy and I emphasize every time I ride or drive up on the carnage on the roads here in Thailand I actually understand. They really don't care at all. I see 12 year old kids doubling on motor scooters on the main roads riding past Police, cars and trucks with no lights OR custom colored lights, flashing and blinking.

 

I live exactly 4km from where I work and every day without fail I will see something stupid and or illegal happen. Everyone has an opinion but it always gets back to personal responsibility. Seriously if they don't care about their own lives they certainly don't give a s**t about yours. The Government need to be 'seen' to do something, they actually don't do anything but they want us all to think they do. Cull the population with road deaths. Crazy but this is one way they do it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

 

Foundation secretary general Dr Taejing Siripanich said Thailand’s traffic laws and the mindset of drivers were to blame.

 

He said that drivers in Thailand regularly drive under the influence of alcohol, use their smartphones behind the wheel and show little consideration for others when driving.

 

He also said that people are not afraid to break traffic laws and called on police and associated agencies to get tough on drivers who break the law.

 

 

Hey Dude!!!   I think you kinda forget to mention the biggest issue -- the laws that are on the books are NOT enforced but rarely... And you know who to talk to about that!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

When i travel long distances, what i don't see on the roads is police

presence on bikes and cruisers, and when i see them, they pay no

minds to the traffic around them, you can fly by them speeding and

you'll not get stopped, a lot more police cars and bikes needed to be

patrolling the roads keeping drivers honest, stop and search for alcohol

and drugs use, and heavy fines on the spot for badly behaving drivers, 

put the fear in the hearts and minds of all drivers, show of force urgently

needed, not just the occasional  road blocks....

The Police need to step up and do their job and the government needs to change the fines. They are too cheap and they need to raise them so that it really hurts the offenders financially.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, cms22 said:

Sorry if it offends but as a UK chap who has lived/driven in Thailand for nearly two decades I actually am convinced that Thai people (and, of course, I speaking generally) can attribute their horrendous driving skills, complete lack of spacial awareness, and complete lack of consideration for other people to a lack of common sense, IQ and general education.

People are thick. They fail to understand the basic rules and general principles of driving and they die (or cause others to die) on the roads.

Sorry if offends but I believe it to be true.  

C

Is it possible the average Thai persons IQ isn't high enough to reason about causal chains and probability? All of us here seem to be able to predict bad outcomes when driving but can the Thais? If they can I guess they've decided the risk is worth the benefit but outside of teenagers who would be willing to risk their live and their families just to save 5 seconds? It's really baffling to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

I know, I have stopped giving them the finger now, have understod you can not cure stupid.

It happened when we got back from Rayong after a 600 km drive. The guy with Bkk license plates did a red light, almost killed my son, wife and me, and when I was really pissed and showed him the finger, he followed me.

 

  I saw his handgun when I took over and could luckily drive into a small Soi in the city of residence. Indeed a very spooky occurrence. I'll never do that again, no matter what happens. They shoot. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, jenny2017 said:

It happened when we got back from Rayong after a 600 km drive. The guy with Bkk license plates did a red light, almost killed my son, wife and me, and when I was really pissed and showed him the finger, he followed me.

 

  I saw his handgun when I took over and could luckily drive into a small Soi in the city of residence. Indeed a very spooky occurrence. 

Scary, but a sign of a society falling apart.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

77 counties in Thailand,   on average 10 road blocks in each day.   apart from raining heavy,    if this is so why on earth are  there not a slow decline through fear. ???    Giving 775 blocks  fines for no crash hats, and no license I wonder how much revenue is going to the state  ??   Have to have 2 guesses ,  1  a business for money,  or  prevention of deaths. ??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Shocking and disgraceful that despite the Governments "best" efforts the numbers of dead keep rising. Aside from the obvious total lack of traffic law enforcement, the article is entirely correct in asserting that Thai people have totally the wrong mindset when it comes to driving. Laws don't apply to them and they will drive fast, recklessly and drunk, and fat chunks of them think that it is fate that kills people not poor driving. It is that attitude that needs to change, but it is unlikely to do so quickly, if ever.

You assume that the government is doing anything. Remember Thailand is now run by the military and the military's charter is to secure the borders, purchase expensive military hardware, and eliminate pornography on personal computers. Public issues like the economy, storm drainage, and road fatalities are somebody else's problem. Trouble is there is nobody else...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Scary, but a sign of a society falling apart.  

They solve problems with machetes, guns and everything else that can kill. It's true, something has changed, all Thai drivers are totally "jay roon". 

 

  As a result, we didn't drive to summer holidays  for quite a few years. It's freaking sad, but better healthy at home than dead on a road somewhere. 

 

   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

57 minutes ago, Curmudgeon1 said:

No law enforcement... the number 1 problem. Their laws are great.... the system is so corrupt you have to start a policing force from scratch and then dissolve the original over time.

But it's so much deeper than even that. When I complain about driving to Thai people they tell me it's my fault for not being more safe or that maybe I should just go home then. Before you can even think about changing the police you need to have the people on the right side but I don't see that they are even close!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

61 killed each day on Thailand's roads..... 22,265 a year... that's 0.03 % of the population of Thailand killed on Thailand's roads each year...    Last year in the U.S. there was about 37,000 killed on the roads, for about 0.01% of the U.S. population.  Three times higher fatality rate in the LOS.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.





×
×
  • Create New...