Road accidents getting worse! Eight per cent increase on last year

[webfact]

Road accidents getting worse! Eight per cent increase on last year

 

 

INN reported yet more bad news on Thailand's roads.

 

Already named as the most dangerous place on earth to drive it has now been announced by the Highways Department that there were 8% more accidents in June this year compared to the same month last year.

 

And worse - there were 4% more deaths too.

 

However, there were 6% less injuries.

 

The Highways Department blamed speeding for most of the trouble.

 

They said 65% involved excessive speed followed by 8% nodding off at the wheel and 6% not judging distances resulting in cutting in front of others dangerously.

 

The department reported 135 deaths in June.

 

Thaivisa notes that this is just a fraction of the actual death toll because it is just those deaths that occur on roads under the jurisdiction of the Highways Department.

 

The real figure is likely to be in the region of 1,500 - 2000 fatalities per month on all of Thailand's roads.

 

Source: INN

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-07-18

[JAG]

It is a sobering thought, but I drove for nearly fourty years in the UK and Europe, and saw the immediate aftermath of perhaps 3 fatal accidents in all that time. I've been driving here for 5 years and I must have seen a dozen.

[anon537687643]

In 10 years I have seen many more, and fatalities either at scene or certainly died soon after! Pure madness and nothing is changing


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[CelticBhoy]

I should be fine. I don't drive an orange Beetle  . . . .  ?

[BEVUP]

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

And worse - there were 4% more deaths too.

 

However, there were 6% less injuries.

However! these figures are maybe pointing out something 

[worgeordie]

More cars,more drivers on the road that can barely drive ,more road rage,

= more accidents and deaths,its a simple formula. 

regards worgeordie

[BEVUP]

65% involved excessive speed & 6 % not judging distance

= The amount of bikes that get shunted from behind 

[Dmaxdan]

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

The department reported 135 deaths in June.

Well that figure accounts for the first two days....

 

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

The real figure is likely to be in the region of 1,500 - 2000 fatalities per month on all of Thailand's roads.

And this figure will never actually be made official.

[PatOngo]

Here's some subject matter for TAT's storytelling competition...……….The wonderful destination story contest.

[darksidedog]

Were it not for the craziness I see everyday, I would have trouble believing the figures. I ask myself will they ever learn and the answer appears to be that, No, they won't. That number one most dangerous roads title seems safely in Thailand's hands for a long time to come.

[4MyEgo]

It's kind of hard asking a horse to turn when it has blinkers on, that and I should slow down ?

[stanleycoin]

Somchai, comes through every time.

Got to keep  that top slot world wide. 

The worst  Drivers / Riders in the world,  good job boys  

 

And they keep the charcoal makers in business, 

and the Saffron boys in new robes.  win win. 

  

[pokerface1]

If there is no enforcement of speed limits then it's a race track for both bikes and cars it's that simple.

If there not going to enforce then the only thing that's going to save lives is a massive traffic jam ? 

[NCC1701A]

god I love Thailand. After reading this I can hardly wait to finish my coffee and get out there on the highway.

 

 

[spidermike007]

One must ask why is the traffic situation so bad here, when it comes to safety, and fatalities? There are many reasons. I would start with the police. I seriously doubt the police have first aid training. That would be defined as a public service. There is one aspect of this, that always has to be taken into account. I think most Thais get it. But most foreigners do not. The police here own franchises. They are franchisees. They are not law enforcement officials. They rarely engage in law enforcement, traffic safety, or public safety. They are not here for the benefit of the people, and they are not here to keep us safe. They are here to collect. That is basically all they do. with a few exceptions. If you need to give them an official title, it would be that of a revenue collection agent. Only it is their own account, that they represent.

 

Always remember one thing. The police here are not engaged in law enforcement. They are revenue collection agents, and they each have their own franchise. Nobody will ever touch them. They are protected at he highest levels. They do as they please, and Thailand remains a relatively lawless state. 

 

If driving, especially on a motorbike, treat the activity as an act of war, in a sense that you may be mowed down or killed at any moment. Maintain eyes in the back of your head. Watch everyone. Expect craziness, insanity, lack of reason, and a complete lack of courtesy and respect on the roads, at all times. Expect cars and trucks to be coming at you in the wrong lane. Expect people to overtake you with the slimmest of margins.
Expect trucks to be driving very slowly in the fast lane of a highway. If riding a motorbike, only do so if you have many years of experience. Especially on the southern islands, where huge numbers of foreigners leave Thailand in a wooden box. Wear the best helmet you can afford. And drive like a grandmother. This applies to ex-pats too. Bring along an international drivers license. This helps you to avoid being fleeced by the local police franchisee.

 

The police only show up after the accident takes place. There is nothing in the way of traffic safety on the roads, or on the highways. Those traffic stops are all about weapons, drugs and handouts. Nothing to do with safety. I suppose there is no money in traffic safety. However, if they levied real fines for speeding over 120kph, for reckless driving, making severely quick lane changes, etc, there would be some money to be made, and the highways would be safer. 

 

Just a few days ago, I was driving along at about 110kph, on a good, straight stretch of highway. A safe speed. And some joker cuts in front of me with his pickup truck. Within two meters in front of me, then slams on his brakes. I guess he never stopped to look at the lane he was cutting into to see that there was no room for him! I slammed on my brakes to avoid the numnut, and barely missed him. Would have been a horrific crash. Why? What was the point of him changing lanes? Why didn't he look first? Who changes lanes without looking first, when they are doing over 100 kph? Why so little regard for his wife, and for others? Where does that mentality come from? Why do Thais seem so polite, yet when they get into a car, everything they have ever learned in life goes right out the window? Why so little in the way of common sense, reason, and the ability to be careful and maintain some vision? Why such idiocy? The apparent lack of skill and peripheral awareness on the road here is very scary.

 

 Real men do what is necessary to save lives. Kids and highly underdeveloped people make promises, tell lies and engage in deflection.

 

Little P.  - Moving Thailand backwards at a breath taking, alarming, and astonishing pace. 

 

[pokerface1]

2 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

god I love Thailand. After reading this I can hardly wait to finish my coffee and get out there on the highway.

 

 

Sometime in the not so distant future. Thailand's roads could look like this. I have to agree.

[colinneil]

Biggest problem with all the road deaths is the fact many drivers here do not read the road, never see what is happening more than a few meters in front.

Last week wife took me to the hospital, going along nicely, next a motorbike/ sidecar combo is pulling into the middle of the road without looking, hey watch him i said, who says wife, she had not seen him, missed our pickup by only a couple of feet.

[seajae]

I have said it time and again as have many in here, until such time as the police are made to go out on the roads in proper police cars and bikes to pull over anyone breaking the law and issuing fines or arresting them this will not improve. How in the hell can they expect the carnage on thai roads to get better when no one is stopped when breaking the law, thais are aware that the police do nothing so they continually flaunt the rules, thats if they even know them. Every time I drive on the roads I see countless breaches of the rules, the police at intersections simply stand there and do nothing about it, way past time police started pulling over all these law breakers, underage unlicensed riders and drivers need to be removed form the road, laws enforced, breathalyzer areas  set up randomly as well. Driving from Surat Thani to Bangkok we rarely get to do so without seeing at least one dead person on the roads, no one gives a sh*t, especially the police. In western countries there is always a police presence on the roads enforcing the laws, can be readily seen how good this is by their much lower road deaths, time to get thai police off their arse in air conditioned offices and out on the road

[poohy]

Today 7.30 am drove 5km to village to get milk, rainy heavily so i was diving slow thankfully

Now no exaggeration,

 2 motorcycle 1 saleang and a pickup drove blindly out of side roads  without even looking!

Another saleang driven by some fat matron blindly driving down the narrowvillage high street on wrong side of road !

is there so law i am missing that allows the above as it seems a very popular way to cause accidents?

[sammieuk1]

WMD the pickup truck! 

[Chris Lawrence]

Every time I hop in a Taxi in Bangkok, feel like I am with potential F1 driver.

 

[Jeremy50]

No changes implemented , planned ,or even talked about or considered, by those who could make changes, the government, or the police, who want to maintain their cushy little lifestyle, sitting by the roadside collecting cash, back home by 6pm at the latest, feet up watching the soaps, or in the short time with the mia noi. 

 

Expect the same old story being posted on TV in 10 years time, by which time another 250 000 will have died on the roads.

 

The Thai public are just as complicit, the topic is rarely, if ever discussed at school, in class, at home or anywhere else. Everyone would much rather just carry on regardless.

[pokerface1]

33 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

The police here own franchises. They are franchisees. They are not law enforcement officials. They rarely engage in law enforcement, traffic safety, or public safety.

I would suggest the government import a real police force from somewhere else perhaps Australia. The highway patrol have been known to scare the crap out of drivers caught speeding, that's apart from the hefty fine and loss of points.I mean it's not as if they were taking away Thai jobs.?

[anon537687643]

Failed State .. oops kingdom


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[pokerface1]

3 minutes ago, Jeremy50 said:

No changes implemented , planned ,or even talked about or considered, by those who could make changes, the government, or the police, who want to maintain their cushy little lifestyle, sitting by the roadside collecting cash, back home by 6pm at the latest, feet up watching the soaps, or in the short time with the mia noi. 

 

Expect the same old story being posted on TV in 10 years time, by which time another 250 000 will have died on the roads.

 

The Thai public are just as complicit, the topic is rarely, if ever discussed at school, in class, at home or anywhere else. Everyone would much rather just carry on regardless.

I don't think the police want to risk their lives patrolling the highways they don't get paid enough.

[evadgib]

Two days ago a couple riding a chicken chaser inexplicably decided to do a U turn with no thought whatsoever for other road users or their own mortality. I rarely touch my horn gut gave them a good blast to show just how close the were to being rear ended, and to pull left. The rider inititially did the ol' fall about laughing routine but had a change of heart upon seeing a ferang (w wife and kids) and made several jestures & sounded his own horn in my rear view mirror as he turned left...

 

Face: An evolutionary cul-de-sac.

 

[ezzra]

One can understand more cars on the road= more accidents but what with the road rage? what is the end purpose of beating up on someone? if you can't control your emotions than don't drive, otherwise for a few moments of letting steam off you will be in a of of troubles, but i guess no reasoning will change the minds of stupids hotheaded people....

[kannot]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The Highways Department blamed speeding for most of the trouble

total crap!!

[thaibeachlovers]

Is anyone surprised? In Pattaya they have pedestrian crossing lights, but I was almost run down by a driver that thought he did not have to stop just because the light was red.

[mok199]

Windows tinted as black as possible is not helping....but ''Drive it like you stole it''