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Thailand’s roads remain some of the deadliest in the world, new report reveals

rooster59

By rooster59
in Thailand News

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rooster59 Star Member

rooster59

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Thailand’s roads remain some of the deadliest in the world, new report reveals

 

image.jpg.3d2e3bcea05c9beb85e101ec4ff6c668.jpg

 

A new report by the World Health Organisation paints a grim picture regarding road safety in Thailand.

 

According to WHO's Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018, Thailand’s roads remain  some of the deadliest in the world.

 

The report found that the death rate per 100,000 population in Thailand was 32.7, which ranked the kingdom’s roads as the deadliest in ASEAN and among the deadliest globally.

 

Only seven other nations fared worse than Thailand, while the countries with the highest road traffic death rate per 100,000 population were found to be Liberia, Saint Lucia, Burundi and Chad.

 

The report, which was compiled using data from 2016 from 175 countries, estimated that an average of 22,491 people are killed on Thailand's roads each year, while that figure could exceed 24,717 deaths.

 

Regionally, Africa with 26.6 had the most deaths per 100,000.

 

Southeast Asia, where motorcyclist and passengers account for 43 percent of all road deaths, had 20.7 deaths per 100,000.

 

Europe was found to have the safest roads with 9.3 deaths per 100,000 population.

 

Globally, the report found that the situation regarding road traffic deaths is worsening, with someone killed in a road accident every 24 seconds.

 

1.25 million people die in traffic deaths each year and road accidents are now the leading killer of children and people aged between 5 and 29, WHO said in its report.

 

"These deaths are an unacceptable price to pay for mobility," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

 

"There is no excuse for inaction. This is a problem with proven solutions," he said.


 

Estimated road traffic death rate per 100,000 population

 

1. Liberia - 35.9

 

2. Saint Lucia - 35.4

 

-3. Burundi 34.7

-3. Zimbabwe - 34.7

 

-4. Democratic Republic of Congo - 33.7

-4. Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) - 33.7

 

5. Central African Republic - 33.6

 

6. Thailand - 32.7

 

7. Burkina Faso - 30.5

 

8. Namibia - 30.4

 

9. Cameroon - 30.1

 

10. Mozambique - 30.1

 

 
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-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-12-08
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darksidedog Silver Member

darksidedog

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What's this? Thailand has lost the number one spot? Surely someone from Government will deny this soon.

I used to think Thais didn't care for the rules, but over time I have concluded that they just simply don't have the first clue about how to drive. What you need to know to get a license here is laughable, and until that improves this place is always going to remain right up there with the worst fatality rate globally.

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ThreeEyedRaven Advanced Member

ThreeEyedRaven

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15 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

A new report by the World Health Organisation paints a grim picture regarding road safety in Thailand.

I don't think many people needed a report to tell them that. Just watch traffic for a few minutes anywhere in the country and you will see stupid, dangerous, selfish and moronic driving. I'm actually surprised the carnage statistics aren't worse than they are. 

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Odysseus123 Gold Member

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4 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

Only 3 points off top spot .. If Thailand puts a good run together now over the holiday period they can enter the New Year in good form in the dash for the title come spring time .. 

You are correct..

 

They have had the gage flung down-a quick sprint not to mention a quick nobbling of the opposition-should do the trick over the coming holidays in time for the Spring Carnival.

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bowerboy Advanced Member

bowerboy

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To be fair, if they counted all deaths (not just those at the scene) then they are almost certainly still number 1.

 

i suspect the motorcycle numbers skew the real results. Of course you are more likely to die at the scene on a motorbike than a car. Car accident would be much more likely to die later.

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Dmaxdan Gold Member

Dmaxdan

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I bet someone in the government is getting a pat on the back because Thailand in no longer number one! Even though the actual death toll has supposedly risen again this year.

I strongly believe that there is isn't really a solution to road safety here in Thailand. Its too far gone. All Thais would have to put their hands up and admit that collectively they are poor road users. This is not about individuals. People talk about starting at grass roots level with the young kids but that would have to involve telling them that there is a strong possibility that their parents are crap drivers. There is little or no training coupled with almost no awareness and perhaps most inportantly of all zero patience.

Stay safe out there, it's only going to get worse.



Sent from my SM-G800F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

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Vacuum Silver Member

Vacuum

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3 minutes ago, rudi49jr said:

'Thailand's roads remain some of the deadliest in the world'

 

They have been for many years already, but apparently still no one cares enough to actually do something about it.

I do think that they care, but no one can change the mentality of Thai drivers, no matter what "driving education" they would get.

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George Bowman Senior Member

George Bowman

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1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

According to WHO's Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018, Thailand’s roads remain  some of the deadliest in the world.

In almost 20 years of living in Thailand, I have been a passenger in our family car hundreds if not thousands of hours. But, I have driven our car a total of maybe two hours. Here is why.

 

Most Thais that I know believe that when Buddha calls, their time is up and there is nothing they can do. Unfortunately, this underlying belief extends to their driving on the roads of Thailand. In other words, why should they drive safely? It makes no difference. Therefore, most Thais try to drive from Point A to Point B in the straightest line possible and as fast as possible.

 

My wife is a 100% Thai and she drives like one. Which is both good and bad. It great that she doesn’t panic when a motorcycle is barreling towards her in the wrong lane or when the light turns green she knows to wait as someone will always run the red light. After numerous heated discussions, her driving has improved. She no longer makes U-turns wherever or drives to fast. Well, at least while I’m in the car.

 

For the last few years, I have lived in a typical rural farming community in north central Thailand. There are plenty of rundown houses and most seem to have a new vehicle parked outside. Once I met a new car owner who have never driven a car before, but said she learned how to drive on the way to Bangkok. Inside this small village there have been three people killed in road accidents in the last six months. Money has changed hands and no one has been punished.

 

The picture below captured a truck passing us on a highway near Bangkok. We were travelling about 120kph or 70mph. The Thai government tried to make this illegal but people complained and people still die by the truck loads.

 

I’m thinking Buddha likes Thai people. A lot…

 

dangerous.jpg

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Briggsy Diamond Member

Briggsy

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2 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

I do think that they care, but no one can change the mentality of Thai drivers, no matter what "driving education" they would get. 

I understand why you say that but I beg to differ.

 

Thais are some of the most indisciplined people in the world (as you post infers) UNTIL there are consequences for their indiscipline. At that point, their cultural trait of not wishing to challenge seniors comes into play and they become some of the most disciplined people in the world PROVIDED the consequences remain in play.

 

The reason there are no consequences is that all the senior figures in every police station across the country, civil servants in every DLT office across the country, throughout the Ministry of Transport all the way up to Prime Minister are focused on retaining power and generating revenue. Reducing the death toll on the roads is not related to either. Therefore no effort is made to deal with issue ..... ever.

 

If there were consequences, positive or negative, for police who failed to, say, apprehend drunk drivers, perhaps we might say a fall in the death toll.

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Odysseus123 Gold Member

Odysseus123

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6 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

I know that they're cheaper etc, and the weather's favourable, but i'm often surprised by the amount of falang that I see using motorbike taxis, often without a crash helmet. Sabai, Sabai!!

Ah..it's the farang..

 

Let us turn this on its Aristotelian head,

 

We must assume that the Thai are perfectly incapable of re-attaining the number one spot without the assistance of a few farang.

 

Apparently 99.999999% of Thai contributing deaths is not good enough

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Artisi Star Member

Artisi

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17 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Just another number trick to lure the Chinese back. "See, Thailand is safe now"....

I can't believe Thailand has gotten better. Rather the African nations has gotten worse.

More likely the Thai numbers have been massaged for a happy ending.... 

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mok199 Gold Member

mok199

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19 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

I do think that they care, but no one can change the mentality of Thai drivers, no matter what "driving education" they would get.

You have just described the job of ''law ENFORCMENT''....And in Thailand the police are all about ,optics noise and $$$$...and very little about actual acomplishments...and you are right ''that will never change''

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Andrew65 Gold Member

Andrew65

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1 minute ago, Artisi said:

More likely the Thai numbers have been massaged for a happy ending.... 

Apparently, the Thais count road deaths according to who died at the scene of the RTA, and who died later in hospital. The numbers would probably look worse if they didn't.

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Andrew65 Gold Member

Andrew65

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8 minutes ago, Banana7 said:

One way to reduce traffic accidents is to start enforcing the traffic laws after increasing fines and prison terms for all moving violations. Installing red-light cameras at selected intersections will also help catch violators.

...enforcing all laws, in other words!!

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Ulic Gold Member

Ulic

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Everyone here knows Thailand is still #1. Just an accounting sleight of hand. Most countries cont people who die as a result of injuries sustained in an accident. Thailand only counts those that die at the scene of the accident. If you are loaded into transport (ambulance) and taken to the hospital and you die en route to the hospital or at the hospital you are not counted as a traffic death in Thailand. I am sure we are still # 1. :tongue:

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