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

[wvavin]

Oh....this is very sad news that Thailand has dropped its world ranking.

[essox essox]

5 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

 

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

What about Australia with only 5.95 ?

where does it even mention australia in the listings??

[essox essox]

1 hour ago, Longcut said:

Didn't know Europe was a country. Stupid me!

of course it is.....get to know geography !!

[Huckenfell]

4 hours 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.

I never cross a busy intersection immediately the lights turn green because i know perfectly well that someone will jump the red light.

[ChipButty]

My wife is going to miffed that Thailand lost it's No1 spot

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, mike787 said:

When people ask me for advice about coming to Thailand, what is the 1 MOST important thing: accept that if you're are ever in close proximity to a road regardless of your transport method, EXPECT to die; the rest of your vacation should be easier.  I have accepted the fact my life in Thailand has less value than a bug when it hits the windshield...

I think I will add that to my property profile, expect to die, then the rest will be easy

[malibukid]

great, i was thinking about moving to St. Lucia?

[farq]

Until the statistics reflect, not just the deaths at the scene, but also the DOA's and those victims who succumb to their injuries in a hospital, there will never be an accurate and credible road toll figure. Then Thailand will lead the death toll figures by a mile! 

[Danthai]

7 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

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. 

Agree, Its really bad around Chiangmai and getting worse everyday, and it's not close to New Years holidays yet.

[Odysseus123]

52 minutes ago, farq said:

Until the statistics reflect, not just the deaths at the scene, but also the DOA's and those victims who succumb to their injuries in a hospital, there will never be an accurate and credible road toll figure. Then Thailand will lead the death toll figures by a mile! 

True..oh true Farq..but don't expect anything at the moment as they are still in a state of shock-where the hell is Burundi?

 

TAT will gazump them tomorrow.

[Kurtf]

And is it any wonder? There is no requirement for driver education. They hop on a motorbike, are told to jump in front of anyone you can, buy a car or truck and then drive that like they were on a motorbike. They have zero conception of how to stay in a lane. Especially going around curves. There is zero enforcement of road rules so they treat red lights as merely suggestions. They practically NEVER use rear view or side mirrors. 

   I’m pretty certain that the Thai government allows this pathetic situation to continue strictly as a method of population control.

[dallen52]

Until they start to enforce road traffic laws, and ignorance is no excuse, it will never change.

 

The plod can't be selective and just fine people when they are running out of pocket money. 

 

If they are indeed trained officers, they too must see every infringement just as I do. 

I've stopped talking about it in the car, the wife knows, but this is Thailand, and she is thai.

 

My local area its kids and school kids on bikes.

Three or four on a bike and no helmets. 

Makes me cringe. 

 

Hip pocket nerve soon starts to hit home after a while. 

Followed by impounding the vehicle. 

[simtemple]

7 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

 

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

What about Australia with only 5.95 

Precisely!

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate

[Odysseus123]

28 minutes ago, dallen52 said:

Until they start to enforce road traffic laws, and ignorance is no excuse, it will never change.

 

The plod can't be selective and just fine people when they are running out of pocket money. 

 

If they are indeed trained officers, they too must see every infringement just as I do. 

I've stopped talking about it in the car, the wife knows, but this is Thailand, and she is thai.

 

My local area its kids and school kids on bikes.

Three or four on a bike and no helmets. 

Makes me cringe. 

 

Hip pocket nerve soon starts to hit home after a while. 

Followed by impounding the vehicle. 

But..if they did that they would have a revolt..

 

That is the crux of the matter.Be free and die and in the meantime we will collect the brown envelopes.

 

A win/win situation with only 30,000 bodies splattered all over the road annually.

[fruitman]

Even the Thai lazy policeman don't know the rules, today i saw one without helmet, another one turning left without indicators used, another one not taking action for misbehaving motobikes, one stopping me because she thought i would go right instead of left (my indicators were blinking)...the list is endless...

 

When will Thailand get real police on the roads mr Prayuth??

[toenail]

If I was the Thailand government this would be a gigantic slap in the face. The top 10 counties except two are underdeveloped African countries that do not have good roads, four lane highways, or expressways as Thailand has. ( Note: I have lived in DRC and traveled to most of these “top” eight African countries. True, South Africa has decent streets and high ways but it is not in the top ten list for highway deaths. ) The deaths in Thailand had to do with a culture to NOT respect rules of the road or police/ community enforcement or education about safety. Just stand on any street or highway and count how many drivers are speeding, motorbike drivers without helmets. A total disgrace for this statistic. 

[Chippy151]

As I was driving on the motorway today during heavy rain, I saw 3 accidents. Someone must have died in one of rhem. 

All of them were a result of tailgating. It's not rocket science. 

Keep some distance!

[fullcave]

The government enforces and the Thai media promotes ignorance and a total lack of safety awareness. In Thailand, children are lower than dogs in the west with regards to safety standards. Use public transport and you are gambling with your life.

 

When a parent mounts their child on the front of a motorbike with no helmet while the parent wears a helmet and is not stopped at a police checkpoint, what is that?

 

When an overloaded pickup is stopped at a police checkpoint and the driver hands the cop 60 baht with no words spoken, what is that?

 

When a public transport van overturns and 11 persons are killed with no accident analysis, what is that? 

 

When children are packed into the back of a pickup truck like cattle to be transported to school, what is that?

 

When humans are loaded on top of a mountain of trash loaded in the back of and on the roof of a ten wheel truck, what is that?  

 

All perfectly acceptable to the average Thai. In fact, it would be an insult to suggest otherwise. 

[fullcave]

1 minute ago, Chippy151 said:

As I was driving on the motorway today during heavy rain, I saw 3 accidents. Someone must have died in one of rhem. 

All of them were a result of tailgating. It's not rocket science. 

Keep some distance!

Tailgating is the protocol for indicating you want to pass when they are blocking the passing lane, and they are very stubborn about moving to the left and they do not respond to flashing the lights like in western countries! 

[zzaa09]

3 minutes ago, fullcave said:

The government enforces and the Thai media promotes ignorance and a total lack of safety awareness. In Thailand, children are lower than dogs in the west with regards to safety standards. Use public transport and you are gambling with your life.

 

When a parent mounts their child on the front of a motorbike with no helmet while the parent wears a helmet and is not stopped at a police checkpoint, what is that?

 

When an overloaded pickup is stopped at a police checkpoint and the driver hands the cop 60 baht with no words spoken, what is that?

 

When a public transport van overturns and 11 persons are killed with no accident analysis, what is that? 

 

When children are packed into the back of a pickup truck like cattle to be transported to school, what is that?

 

When humans are loaded on top of a mountain of trash loaded in the back of and on the roof of a ten wheel truck, what is that?  

 

All perfectly acceptable to the average Thai. In fact, it would be an insult to suggest otherwise. 

In essence, talk is cheap and practice is not enforced.

Endless cycles.

[tropo]

8 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

Beaten by Burundi?

 

How dare they...

And that's probably only because Burundi is much poorer (older cars in poorer condition) with much worse roads.

[hobz]

6 hours ago, simple1 said:

An extract from the WHO report...

 

The report said the high toll was a consequence of weak law enforcement in Thailand against drink-driving, helmet wearing for motorcyclists and riders, and seat-belt usage. 

 

Only 51% of motorcycle drivers and 20% of passengers wore safety helmets in the country, while 58% of car drivers and 40% of front-seat passengers fastened their seat belts, 

 

From my recent experience of driving Pattaya - Phuket return, should add  'poor spatial awareness' e.g. repeatedly being required to break at 100 KPH when being cut off by overtaking drivers. Family of four on scooter pulling out in front of me, no helmets, just managed to avoid wiping them out etc.
 

This is the biggest problem with WHO. Their idiotic interpretation is the reason that traffic police in Thailand spends all their time setting up checkpoints to check for helmets.

 

Lack of Helmets are not the problem in Thailand. I have never been afraid of motorbike drivers without helmets. I am always frightened by the idiots reckless, speeding, impatient braindead drivers doing braindead maneuvers all the time. Helmets will not save them.

[Mikeasq60]

Alcohol and speed and the biggest factors here to consider

[bowerboy]

8 hours ago, missoura said:

Most Thais that I know believe that when Buddha calls, their time is up and there is nothing they can do.

I think this is a massive fallacy and misundertstanding about Thais....I have lived and worked here for 15 years and have asked loads of Thais about this and each and every time I get a look like I have got two heads...I have never met a Thai that has this fatalistic belief (that when my time is up there is nothing I can do so I might as well just do whatever)...I think this is the biggest misconception here and especially so when talking about the driving.....

[Kohkah]

The question is how many dies because of bad treatment after a road accident? In Thailand ambulance and rescue work still means grab the patients and drive them to hospital. Fairly any stabilising or live support are done at the place of the accident. 

[balo]

11 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

What about Australia with only 5.95 ?

Nobody cares about whats going on down under. 

 

[Matros61]

Well it's pretty much clear where Thailand failes, as all the other countries & that is study & understand physics. I have been living in Thailand have a Thai wife & children & currently back in Sweden, where our son are studying & he told me that in Thailand they start study physics at the age of 16. So try to understand how easy it is to misunderstand your own capability as a driver when you do not understand physics.

[simple1]

7 hours ago, fullcave said:

Tailgating is the protocol for indicating you want to pass when they are blocking the passing lane, and they are very stubborn about moving to the left and they do not respond to flashing the lights like in western countries! 

Taxi driver informed me he stayed in the left lane, always at the official speed limit,  from BKK -Pattaya as he had learnt it was the safest place to be due to generally extremely poor driving standards for speeding, undertaking / overtaking.

[kwilco]

This is based on one single statistic, which is not the way to look at the problem.

Thailand will continue to have a dreadful road safety record so long as, authorities steadfastly refuse to take the long established scientific approach.

Pointless fixation with"bad drivers" and racially based sound bites achieves nothing

[kwilco]

17 hours ago, bristolgeoff said:

Give them time and they will get the number one spot back.any bets on on the deaths over new year more or less than last year.this will never change 

Death rates on Thai holidays are usually the same or LOWER than on normal working days.