Boy, 14, killed as Phuket suffers worst Songkran road safety record in years

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Boy, 14, killed as Phuket suffers worst Songkran road safety record in years

By The Phuket News

 

Methasit Maneeman, 14, was crushed under the wheels of a ‘Po Thong’ bus on Wichit Songkram Rd in Phuket Town at 2:50pm yesterday (Apr 17). Photo: Kusoldharm Phuket

 

PHUKET: Phuket has suffered its worst tally of people killed during the Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign for the Songkran holidays in at least six years, with a 14-year-old boy among the fatalities.

 

Two people died and one woman was injured in three accidents during the Day 7, the final day of the campaign, from midnight to midnight yesterday (Apr 17), the Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) reported this morning (Apr 18).

 

In total, 34 people were injured in 33 road accidents throughout the seven days which began last Thursday (Apr 11) and concluded at midnight last night.

Read more at https://www.thephuketnews.com/boy-14-killed-as-phuket-suffers-worst-songkran-road-safety-record-in-years-71129.php#OMWRO658HHwEEZXD.99

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2019-04-18

[toenail]

Sad...Phuket has really changed since I first visited the “tropical paradise” back in 1982. My last holiday visit there was two years ago- never again. (There are better tropical ???? islands around Thailand that are not ruined from mass tourism- & I will never share these names of islands publicly.) 

[MadMuhammad]

33 minutes ago, toenail said:

Sad...Phuket has really changed since I first visited the “tropical paradise” back in 1982. My last holiday visit there was two years ago- never again. (There are better tropical ???? islands around Thailand that are not ruined from mass tourism- & I will never share these names of islands publicly.) 

Everywhere has changed substantially since 1982.... I mean, c’mon 

[Paul Henry]

Poor reporting "HOW MANY FATALITIES" over the seven days.

[Felt 35]

2 hours ago, MadMuhammad said:

Everywhere has changed substantially since 1982....

Correct.......but some of the point for governments, education, people and technology elsewhere in this world are that both quality of life and driving standards shall get better for everyone and not on stand still.

[cardinalblue]

Was the 14 year old the driver of the bike?

[greensun]

I saw this young boy laying down on the road, covered with a white blanket yesterday.

The road was one of those Phuket town roads, which are almost always congested and therefore quite slow moving. 

 

We are supposed to live in a 'paradise island'. Why is everybody in such an hurry constantly?

[Damrongsak]

4 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

Was the 14 year old the driver of the bike?

Methasit was a passenger on a motorbike that collided with another motorbike, causing Methasit to fall onto the road, the DDPM noted in its report.

[samsensam]

7 hours ago, Paul Henry said:

Poor reporting "HOW MANY FATALITIES" over the seven days.

 

what's poor reporting is the impression the media here gives that the roads are more dangerous during the songkran, when statistics show that year after year the road deaths go down over songkran.

[madmitch]

It's the numbers driving without a licence that always stick out for me. It's like they really don't care; let them pay the fine and be on their way until we can fine them again. 

 

It's so easy to get a licence here.......too easy but so many people just can't be bothered. Imagine how high those figures would be if they ever imposed real driving tests!

 

In theory any insurance is null and void if an accident is the fault of an unlicensed driver, thouh in practice I believe this is rarely an issue. In paying such claims the insurance companies are condoning this practice. They shouldn't! And the fines are pathetic; in the West, where people have to work hard to get a driving licence, it's a serious offece. Here it's just another couple of hundred baht in the coffers.

 

Rant over.

 

 

[Aussieroaming]

RIP kid, no suprises about the road toll. Total apathy by the police and drivers, which leads to an inevitable increase in accidents. Speed, alcohol, lack of road sense, tourist traffic and very bad brakes, all contributors.

[pattayadgw]

When are they going to print real stats on road deaths... not only people who die instantly at the scene but also all the others who pass away enroute to the hospital or in the hospital??

[stevenl]

22 minutes ago, pattayadgw said:

When are they going to print real stats on road deaths... not only people who die instantly at the scene but also all the others who pass away enroute to the hospital or in the hospital??

They do.

[Lucius verus]

2 hours ago, pattayadgw said:

When are they going to print real stats on road deaths... not only people who die instantly at the scene but also all the others who pass away enroute to the hospital or in the hospital??

The real road toll is published by various watch groups.Thailand is about 45 deaths per 100000 . which is about 27000-30000 deaths per annum.One of the worst tolls in the world.

Officially its half that along with absurd stats on tourist deaths here.

Its all about protecting mass tourism income.

No tourism? Thailand's finished.

[cornishcarlos]

9 minutes ago, Lucius verus said:

No tourism? Thailand's finished

 

I doubt that.. They will plod on