simtemple Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Thailand will do absolutely nothing. Life means little in the Land of Smiles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torpedo1970 Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 "For the remaining five years, Thailand will seriously and strictly enforce the laws to achieve the 80% target as now that the road fatality issue was placed as a national agenda and law enforcement will be tightened." Good luck with that major crackdown and a hub of something.... And there is a long way to go But i have seen some improvement....... Speaking to one of my neighbors, they have installed cameras at the junction red light on our highway. jump the red light and picture gets taken and fine sent to your address. 1000 Baht...... The neighbor really pissed off since he in one month now got 3 fines of 1000 each most likely more to come too But he was most upset that the local police that he have a lot of "pull" with could not interfere or delete fines in this system as it is centralized great work... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhream Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 "Lower by 80%?" Perhaps they need to begin by a smaller number or even better stop the year on year increase. How to do this? By enforcement!!!! It would help if they actually learned to drive more than 24 hours before getting a license and then actually learned the rules of the road! What there are Rules? I thought those old ladies selling lottery tickets were also driving licence outlets, lottery, vs driving in los, same same. No? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elgordo38 Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 14,059 fatalities ?? 20,000+ fatalities "was" the statistic. So how and why has this been reduced by 30% ? This 14,059 is a conveniently adjusted number. An 80% reduction to be achieved. How is this possible ? Its the same soothsayer that quotes the TAT figures only this proclamation is on steroids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waldroj Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Two simple questions: 1. Who is responsible for (their own) safety on the road? 2. Who is responsible for enforcing the traffic laws in Thailand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiver Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I think law enforcement can only do so much, it needs a change in the mindset of the road users (plus a 'real' driving/riding test of course). How many people here can hold their hand up and say they know someone who believes a bike helmet is no longer necessary after 5pm? I'd love for this to become true (especially by self policing), but my sarcastic hat is within reach so I won't write any more on the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhream Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 "For the remaining five years, Thailand will seriously and strictly enforce the laws to achieve the 80% target as now that the road fatality issue was placed as a national agenda and law enforcement will be tightened." Good luck with that major crackdown and a hub of something.... And there is a long way to go But i have seen some improvement....... Speaking to one of my neighbors, they have installed cameras at the junction red light on our highway. jump the red light and picture gets taken and fine sent to your address. 1000 Baht...... The neighbor really pissed off since he in one month now got 3 fines of 1000 each most likely more to come too But he was most upset that the local police that he have a lot of "pull" with could not interfere or delete fines in this system as it is centralized great work... made my day, this did. they are truly in a magic mirror world some of these clowns, where the law is so warped they would not recognize due process if it was up them sideways in a Police cruiser. Another part of the problem, attitude. This clown needs a severe red light T bone collision to put him out of harms way, and into a wheelchair. since a wheelchair sounds about the limit of his driving ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willyumiii Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 This will never happen. First, the traffic laws would need to be enforced...and they never will. Second, and more important, Thai people would need to learn to value the lives of others.....and they never will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artisi Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 "For the remaining five years, Thailand will seriously and strictly enforce the laws to achieve the 80% target as now that the road fatality issue was placed as a national agenda and law enforcement will be tightened." Good luck with that major crackdown and a hub of something.... And there is a long way to go But i have seen some improvement....... Speaking to one of my neighbors, they have installed cameras at the junction red light on our highway. jump the red light and picture gets taken and fine sent to your address. 1000 Baht...... The neighbor really pissed off since he in one month now got 3 fines of 1000 each most likely more to come too But he was most upset that the local police that he have a lot of "pull" with could not interfere or delete fines in this system as it is centralized great work... 3 red light runs in a month - why does he still have a licence is more the question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermike007 Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 This has to be one of Tommy Coopers jokes,first the police sit out side every school and just see how many got helmets on,second see if they have a licence i can tell you now none,and why because stupid thai parents cannot be bothered. school children are to young to have a license and the police do not worry about them as they do not have any money . what's the point of stopping someone if they can not pay the fine, it is just a waste of time and energy A real law enforcement officer would stop kids knowing that they will cause deaths with their ignorance and total lack of experience. He will stop them because it benefits the public. That is why Thailand needs to reform the RTP from the bottom up. Instead of being rhe RCD (revenue collection department), they could practice real law enforcement. Until then, the world will continue to laugh and cry, when it comes to Thailand's roads. A real man, as a leader would do something about this tragedy, and stop his endless yabbering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayw Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Generally it is NOT speeding that is the main problem but often the opposite, slow riding with little or no concentration and being unaware of what is going on around you. Main reasons I feel for motorbike fatalities and injuries are:- No rear lights or even no lights at all !! Riding down the wrong wide of the road. 3 or more on one motorbike. Jumping Red traffic lights Bad riding skills at road junctions particularly when turning right Using telephones whilst riding Under aged and totally untrained riders without licences who should not be on the road Yes I will include inappropriate speeding too, but no not generally fast riding as most of the best and safest riders I know ride pretty fast, fully alert and awake, and of course sensibly. These are the areas that the police should actively and very aggressively work to stop with hefty on the spot fines for those above listed offenders. This could also be helped by a national TV campaign teaching drivers and riders to check their lights regularly, and comply with the sensible road safety laws that are designed prevent the above list of accident causes. IMHO it is totally pointless the police wasting their valuable time over the wearing of crash helmets, or seat belts, being worn as that DOES NOT cause the accidents but only the serious injuries and avoidable deaths purely to those totally stupid enough not to wear them !!! So yes to add to the list of course, as far as serious head injuries and deaths are concerned, due to NOT wearing a crash helmet (though IMHO this should NOT be illegal as in itself it does not cause accidents or injuries to others by not wearing one. Purely the crass stupidity of the riders pointlessly risking their lives, so that should be down to them and NOT a police time wasting law IMHO. We are as drivers and riders supposed to be mature people so should not need nannying like children over the wearing of crash helmets, but just strongly encouraged to wear them of course for your personal safety. This can also be effectively done through TV campaigns (like we had Clunk Click Every Trip seat belt campaign in the UK back in the 60's or 70's and it was very effective too) using clever catchy little videos broadcast along with the advert breaks during peak viewing time on the popular TV channels. I hope these points are taken into the utmost serious and urgent consideration if they are REALLY serious about reducing accidents, injuries and road deaths in Thailand. Anyway purely my two pence worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhream Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Two simple questions: 1. Who is responsible for (their own) safety on the road? 2. Who is responsible for enforcing the traffic laws in Thailand? I'll take a stab at this... 1. That's easy, me. 2. Err, umm. I have no Idea! Some chubby smiling dude in a be-ribboned ice-cream Suit? Or his cat? No, the cat would get shit done... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artisi Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Two simple questions: 1. Who is responsible for (their own) safety on the road? 2. Who is responsible for enforcing the traffic laws in Thailand? To answer your first question - you can't cure stupidity and for the second - much the same answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumgranosalum Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 "a total of 14,059 were killed on Thai roads and highways in 2012, translating to a road death rate of 36.2 people per 100,000, a rate only surpassed by war-torn Libya, where 73.4 people per 100,000 died that same year" If my suspicion that Libyan road deaths were due to bombs and bullets, dodging bombs or bullets, or driving into bomb craters, then Thailand tops the list for worst road death toll. no - and the other year it was Namibia....noy Lybia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumgranosalum Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Its not simply "road deaths" - it's per 100 k population. If you changer that to per number of veivles, Thailand is number 70 in the "league' If you do it per billion KM driven, Thailand has no figures. As they can't even compile a complete set of figures the 80% is of an unknown number - so a fat chance of that happening then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willyumiii Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 "For the remaining five years, Thailand will seriously and strictly enforce the laws to achieve the 80% target as now that the road fatality issue was placed as a national agenda and law enforcement will be tightened." And who is going to enforce? The Mafia in brown uniforms are not going to do anything as usual. Careful now! There are currently people facing a sentence of eight years in prison for critisizing the Thai police on the internet. And they are Thai people. I assume you are not Thai. I wonder how many years a farang could get in the Bangkok Hilton? ( You are not in Kansas anymore Toto!) I think the Thai police ar wonderful and doing a fantastic job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cumgranosalum Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I don't want to sound cynical, but in the years I've lived here I've lost count how many times I've read 'proclamations' like this and nothing ever changes. The usual pattern is a few new laws will be announced, lots of fanfare then on to the next sound bite du jour. I've also given up counting how many threads we have had on TVF, decrying, critiquing, haranguing, proffering advice, the list goes on and on. I've said this before, but what the Hell...just enforce a few laws: Helmets, Lights, Drive on the correct side of the road (at ALL times, even if it takes longer to get to your destination) But history teaches me, that in 5 months, 1 year, 5 years we will be having the same discussion again, and again, and again Enforcement is only one of the 5 Es -unless they are all addressed the situation will not change radically - especially to 80% reduction in deaths per 100k. They can, and need to educate and enforce, but unless they redesign all the roads and put in an emergency service and a proper body to review accidents etc there is absolutely no chance pf this happening. what is does show is the depth of ignorance amongst the authorities on road safety. just another dictum to make Thailand the laughing stock of the rest of the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willyumiii Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I wish the Thai government would realize how much revenue could be generated if traffic laws were enforced and fines issued. The fines collected on illegal and dangerous parking of vehicles in the road alone, could generate enough money to pay law enfrcement a decent wage, medical and retirement benifits! It would eliminate the need for "tea money" all together .Patroling and pulling over dangerous drivers would generate huge sums of money for local governments..and some could be used to improve road conditions. A great side benifit of this would be increased road safety and a decreased death toll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connda Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 My 100% response to that silliness.There is so much hot air in that statement that you could float a lead balloon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travelman868 Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Lybia's road deaths were higher because of road side bombs. The deaths in Thailand do not include those who die in hospital One of the big things that the Government could do, is train the school kids in proper riding skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willyumiii Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I have read that the traffic death toll in Thailand only includes those who die at the site of the accident. If you make it onto the meat wagon or get to the hospital before you die, you are not counted. What is the real toll? Maybe Thailand can beat out Lybia for first place without road side bombs? Yeah! Go Thailand! Number one! You win! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaDavid Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I arrived in Thailand from England at the beginning of May and driving was a real culture shock. So, what, in my humble opinion, are the differences between here and the UK which has one of the lowest death rates in the world. 1. The state of the roads. I would never dream of going out on my scooter at night. Too many unseen potholes to drive into. 2. Unsafe vehicles with no apparant MOT test or its equivalent (MOT is a safety test carried out annually on all vehicles more than three years old). 3. Dogs sleeping on and chickens crossing the road. No more to be said. 4. Failure to abide by even the most obvious traffic laws. Driving on the wrong side of the road being the most obvious. 5. Underpowered and badly maintained lorries (trucks). Also speeding trucks on downhill sections. 6. Driving without a license. Presumably most unlicensed drivers have never received instruction or taken a test. 7. Riding motorcycles (and probably cars too) whilst underage. 8. Riding a motorcycle whilst carrying an unsafe load (I include in this small children). 9. Driving under the influence. 10. Totally inadequate enforcement of the road traffic laws. I could go on all day, but those, to me, are the most obvious safety factors. It's a pity no-one with any clout will read this. Unfortunately, most of the people who make and enforce(?) the laws have probably never driven abroad. Almost certainly not in one with a much safer record than Thailand. I know what I say will make no difference, but at least I got it off my chest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDfella Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Well, they better start with the police. I stopped to let my companion out of the car at a shop intending to drive away when a policeman on a motor noticed me and he rode about 50 meters on the wrong side to tell me that I couldn't park there because it was reserved for deliveries. How many Thais ride on the wrong side of the road even at night. As other posters point out, it will take proper enforcement...that means more recruiting, more wages and higher taxes to pay for it. Nope., not this decade, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneday Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 It's certainly a commendable goal, but not only will it not be reached, I seriously doubt they will reduce deaths by 5%, let alone 80%. That is just plain fantasy for the mentality of this country. Other countries have good systems that have been developed over many years to make roads safer and make drivers want to obey the laws. Thailand has way too much work to do to reduce deaths by even a fraction of what their targeted goal is. It must be made VERY painful financially for all drivers to break the law. It requires a comprehensive linkage of several departments all communicating with each other about driver records. It takes insurance companies that charge premiums based on driving records so they must have access to driving records kept by the Department of Motor Vehicles or Land Transportation Office. It must be made impossible to register a car unless they have insurance. Finally, it takes roving patrols of police in cars and on bikes on the roads EVERYWHERE ready to pull over any and all violators and ticket them. Only then will Thailand make the dent in deaths they are looking for, but they DO NOT have the will to do this. They won't even scratch the surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surasak Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 A good move if the Authorities are genuine and not simply offering a 'sound bite'.... Improvements need to be realised at a 'cultural' level... the majority of road users need to be taught and understand consequence, which for the moment appears to be an alien concept. A great start would be to have Televised Road Safety campaigns... When I see the Authorities using Televised Road Safety Campaigns we may then start to believe they are serious about this issue and not simply nodding to each other going through the motions in endless committee meetings... I totally agree but would add, many roads are in such a bad state of repair, weaving around potholes either by cars or motorbikes is also a major contributor to accidents and death. Especially i the rainy season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim walker Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Thais always know whats best in Thailand why do you think they are the cleverest people on the planet dont need interfering nations WHO telling them how to drive and look after travellers on their roads, how ridicules to even consider telling us to reduce accidents and deaths by 80% its just a natural way of thinning the population. Same tactic as wars and guns in the western world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom21 Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 reading the thread I have the view that the road rules in Thailand are more than adequate so there is no need for new ones. all that is needed is enforce the present rules. I can say that with a straight face as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springheeled jack Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 I have said it before and I will say it again teach the youngsters now teach them in school and give it television coverage so that it reaches a wider audience there are too many people speeding around on motorbikes not just thai people but also farangs they should be stopped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddavidovsky Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 First they'll have to reduce mai pen rai by 80%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeVee1st Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 5555555555555555555555555 Now I know it is really April 1st. A lotta work required to fix those stats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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