# Driving - road safety



## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

*WHO urges Thailand to enforce traffic laws*

*The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged Thailand to strengthen the enforcement of traffic regulations to improve road safety.*

Even though the country has some of the best accident prevention laws in the region, they are not being enforced, according to Ho Yong Kim, the UN agency's representative in Thailand.

For example, she said, while most communities have a speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour, it is seldom obeyed by motorists.

As well, the seatbelt law does not cover back-seat passengers, especially children, and only 27% of the people comply with the motorcycle crash helmet law, she said.

She also appealed to law enforcement authorities to increasingly clamp down on drunk driving.

In its Global Status Report on Road Safety 2009, the WHO reported that Thailand had 12,492 road traffic fatalities, or a ratio of 19.6 deaths per 100,000 people. That placed the country 73rd among 177 countries and territories surveyed. Eritrea topped the list with a ratio of 48.4.

**********************

The most recent Thai National Status Report on Road Safety was compiled in 2011 as recommended by WHO. It showed that the three provinces with the highest number of traffic-related deaths per 100,000 people were Chanthaburi (67.79), followed by Nakhon Pathom (48.93) and Ubon Ratchathani (44.55).

When the severity of accidents is gauged, measured from the number of deaths relative to the total number of people involved, Nakhon Nayok has the worst record, followed by Prachuap Khiri Khan and Samut Songkhram.


Source and full article here


----------



## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

We have a local TV channel, Chanthaburi TV, seems just about every night they have a road death somewhere in the news bulletin, that would be about right based on the stats above with well over 300 road deaths here last year, latest population stats I could find were for 490,000 people in the province.

Not too long ago I was waved down by a motorcyclist, long-term expat who told me '_You will die_' and went on to explain that over 40 people died on that stretch of Highway 3 last year, and it was not the ideal place to be cycling. 

****

Found this chart relating to 2010 road deaths










Source and report here


----------



## cooked (Jan 30, 2011)

As a former traffic engineer, I despair.
Anyway, I see people being stopped for not wearing helmets every time I go into Buriram, some of the girls crying. If they think that they won't be checked at a certain time of day or place, they hang the helmet on the handlebars. I would never let a child of mine go on a motorbike without a helmet: fair enough, but then you see school classes perched on the back of a pickup sailing through the check points while I am being checked for if I have a seat belt or not. 
The police try to do their job but there seems to be a lack of coordination / concept in the way things are thought through.


----------



## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

^ when we moved to our little town, on day 2 a visit from one of ther local police - very nice, welcome to town, told us where police station and nearest police booth are, reminded me to always wear helmet when on motorbike as they were aiming for 100% usage.
All very good. I do wear my helmet 100% of the time while riding; the rest of the population? I think 50% would be too high.
Occasionally they'll have a blitz at an intersection and dish out some fines, but that's it. 
As you mention schools, to me the first place to start enforcement would be at high schools - no helmet? leave the bike and walk home. 

from the report linked in post 2



> It was estimated in 2011 that 44% of all riders, 53% of drivers and 19% of passengers of motorized two wheelers are wearing helmets (Thai Road Foundation national observational study)


and seat belts



> It was estimated in 2011 that 61% of drivers and 42% of front seat occupants are using seat belts


I once had quite a stand-off re seat belt use. 
A simple 'no belt no ride' policy was very unpopular.


----------



## stednick (Oct 16, 2011)

*Over the Years*

I lived in Thailand for a few years in the late 90's. Victims of the Asian financial crisis, my wife (Thai) and I have since relocated to the USA. We will be retiring to Thailand in a few short years.

As we have family in Thailand we have been frequent visitors, averaging a month long trip every year or two.

My observation over the past two decades is that the use of motorcycle headgear has been on a slow and steady increase. Every visit I see a greater percentage of use. Eventually, the long sought after 100% compliance will be achieved. 

As with everything in life, "old habits die hard". 

To achieve significant change, the place to start is in the education of the children. Enforcement and fines play a part, but education is the way that works.

On a side note, I have observed slow and steady improvements in safety issues, public transportation and environmental pollution. Thailand is on a good path in the correct direction.

Although I really wish they would hustle in doing away with the Bamboo Scaffolding.


----------



## cooked (Jan 30, 2011)

In answer to Song Si's post: when we go to Buriram to shop, we always see police standing there, checking kids, and always see kids that have been stopped. I really cannot understand why the school teachers don't stand at the gate to send pupils home.


----------



## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

*New Year's driving*

Last year, 336 people died and 3,375 were injured in 3,093 accidents. 

A 5-per-cent reduction means no more than 320 deaths and 3,207 injuries.


****

*Govt aims to cut New Year toll by 5%*
Published: 18/12/2012

*The cabinet on Tuesday approved a plan for the prevention and reduction of road accidents between Dec 27-Jan 2 during the New Year celebrations with an aim to cut the number of deaths and injuries by 5% from last year, government deputy spokesman Pakdihan Himathongkham said.*

The spokesman said the plan includes measures to prevent and reduce accidents through strict law enforcement, improvement of traffic engineering, public relations and emergency medical operations.

Emphasis would be on stopping speeding and drunk-driving, enforcing wearing of motorcycle safety helmets, and a ban on people riding on the back of a pick-up truck.


----------



## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

*Escape Bangkok!*

*Bus, train stations jammed as holidaymakers head upcountry*








Traffic comes to a virtual halt on Mitrapab Road in Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to key bus terminals and train stations in Bangkok yesterday to get a ride back to their home provinces for the New Year celebrations. Traffic around the terminals, such as the Morchit Terminal II, came to a virtual standstill last night, and congestion was already reported on several key roads to other parts of the country. 

Millions of Bangkok residents hail from other provinces. During long holidays such as the New Year, many of them visit their hometowns. On top of this, huge numbers of Bangkokians head to other provinces to enjoy the holiday out of town. 

*Additional train services*

Deputy Transport Minister Prasert Chantararuangthong said 24 more train trips were added to the schedule yesterday to facilitate the extra passengers. The number of carriages per train had also been increased to accommodate the demand, he said. 

"Each train will get two more carriages to make sure passengers won't be stranded," he said. He believed some 100,000 passengers left the capital by train yesterday. 

Transport Co Ltd, which provides bus services, believed the number of passengers would reach 200,000 yesterday. 

***
Meanwhile, the Road Safety Directing Centre reported that road accidents on the first of the seven dangerous days of the New Year celebrations claimed 33 lives and injured 322 people. 

Drunkenness emerged as the leading cause of the accidents. Speeding came second. Failure to wear a crash helmet was blamed for 18.59 per cent of the injuries and deaths.


----------



## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

Heading home for New Year









From ThaiRath


----------



## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

*2012-13 New Year road death toll*

*New Year road death toll 365*
3/01/2013

*A total 365 were killed and 3,329 injured in 3,176 road accidents throughout the country over the “seven dangerous days” (Dec 27-Jan 2), Panadda Diskul, deputy permanent secretary for interior, said on Thursday.
*

Anusorn Kaewkangwan, deputy director general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said the number of road accident was up 2.68% from the same period last year.

The road death toll also rose from last year’s 336 deaths by 8.63%, or 29 deaths, but the number of road accident was down 1.3%, he added.


----------



## Newforestcat (Mar 14, 2012)

Hiya guys

This has to be a VERY favourite subject of mine...

One thing that always fascinates me is the Thais' attitudes to safety. Most people are more concerned about the fines than about their own lives when it is anything to do with drink driving and using helmets. My family and I are somewhat different as my dad and my brother have worked with machines all their lives. We were brought up to be very sensible but not afraid. 

The worst vision IMHO is young kids riding on mopeds or motorbikes. I have told my mum age 67 everyday to not go out on her bicycle anymore. We live in a little town where people are quite poor but most kids as young as 13-14 have own mopeds!

I can't and don't see much improvement in my areas. All I can do is pay attention for everyone's sake. We don't travel on a long journey without a sensible passenger to help my brother watch out for mopeds. Up until now, I am to scared to drive and I would rather not! I am quite happy to drive anywhere in the UK maybe not in Swindon thanks to the infamous Magic Roundabout that even got my husband say OMG everytime he navigated us out of harm's ways. Or was it us who would harm others? Maybe! 

My funny brother often jokes that if you want to reduce the Thai population, put roundabouts in every town! I should add that a VAT refund on mopeds or motorbikes should be even more effective.


----------



## harryw (Jun 26, 2011)

Lack of helmets is only part of the problem. Other issues are drunk driving, untrained drivers, stupid drivers, bad roads, etc.....


----------

