How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Driving and riding in Hua Hin and Thailand, all topics on cars, pickups, bikes, boats, licenses, roads, and motoring in general.
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HHTel
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

Post by HHTel »

jungle wrote: Sun Apr 02, 2017 4:30 pm Article in the BBC news states " Thailands roads are currently ranked the second most lethal in the world after Libya's" by the world health organisation
Old news and this isn't the first year Thailand's roads have been so rated. I'm sure this is general knowledge now and the Thais are 'somewhat proud' of the distinction.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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Why aren't there more traffic lights?
And road blocks.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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How do traffic lights and static road blocks detect dangerous driving?
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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We should campaign to have them set up just for Golferstu!!
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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I turned on the Thai Channel 7 morning news at 0600 this morning which is something I don't usually do. Confronting me was a a series of at least 8 motorcycle accidents that were captured on film yesterday. MC and big truck, MC and pick-up truck, MC and MC. MC and tree etc. It went to commercial and I changed the channel, so who knows if it continued after the break! If they caught all of those on film, how many hundreds where there yesterday or any day that weren't filmed? Makes me cringe, really. :( Pete
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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Yes, they show it most days. We normally see it on Channel 3. I don't know if it's the same set on each channel, or a different set daily.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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Overloaded passenger van driver, owner fined

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... wner-fined

AYUTTHAYA - The driver and owner of a passenger van caught carrying too many passengers were each fined on Monday, as the deadline passed for the vans to comply with new rules.
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Prajit Suwannasaeng, the 55-year-old driver, was fined 5,000 baht and his licence suspended for 15 days.
Maha Phram Co, the owner of the van, was fined 20,000 baht and placed on a warning list. If the firm repeats the violation, it will face additional legal action.

Mr Prajit was arrested on Sunday after a passenger complained on social media the driver had stopped to pick up more passengers. The poster said the van had exceeded the 13-passenger limit, and some passengers had to stand up. The van was registered in Ayutthaya.

Dusit Bosuwan, a local land transport official, said the van was registered to carry 13 passengers, but modified to hold 17. Sometimes it had carried more than 17 people, he said.

The government set Monday as the deadline for about 15,000 passenger vans nationwide to comply with new safety regulations, which include a maximum load of 13 passengers per van.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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How do you stand upright in a van? Maybe they hunch over, or they're short? :shock: :roll: I would think twice and take a normal big bus. Your odds are better and even if the journey takes longer, I think they would save some money and arrive alive (in most cases). Pete :cheers:

EDIT: Do these van owners/drivers have any idea at all what happens to a tire when you overload it?! :guns: When they extended the van to 17 people from 13 did they upgrade the suspension and tires? Don't make me laugh, they did nothing. If I recall correctly blow out's are a main cause of van accidents, as well as losing control going around corners too fast which indeed can be caused by an inadequate suspension for the weight carried.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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I'm sure the generals are all giving themselves a huge pat on the back. This Songkran has been sorted with a huge poster campaign.

I've actually seen a couple of these whilst out this morning.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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I've just driven 3,000 kms, 1000 kms in Laos. Quite an experience but some things I did notice.


NO police stops.

In 10 days, I saw very few policemen and the ones I saw were usually keeping the kerbs clear of parked cars when necessary in the town.

The roads in Thailand are better but Laos does have 3 lane roads but the surface is somewhat inferior to Thailand

I never saw any cars/trucks hogging the outside lane. Quite the opposite, overtake then pull back to the middle lane.

Not once did I see anyone 'undertaking'.

On the mountain roads, trucks and buses turned on their nearside indicator and pulled in to show it was safe to pass them

Motorbikes are a nuisance but rarely did I see any driving the wrong way.

All this without any police presence.

Now in Thailand some on this forum suggest that the poor driving is because of the lack of law enforcement.

Now then. Is this true or is the driving just down to stupidity. I know which one I'd go for!!
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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stupidity.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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HHTel wrote: Sat May 27, 2017 1:33 am Now in Thailand some on this forum suggest that the poor driving is because of the lack of law enforcement.
Good point, well made. Guilty as charged :D

Obviously stupidity, but there must be something more than that. Why do so many visitors come here, jump on a motorcycle and simply go crazy? Do they put something in the water?

I actually understand the way most Thais ride their motorcycles, and apart from the t**t who drove his bike straight under my truck, I can generally anticipate their moves; but foreigners, and some of their manoeuvres are beyond belief. The foreigners go back to their own country and drive by their country's law, So yes, a huge element of stupidity, but why only in Thailand? When out of Thailand, did you encounter any Farang (for want of a better word) motorcyclists?
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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The only 'farangs' I saw on bikes were in Luang Prabang and they were usually couples and of course boyfriend and girlfriend care for each other.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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Saw this today, and thought it was appropriate.



[Edit] Need to click the 'Watch on Facebook' to view it.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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Just a contrast.
Checking the Canada news, there is concern that some cyclists are not wearing helmets and there is to be a crack down in Ontario. I'm talking pedal bikes, not m/bikes for that there is 99% compliance.
A story--my son rides his m/b to work. One day at quitting time it was pouring rain so he left his bike at work and took the subway home, carrying his helmet. the following day he forgot to take his helmet in with him. He rode home slowly and quietly but with no helmet. It was a nightmare , during the 12K journey 20 or 30 motorists blew their horns at him and at traffic lights wound down their windows and shouted abuse at him.
2 points in this story---100% acceptance of the helmet law and that Canadians, the politest people on the planet, are really into policing each other, a thing that would not be understood in Thai. (Actually would be understood in China, the Chinese are great busy bodies too)
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