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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STEVE G
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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buksida wrote: Mon Apr 09, 2018 4:07 pm
I have reminded myself why I drive as little as possible and prefer to use only two wheels on the roads here in lunaticland.
Aren't something like 75% of fatalities on motorcycles? The reason so many people die on the roads in Thailand seems to me to be a simple combination of high motorcycle use and alcohol/drug consumption.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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STEVE G wrote: Tue Apr 10, 2018 6:33 am
Aren't something like 75% of fatalities on motorcycles? The reason so many people die on the roads in Thailand seems to me to be a simple combination of high motorcycle use and alcohol/drug consumption.
Not the motorcycles I ride!

There were no bikes involved in any of the five accidents we witnessed yesterday and bikes rarely are involved in highway accidents which are the most dangerous IMO.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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The biggest danger in my opinion is from pick ups and small to medium size commercial vehicles i.e. Vans and buses. Cars usually are driven quite well. Motor cycles are unfortunately involved in many accidents but mainly they kill or injure themselves. Nothing will change unless the law is enforced.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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I think you're probably right there dundrillin. We were in heavy traffic Sunday, so I drove fairly slowly - I'd anticipated the volume of traffic, and gave myself plenty of time. However, I'd say 90% of the crazies on the road (high speeds/weaving in and out of traffic) were pickups, loaded with empty plastic boxes. Their driving made mini-bus drivers look quite normal. I'd love to know why there was such urgency to transport empty plastic boxes.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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Big Boy wrote: Tue Apr 10, 2018 9:08 am I think you're probably right there dundrillin. We were in heavy traffic Sunday, so I drove fairly slowly - I'd anticipated the volume of traffic, and gave myself plenty of time. However, I'd say 90% of the crazies on the road (high speeds/weaving in and out of traffic) were pickups, loaded with empty plastic boxes. Their driving made mini-bus drivers look quite normal. I'd love to know why there was such urgency to transport empty plastic boxes.
Presumably they were originally full up, had been delivered to wherever, and were now on there way back to being filled up again and repeat the merry go round process.

As a generality, I find the worst of the drivers are mainly ordinary pickups but particularly those that are transporting goods to and from BKK - they presumably get paid by the delivery and no doubt some will manage two deliveries in a day!!
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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buksida wrote: Tue Apr 10, 2018 7:54 am Not the motorcycles I ride!

There were no bikes involved in any of the five accidents we witnessed yesterday and bikes rarely are involved in highway accidents which are the most dangerous IMO.
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by the most dangerous but it it's true that motorcyclists make up roughly 75% of the traffic fatalities in Thailand, according to statistics published by the WHO as cited in the BBC article below (and many other media outlets).

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38660283
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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My observations were based on high-speed highway driving, and there were no motorcycles involved in any of the accidents I witnessed.

Purely observations as stated, nothing more.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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Buks, you forgot to mention the dicks who use the left side hard shoulder as a formal lane and come thundering up on your left when you never expect a vehicle on that side.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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StevePIraq wrote: Thu Apr 12, 2018 3:25 pm Buks, you forgot to mention the dicks who use the left side hard shoulder as a formal lane and come thundering up on your left when you never expect a vehicle on that side.
buksida wrote: Mon Apr 09, 2018 4:07 pm Also the Bangkok warriors will not wait so they carve up the inside lanes at high speed causing a danger to all around them (the same happens at traffic lights).
Nothing is missed when you're in a Mad Max scenario on Thai roads!
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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And the current headline in the Bangkok Post,,,,,,,,,,, "39 DIE ON DAY ONE",,,,,,,,,,,,,,its similar i guess to winning medals in the current Commonwealth Games,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,absolutely SAD.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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I've just read the following in a report about Songkran Drunk Driving:
A junta spokeswoman said on Thursday that 156 vehicles were seized the day before and 2,716 motorcyclists and other drivers were charged with drunk driving.
So if only 156 vehicles were seized, does that mean the other 2,560 drivers were charged, but allowed to continue their journey? :?

It sort of answers the question, doesn't it.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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Thistle wrote: Thu Apr 12, 2018 6:02 pm And the current headline in the Bangkok Post,,,,,,,,,,, "39 DIE ON DAY ONE",,,,,,,,,,,,,,its similar i guess to winning medals in the current Commonwealth Games,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,absolutely SAD.
Incredible as it may seem, 39 in a day is actually below average as over 20,000 die on Thai roads every year!
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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I remember in previous years there was some discussion about how the figures were calculated. I believe only those dying at the scene of the accident were counted, not those that died of their injuries later, so the figure is many times higher.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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NOKYAI wrote: Fri Apr 13, 2018 7:20 am I remember in previous years there was some discussion about how the figures were calculated. I believe only those dying at the scene of the accident were counted, not those that died of their injuries later, so the figure is many times higher.
Many obviously get killed in the mayhem of traveling home for the holidays but I've just been out cycling and the roads were deserted around my way so it actually felt safer than on a normal weekday morning.
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Re: How can Thailand curb its appalling road fatality rate?

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Only slightly straying.....scooted down to Soi 80 for a couple of hours today and this was the most gentle and respectful Songkran I can remember. I haven’t missed one for around 25 years! Roads on the way into town were quiet and groups of people waved you down if you wanted to participate or left you alone if you just drove past. I didn’t see any aggression or drunkenness just lots of happy people.
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