News Forum - 2 people per hour were killed in road accidents in Thailand in 2020

[Thaiger]

A Thai health foundation has found that two people were killed in road accidents every hour in Thailand in 2020. The total number of people killed in road accidents throughout that year was 17,831. The foundation, Thai Health Promotion Foundation, said motorcycle drivers and riders made up the 74% of fatalities. The International Health Policy Program said in its report last year that, if all pillion riders wear crash helmets, the death toll will likely drop by 36%. A chairman of the Accident Prevention Support Plan said the alarming numbers should make authorities rethink and develop measures to reduce road […]

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[JJJ]

Basically if you’re under 50, walking or driving is higher risk of death than covid. But at least they were wearing a mask! 

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

15 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

He said law enforcement is too relaxed in enforcing laws

Relaxed law enforcement is disastrous, but the drivers and riders relaxed attitude is the root cause to the ongoing carnage.

[Soidog]

There is something very wrong with the Thai psyche. I hear many Thais say it’s because people aren’t taught to drive properly and yet most don’t want to learn. That certainly contributes to the carnage, but it’s not the main factor. Road lighting and lack of lane markings don’t help, but again it’s not the main factor. If I’m not taught how to do something but experience the dangers of what other drivers do in front of me each day, surely I learn from the mistakes of others or even my own mistakes. For some reason, Thais do neither. The culture of Alcohol abuse is a significant factor in Thailand and of course the total lack of any law enforcement.
 

The vast majority have no notion of “road sense” or reading the road ahead. I’ve been in a car with various Thai drivers and seen the red lights come on up ahead and their foot never even lifts from the accelerator. I’ve been in cars and had people cut in front and the Thai driver sound their horn, only for the them to cut in front of someone else 5 minutes later. Maybe it’s a belief in a future life or the fact many have such pitiful lives that makes them less precious about their current life? I’m not sure what causes this collective insanity. That said, it’s not the only collective insanity I see each and every day. 
 

I think the government should stop focusing on road deaths and do far more to publicise those who are severely disfigured of disabled as a result of road accidents. The dead are often the lucky ones. Show the beautiful girl or budding athletes who is now disfigured or confined to a wheelchair sucking soup through a straw for the rest of their life. This is the real tragedy and is many more times higher than the number killed. 

Of course all of this could be solved within 5-10 years. But no one cares,  like so many things here. I just make sure to drive defensively and protect myself and those passengers in my car. As for everyone else….. Up to you! 

[Prosaap]

I drive on my bike to pattaya every day and every trip i have to take action to prevent a totally unnecessary accident they just not look busy with many ting but not driving the are unpredictable you never know what they do next a blinker to the left not mean they go left if the pass a moterbike they think they drive a 18 weel truck same as they take a left turn never look further then the car in front they are stupid by choice they just not want to learn this not only on the road 

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

1 hour ago, Thaiger said:

A Thai health foundation has found that two people were killed in road accidents every hour in Thailand in 2020. The total number of people killed in road accidents throughout that year was 17,831. The foundation, Thai Health Promotion Foundation, said motorcycle drivers and riders made up the 74% of fatalities. The International Health Policy Program said in its report last year that, if all pillion riders wear crash helmets, the death toll will likely drop by 36%. A chairman of the Accident Prevention Support Plan said the alarming numbers should make authorities rethink and develop measures to reduce road […]

The story 2 people per hour were killed in road accidents in Thailand in 2020 as seen on Thaiger News.

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This explains why covid deaths were so low. The potential covid victims had already died driving their motorbikes into the back of parked trucks. 

[Grumpish]

Driving licence, driving test, insurance -  nothing will change unless those basics are enforced. As opposed to looking for contributions to the Police Benevolent Fund. 

[Fanta]

It’s the helmets! As a long time rider of motorcycles in many countries it still does my head in that Thais do not value their heads! And the injuries are what is not mentioned and far outweigh the deaths. I stayed in a convalescent ward in Chonburi hospital for a week. There were 4 young guys there that were VEGETABLES, just breathing corpses. All motorcycle accidents, all no helmets. 2 were wheeled off home with sad mothers clutching bags of free diapers. Tragic and just of a sliver of the real cost of the RTP’s lax law enforcement. 

[Soidog]

2 minutes ago, Fanta said:

It’s the helmets! As a long time rider of motorcycles in many countries it still does my head in that Thais do not value their heads! And the injuries are what is not mentioned and far outweigh the deaths. I stayed in a convalescent ward in Chonburi hospital for a week. There were 4 young guys there that were VEGETABLES, just breathing corpses. All motorcycle accidents, all no helmets. 2 were wheeled off home with sad mothers clutching bags of free diapers. Tragic and just of a sliver of the real cost of the RTP’s lax law enforcement. 

As I said above, it’s these sad cases that need more publicity. I think such images would have a far greater impact on young kids than publishing the numbers who died and maybe went on to live a better next life. Kids caught not wearing a helmet shouldn’t just get a 200 Baht fine. They should be taken to see such sad cases. The really odd part is that they will wear a mask to protect them from Covid while in the open air at 60km/hr, but not wear a helmet. Inscrutable people.

[Pinetree]

34 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I’ve been in a car with various Thai drivers and seen the red lights come on up ahead and their foot never even lifts from the accelerator.

Yes.  They all seem to be looking no more than 50m ahead of the car, no forward planning and no anticipation, no appreciation of the speed and trajectory of other vehicles.  That's all due to a lack of training and basic knowledge of physics, as well as the fact that medically, many of them should never be driving at all.  Add alcohol and drugs and you have a very  toxic mix.  

[Soidog]

Can anyone offer up any suggestions (sensible only please!) as to why the Thai government don’t fix this problem? Not just this current crop, but successive governments. I’m sure the economics easily stack up in favour of solving the problem, so why aren’t they doing it? 

[Soidog]

1 minute ago, Pinetree said:

as well as the fact that medically, many of them should never be driving at all.

I recall being in a taxi in Phuket from the airport. The driver spent the entire journey with his head tilted to one side and had one eye permanently closed. Several times he nearly came off the road. I don’t think he was drunk or high on drugs. I think it was a simple case of very poor eyesight. And he was a licensed taxi driver. Insanity. 

[Pinetree]

7 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I recall being in a taxi in Phuket from the airport. The driver spent the entire journey with his head tilted to one side and had one eye permanently closed. Several times he nearly came off the road. I don’t think he was drunk or high on drugs. I think it was a simple case of very poor eyesight. And he was a licensed taxi driver. Insanity. 

All too common.  My g/fs father is senile, almost blind and doddery and he still drives.  Not around me I hasten to say. 

[Fanta]

5 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Can anyone offer up any suggestions (sensible only please!) as to why the Thai government don’t fix this problem? Not just this current crop, but successive governments. I’m sure the economics easily stack up in favour of solving the problem, so why aren’t they doing it? 

Corruption and apathy. The laws exist but are not enforced and strengthened to protect the most at risk members of the community. There is an occasional crackdown on motorcycle street racers in BKK but this is largely not to enforce the laws and protect the foolish, it is in response to complaints about the noise and traffic disruption. Seize the racing bikes and crush them. Confiscate the bikes of riders caught without a helmet until a sizeable fine is paid.  But who enforces these laws? The same people that profit from their selective application. It’s an intractable problem with the current state of affairs. 

[Soidog]

20 minutes ago, Fanta said:

Corruption and apathy. The laws exist but are not enforced and strengthened to protect the most at risk members of the community. There is an occasional crackdown on motorcycle street racers in BKK but this is largely not to enforce the laws and protect the foolish, it is in response to complaints about the noise and traffic disruption. Seize the racing bikes and crush them. Confiscate the bikes of riders caught without a helmet until a sizeable fine is paid.  But who enforces these laws? The same people that profit from their selective application. It’s an intractable problem with the current state of affairs. 

Yes I’m sure it is Apathy and of course the ever present corruption. I guess I’m asking an impossible question. I just wonder what it is they talk about when the Health Minister and Transport Minster get to meet. How can they not talk about this embarrassing statistic and not formulate a plan with measurable targets. Surely there is at least some element of improving things? The one upside of a dictatorship is that it should be able to get things done in double quick time. You don’t have conversations and debates, you just tell people what to do and if they don’t or can’t do it, they are removed. 
 

Apathy as you say is certainly a significant issue. I recall sitting in a cafe watching a group of police at an intersection catching people with no helmets. As I came to leave the cafe I was sure to put my own helmet on. At the same time, one of the police who had just spent an hour jumping out on people and grabbing hold of kids trying to do quick u-turns also got on his motorbike. He was ahead of me as we turned and headed along the road. At the next set of lights on red, there were two teenagers on bikes with no helmets. My immediate thought was - These two are in for a problem now. Not a word was said to them by the policeman. He may well have been tired and simply couldn’t be bothered to get his tickets out and fine them. But he didn’t even speak to them. No words of “Don’t let me catch you again” or “why aren’t you wearing a helmet”. No, he was off duty and simply didn’t see it as his role to enforce the law. Apathy in action. 

[Janneman]

Wow 17.831 deaths in one year. Compare that to 24.648 deaths related to Covid in 2 years. High time Thai government should implement some measures to lower the death toll. Especially for motorcycle drivers. I can think of some: wearing a face helmet, having a Thailand driver pass, having an insurance. Strict control of speed limits, with an immediate 14 day isolation for those that break those limits. And a ban on alcohol.

Very soon most officials working to prevent the spreading of Covid will have nothing to do so manpower should not be a problem.

[Soidog]

40 minutes ago, Janneman said:

Wow 17.831 deaths in one year. Compare that to 24.648 deaths related to Covid in 2 years. High time Thai government should implement some measures to lower the death toll. Especially for motorcycle drivers. I can think of some: wearing a face helmet, having a Thailand driver pass, having an insurance. Strict control of speed limits, with an immediate 14 day isolation for those that break those limits. And a ban on alcohol.

Very soon most officials working to prevent the spreading of Covid will have nothing to do so manpower should not be a problem.

As you will see from the attached, 17800 is nothing compared to the late 90’s. Since then, things were steadily improving until around 2014. Now what major event happened in Thai politics around that time that may have contributed to this stagnation?

[WilliamG]

1 hour ago, Janneman said:

Wow 17.831 deaths in one year. Compare that to 24.648 deaths related to Covid in 2 years. High time Thai government should implement some measures to lower the death toll. Especially for motorcycle drivers. I can think of some: wearing a face helmet, having a Thailand driver pass, having an insurance. Strict control of speed limits, with an immediate 14 day isolation for those that break those limits. And a ban on alcohol.

Very soon most officials working to prevent the spreading of Covid will have nothing to do so manpower should not be a problem.

Having insurance will not reduce the stupidity of most drivers. Maybe actually increase it as they know that it SHOULD pay up.

[riclag]

2 hours ago, Soidog said:

Can anyone offer up any suggestions (sensible only please!) as to why the Thai government don’t fix this problem? Not just this current crop, but successive governments. I’m sure the economics easily stack up in favour of solving the problem, so why aren’t they doing it? 

I asked the young lady of the house!

 One side is don’t tell me what to do and the other side is up to me ! 
 

Provincial  govt could take in a lot of revenue if they would enforce!

A while back they tried to restrict people from traveling in the back of pickup trucks but that didn’t last long up here in Issan , Cost of installing seat belts far outweighed the cost of lives 555!

I hate driving in Thailand! One of my profession’s in the states was as a trailer truck driver ! Im always super critical!

[Soidog]

4 minutes ago, riclag said:

A while back they tried to restrict people from traveling in the back of pickup trucks but that didn’t last long up here in Issan , Cost of installing seat belts far outweighed the cost of lives 555!

Yea I remember this. There was a bit of uproar and so the government and police backed away from it. This once again brings in to focus the saying that people get the government they deserve.

i think the Thais also believe these bad things will never happen to them. Until it does! 

[AlexPTY]

not trues, i drove from Saraburi to BKK 2 days ago, at least 4 people were covered with blankets on a highway 1

[PETERBKK]

We all know that these statistics are manipulated & not true. If there is an accident involving 3 people, one dies at the crash site, one dies in the ambulance & one days later at the hospital, only the crash site victim goes into the official road death statistics. It's the same with daily COVID figures. The last 5 days the official COVID figures from PCR tests have averaged around 26,000 as reported by the CCSA but, they also reported almost the same daily numbers of home ATK positive tests which are not included in the official statistics, which would have doubled the figures. The CCSA have not published the additional ATK positive results today, as they did on Wednesday through Saturday.

[Bluesofa]

I feel two of the major contributory factors to so many accident here are no spatial awareness and a lack of critical thinking.
Now while some might say I'm having a go at Thais - yes I am. Now while this doesn't apply to all Thais by any means,but so many have suffered a Thai education in which they are actively discouraged from thinking for themselves or taking an interest in their surroundings, leaving them unprepared and uninterested in life after school.

I have made a small effort to try and encourage to try and encourage people to think about driving.

I translated the UK Highway Code stopping distances and also a Russian chart showing night-time visibility depending on type of clothing worn. (The last one is 'reflective clothing' in Thai, not too obvious to by the illustration, I know. All distances in metres)
Please feel free to download them and show any Thai drivers in your family.

StoppingDistancesHighwayCode-Thai.pdf

VisibilityDistancesClothes-Thai.pdf

edit: Added Stopping Distances in English for clarity:

 

[Bluesofa]

58 minutes ago, Soidog said:

1 hour ago, riclag said:

A while back they tried to restrict people from traveling in the back of pickup trucks but that didn’t last long up here in Issan , Cost of installing seat belts far outweighed the cost of lives 555!

Yea I remember this. There was a bit of uproar and so the government and police backed away from it. This once again brings in to focus the saying that people get the government they deserve.

i think the Thais also believe these bad things will never happen to them. Until it does! 

It was actually our illustrious leader who 'told' the public they would not now be allowed to sit in the rear of a pick-up.
He was forced into a humiliating about-face within two days, due to the enormous public backlash.

[Totoro]

@PETERBKK 

I totally agree. The numbers are all manipulated the way you described. Look at the Thais wearing a face mask on motorcycles even in cars. Helmets: hardly anyone. Ask a Thai

" do you have driving licence?"

"Nooo."

"Why not?"

"It is too difficult."

When they go to renew their "driving license" they have to take the theory test. Of course they fail. Then they are told that they can do it online again and send it in. They fail again. What does the Traffic Departement do? Oh,mai pen rai we send you the answers and then try again. 

Thais canNOT drive.May be they can control a car (if sober). 5 or 6 on a motorcycle you may think the would drive more carefully. Nope. 10 kids in back of a pick-up. Nope. Kids on their lap.Nope. It is crazy.Absolutely no awareness for danger.

But being save from Covid-19 on a motorcycle by wearing face masks. Halleluja!