Thread: Thailand looking at World Number One for traffic deaths

Ya really can not have a lot of sympathy when 23 million Thais believe that none of this carnage can be avoided because it was Pre ordained.

One third of the population believe this is how their life was meant to end.

Fuking idiots.

Anyone who has ever driven on a Thai highway won’t be surprised to learn that they are among the deadliest in the world, with an average of 36.2 deaths per 100,000 population, compared with just 2.8 deaths in Sweden, the safest major country. It is an unenviable record – or near-record – that the country has held for decades.


The world average, according to the World Health Organization, is 17. 4 deaths per 100,000 of population – less than half Thailand’s average.


It isn’t uncommon to be rolling down a dual carriageway and suddenly discover a Thai driver who apparently thinks a dual carriageway is two separate highways, side-by-side, and is coming at you. At stop lights in Bangkok, where traffic jams stretch for uncommon distances, when the light changes the cars in front put on a drag race to get to the next light a couple of hundred meters down the street. Mountain roads are littered with cars that seek to pass on blind corners. The odd tycoon’s son or daughter regularly crashe s a supercar – Ferrari, Maserati, Porsche – into unsuspecting pedestrians, motorcyclists or motorists and walks away unpunished.


Machismo appears to often play a role, with male drivers simply unable to bear the thought that they can be overtaken. But alcohol is believed to play a role in 26 percent of road deaths, according to WHO statistics. Long-distance truck drivers often prop their eyes open with ya ba, or methamphetamines. Bus crashes take an alarming toll.


Although there appears to be a correlation between low-income countries and road deaths, with pedestrians and motorcyclists taking the brunt, Thailand is far above the poorest countries, with a global ranking by the International Monetary Fund of 91 of 187 countries.

At that, according to the WHO, only 28 countries representing just 7 percent of the population – primarily the OECD – have adequate laws that address all five risk factors (speed, drunk driving, helmets, seat-belts and child restraints). More than a third of road traffic deaths in low- and middle-income countries are among pedestrians and cyclists. In low-income countries it is even worse, according to the WHO, which reports that just 1 percent of the world’s registered cars produce 16 percent of world’s road traffic deaths, an indication that “these countries bear a disproportionately high burden of road traffic deaths relative to their level of motorization.”


Libya, with its chaotic political situation still far out of control, is an outlier that ranks so far ahead of every other country that it is frightening. Some 73.4 people out of 100,000 die on Libyan roads every year according to the WHO. But Thailand ranks second, followed by a long list of African nation including Malawi (35.0), Liberia (33.9), Congo (33.2), Tanzania (32.9) and the Central African Republic (32.4).


When the latest statistics were published by the World Atlas in early December, an embarrassed government said it would act. Deputy Interior Minister Sutee Makboon told local media on Dec. 7 that the administration would revise budget laws “to ensure that local administrative bodies can make the utmost use of their financial resources in accident prevention.”


The Road Safety Policy Foundation and the Road Safety Thailand Centre organized a two-day seminar in collaboration with other agencies with an “Invest for Sustainable Road Safety” seminar that drew more than 1,500 participants.


It also drew a flock of cynics who took to social media to point out that the government has organized countless previous road safety campaigns which have if anything been correlated with continually rising road deaths.

Nonetheless, the latest “777” campaign refers to a major push in the seven days each between Dec. 21 and Dec. 27, Dec. 28 and Jan. 3, and Jan. 4 and 10.


All provincial land transport offices are ordered to put enough buses on the road to meet the needs of passengers and to beef up law enforcement.


“We will also improve law enforcement,” Sutee said. The penalty for drunk driving might be increased, he added, saying the speed limit in urban areas could be set at 50 km. per hour.


“Improved law enforcement” in Thailand has too often meant roadblocks where police shake down luckless motorists and motorcyclists for vehicular defects, no matter how trifling.


“OOOOOH!!!! Another crackdown!’ One critic tweeted. “How original.”

https://www.asiasentinel.com/society...ying-highways/

Not to mention it's potholes and protuding manhole covers!

It is foolish to compare the highways of Thailand (70 mil.population) and Sweden (10 mil.), both countries of almost same area.
Whilst the most Thai accidents are in the Big Bangkok with some 15 mil. on area of less than 1 % of Sweden area.

^^ That is a valid point, however it's not THE point.
THE point is face (the article calls it male machismo (not totally wrong)), lack of enforcement, and lack of education.
Mainly lack of enforcement.

Sure it has its annoying democracies but all these things are part of its charm. Just relax in a the shade of a palm tree and enjoy.

Charm?

Are you fukking mad.

Where is the charm in 20000 deaths a year, most of them the result of someone elses stupidity.

A couple of days ago a 23 year old english guy was killed walking down sukhumvit 22 in bangkok, when a building site worker leaned on an unsecured metal gate weighing 600kgms ans sent it toppling over onto the footpath, killing the young lad and another worker from the building site.

I walked past a couple of minutes later, his mangled body lying in the street being gawped at and photographed by dozens of dumbfukk monkeys and building site staff scurrying around like headless chickens. The construction company or the foreman in charge had left this unsecured gate with no warning signs, and sure enough, in this land of increasing stupidity, carelessness and ignorance, the inevitable happened, a poorly trained labourer leaned on it and an unsuspecting member of the public lost their life.

The thai are amongs the stupidest people in the world, they cant see more than an inch in front of their faces and refuse to take any responsibility for the consequences of their action or more likely inaction.

Charm is a by product of intelligence, the by product of stupidity is ugliness....and this shithole country is awash with it.

Mind a coconut doesnt fall off that tree you are sitting under and knock some sense into your head.

Originally Posted by VocalNeal

Thailand means "Free land" that is free in the sense of being able to do a U turn more of less anywhere, or leaving a dual carriage way by an entrance lane or reversing if you miss a junction or riding a motorcycle the wrong way to save a 2+ km round trip U turn, etc., etc. Not some idealist version of "free" spouted by some other over policed countries.

Yep. We are all free to die on the highway because selfish assholes can’t be bothered with obeying the law.

The world average, according to the World Health Organization, is 17. 4 deaths per 100,000 of population – less than half Thailand’s average.

Wowzers! Sobering.

Originally Posted by VocalNeal

Thailand means "Free land" that is free in the sense of being able to do a U turn more of less anywhere, or leaving a dual carriage way by an entrance lane or reversing if you miss a junction or riding a motorcycle the wrong way to save a 2+ km round trip U turn, etc., etc. Not some idealist version of "free" spouted by some other over policed countries

You really are an utter moron.

^

Jesus,

We are in the shit when the White boys start thinking the monkeys are on the money.

Plenty of white monkey expats living here, their little monkey wives soon train them into the way of the monkey.

Originally Posted by Klondyke

Whilst the most Thai accidents are in the Big Bangkok with some 15 mil. on area of less than 1 % of Sweden area.

Do you have a link or did you just make this up?

In reply to harry's: "What about the drunken Somchai coming up behind you at 120kph" I don't see those sort of antics any more up here. I expect them when eveyone comes up for the New Year and am very careful what times I drive during the New Year period. I have to do a 300km trip on Jan 3rd, which I'm very unhappy about but it's unavoidable.

My biggest gripe nowadays is the inabilty to turn at a junction and driving to the centre yellow line instead of the edge. That's a long cry from blind overtaking and having cars coming at you on the offside of the fast lane.

For the ones who are not so prompt with Wikipedia (and so clever) like me:

Thailand: 513,000 km2, 69 million people
Sweden: 450,295 km2, 10 million people

Bangkok: The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in Central Thailand, and has a population of over 8 million, or 12.6 percent of the country's population. Over 14 million people (22.2 percent) lived within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region at the 2010 census.

BTW: Did the clever study from asiasentinel.com get also the figures from other undeveloped countries, such as India, China, Pakistan, African countries? Idea how the figures are collected?

Originally Posted by Klondyke

For the ones who are not so prompt with Wikipedia (and so clever) like me:

Thailand: 513,000 km2, 69 million people
Sweden: 450,295 km2, 10 million people

Bangkok: The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in Central Thailand, and has a population of over 8 million, or 12.6 percent of the country's population. Over 14 million people (22.2 percent) lived within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region at the 2010 census.

BTW: Did the clever study from asiasentinel.com get also the figures from other undeveloped countries, such as India, China, Pakistan, African countries? Idea how the figures are collected?

It's all well and good quoting Wikipedia but you said:

Whilst the most Thai accidents are in the Big Bangkok

So: Do you have a link, or did you make it up?

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

So: Do you have a link, or did you make it up?

No, but my common sense tells me when 22.2 % lives in Bangkok and around (2010, now perhaps already 30%), I do not think they have less accidents than the ones living in the mountains - and not possessing so much cars like the rich Bangkokians...

BTW, considering that almost none of Thai drivers ever learned how to drive in an authorized auto school - not speaking about the nonsense (or none proper) traffic signalizing - it could be much worse...
Comparison what a hassle people in Europe has to go thru (and pay) to get a driving licence...

Good news it will eventually drop as they run out of victims .
Car repairs and prosthetic limbs will boom until then.
I forgot the high speed rail will be complete before the elections...

Happy Isthmus

Originally Posted by Klondyke

No, but my common sense tells me when 22.2 % lives in Bangkok and around (2010, now perhaps already 30%), I do not think they have less accidents than the ones living in the mountains - and not possessing so much cars like the rich Bangkokians...

Yes, but your thinking ability is on a par with a demented grasshopper.

Traffic in Bangkok is inherently safer, not least because it is better (note I said better) policed than the North East, and because it generally moves at a fucking snails pace.

Also, where the fuck did you get this "in the mountains" shit? Have you every looked at a relief map of Thailand? The majority of it is flatter than a rag doll's tits.

So if you are going to make shit up, start it with "In my somewhat deluded opinion....".

Originally Posted by Klondyke

BTW, considering that almost none of Thai drivers ever learned how to drive in an authorized auto school - not speaking about the nonsense (or none proper) traffic signalizing - it could be much worse...

Indeed.
If one has ever experienced the process and protocol to legally obtain a driver's licence - 99.5% theory [testing] and 00.5% practice.....[no real consistent driving implementation] it could be worse.

On the up side, I know tonnes of Thai drivers and, inevitably, nearly all are quite decent and connected drivers.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Yes, but your thinking ability is on a par with a demented grasshopper.

Many thanks for appreciation of my common sense thinking.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Traffic in Bangkok is inherently safer, not least because it is better (note I said better) policed than the North East, and because it generally moves at a fucking snails pace.

In the Bangkok area people (and me either) drive over 100 km/h. Of course you cannot see it around Nana soi or similar...
(BTW, I have never seen a policed traffic, except only when a VIP passing by...)

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Also, where the fuck did you get this "in the mountains" shit? Have you every looked at a relief map of Thailand? The majority of it is flatter than a rag doll's tits.

In my over 30 years of dwelling and driving over half million km all over the Thailand - many of those km in the mountainous provinces - still a lot I have yet to see. And I have not seen many people and cars in the mountains, neither many accidents there.
(Do we speak about the same country? I did not mean Saudi Arabia...)

Hence - as you correctly deducted - the majority lives in the flat area, mainly around Bkk, that's why many accidents - unlike in Sweden.
(BTW, there I too had driven often in the vast areas "flatter than a rag doll's tits". When stopped looking for a way, I had to wait some 10 min. till another car passed...)

^

Just a word on those mountains in North Thailand.

Stunning time of the year to be driving around them.

Fooking glorious with many world class roads they continue to build.

Originally Posted by Klondyke

BTW, considering that almost none of Thai drivers ever learned how to drive in an authorized auto school...

Sure they do, attending an authorized driving school here means being able to show the cinema ticket stubs of having watched at least 4 of the Fast and Furious movies.