Promises Made

[bowie]

Nothing we don't know, but, some good info in reviewing the numbers provided.



Thailand’s roads are deadly. Especially if you’re poor

The rules of a highly unequal society extend even to the highways, where have-nots are far more likely to be killed than haves

PUBLISHED : 20 AUG 2019 AT 15:41
WRITER: HANNAH BEECH, NEW YORK TIMES



A paramedic looks over a truck that rolled over in Bangkok on June 8 this year. (Adam Dean/The New York Times)


The woman was riding on a motorcycle on her way to work when a pickup truck sideswiped her on a rural stretch of asphalt in northeastern Thailand. The truck’s driver was an off-duty police officer. He was drunk.

Orathai Chanhom, the motorcyclist, was catapulted off her bike and killed almost instantly in the crash.
The officer who struck her still has his police job. His driver’s license was not taken away. A court declined to sentence him to prison.

In Thailand, one of the world’s most unequal societies, even its roads have a rigid hierarchy, with the poor far more likely to be killed in accidents than the well-off and well-connected.

And there are many deaths: Thailand had the world’s second-highest rate of road fatalities per capita, surpassed only by war-afflicted, lawless Libya, according to a 2015 report from the World Health Organization. When it comes to per-capita motorcycle deaths, the country is No.1.

"I never thought about road deaths until this happened to my mother," said Chularat Chanhom, Orathai’s adult daughter. "I had no idea it was such a big problem in Thailand."

The government vowed at a United Nations forum in 2015 to halve the number of road traffic deaths by 2020. With less than one year to go before the deadline, however, Thailand is a long way from fulfilling that promise, its roads still ranking among the world’s 10 most dangerous, with more than 20,000 preventable fatalities a year.

The country has seen a small dip in road deaths since 2015, and Thailand has in place many of the necessary laws to make its roads safer.

But what the government has not addressed is the country’s vast gap in wealth, which is the core issue that not only makes its roads so deadly, but has also split the country into two bitterly divided political camps: Thailand’s haves and have-nots. (continued below)



Police at the scene of a crash involving a drink driver in Chiang Mai on April 13 this year. (Adam Dean/The New York Times)

Inequality in life, and death
Thailand, named the most unequal country of the 40 major economies surveyed last year by Credit Suisse, has what might be the world’s most toxic combination for traffic safety.

Unlike poorer countries, its roads are well-paved and made for speed, and the cars driven by the rich and its growing middle-class tend to be new and fast.

But many families can only afford a single scooter or motorcycle, and high-quality helmets are a luxury for many, whatever the law says about them being mandatory to wear.

In accidents on the country’s crowded roads, it’s a devastating mismatch when an air-conditioned SUV collides with a two-wheeler, scattering the detritus of death across the asphalt. And the aftermath of such accidents are a common, macabre sight on thoroughfares: a shredded tyre, a mangled frame of steel, a bloody plastic flip-flop.

Motorcycle accidents can involve multiple fatalities. Because public transportation is limited outside the big cities, it’s not uncommon to see a couple of adults — and even a child or two crammed between them — balanced on a single bike.

Only 12% of Thailand’s road traffic deaths involved occupants of cars or other light vehicles, according to the 2018 WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety. Most of the dead were motorcyclists — or pedestrians.

In many towns, there are few wide, easily usable sidewalks because, critics say, they are not a priority for the rich and influential, who prefer not to walk in Thailand’s oppressive heat. When there are wide footpaths, they often overflow with street stalls and even motorcycle traffic, pushing people into the roads.

The country’s economic disparity is not the only reason road deaths are not distributed equally. Justice, too, is handed out unevenly.

For the superrich, or those in positions of authority, the rules of the road may not apply at all. They know they can speed with impunity and drink heavily before getting behind the wheel, with little fear of the consequences.
In 2012, a young man in a Ferrari — the heir to the Red Bull energy drink fortune — ploughed into a policeman, dragging him to his death. The driver, Vorayuth Yoovidhaya, was intoxicated, according to a test. Seven years later, he has never been prosecuted.

"What is clear in Thailand is that the roads are not safe for all users," said Evelyn Murphy, who specialises in unintentional injury prevention at the WHO. "Whether it’s cars or motorcycles or pedestrians, the safety of all users of roads must be considered, regardless of income level."


Police give breathalyser tests and book motorbike drivers at a checkpoint during Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year, in Chiang Mai, on April 14 this year. (Adam Dean/The New York Times)

Weak enforcement, compounded by corruption
Speeding, drunken driving and failing to wear proper helmets are the primary causes of traffic deaths in the country, officials said.

While the laws are there to combat each of those factors, enforcement is not.

Wearing helmets is required on two-wheelers, but fines are rarely dispensed, unless the police need to meet a specific quota during a crackdown period.

Unaccustomed to checkpoints or sirens, speeders or other rule-breakers may not even pull over when caught.
"It’s hard to convince people to stop for us when they are not used to stopping," said Maj Gen Jirasunt Kaewsaengeak, the deputy commissioner of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police.

Then, there is corruption. The rich or well-connected know a bribe can often see them on their way if they are nabbed breaking traffic laws.

Bangkok’s 3,000 traffic police make an average of 18,000 baht ($600) a month for working in broiling heat, monsoonal downpours and suffocating smog, which can make even small payoffs highly appealing, and effective.

Twice a year, during Songkran in April and the New Year in January, campaigns warn against drunken driving, complete with billboards of gory crashes. Arrests skyrocket during these periods, but then quickly fall off again.

"If you eat vegetables twice a year and only eat ice cream for the rest of the year, your doctor will think you are crazy," said Tairjing Siriphanich, the secretary-general of the Don’t Drive Drunk Foundation of Thailand. "But that’s what we are doing with road safety."

A ‘sabai sabai’ mindset
When asked why so many people die on Thai roads, officials here ascribe it to a sabai sabai culture.

Sabai sabai is one of those untranslatable phrases, but it denotes a kind of relaxed contentment. Sabai sabai is one reason Thailand is a great place for a beach holiday. But it’s not a helpful attitude when building national safety standards.

"If police enforce the law, rather than just give a verbal warning, then Thai people are unhappy, and they complain that it’s not sabai sabai," Maj Gen Jirasunt said.

A prime example of the effect of the sabai sabai way of life on traffic safety is the approach to helmets. Many motorcyclists simply don’t bother.

"People think air pollution is a threat, but they don’t think the same way about drunken driving or wearing helmets," said Dr Tairjing of the Don’t Drive Drunk Foundation. "We have failed to make people understand that they can save their own lives."

But the authorities can make a difference: In the districts where police are known to hand out fines, helmets are more common.

The government could also do more to educate people about helmets, which are often substandard or worn incorrectly.

"When you see someone who makes the effort to put on a helmet without actually strapping it on, it defeats the whole purpose of wearing it," said Ms Murphy of the WHO. "It shows a lack of understanding of basic safety mechanisms."


A paramedic waits for an emergency call in Bangkok on April 19 this year. (Adam Dean/The New York Times)

Shifting the Blame
In 2016, 32.7 out of every 100,000 Thais died on the country’s roads, according to the most recent WHO estimates. By comparison, the road fatality rate in the United States was 12.4 that year. In Indonesia, a less developed Southeast Asian country with more potholed roads, the rate was 12.2. Across most of Europe, it was a single-digit number.

Since the government made its promise to halve road deaths, a vow other countries have also made, Thailand has barely inched upward, moving from the country with the next-to-worst per-capita death tally to the ninth-worst.

"No political party has made this an issue. No leader wants to do anything," Dr Tairjing said. "They just make promises to halve the number of road deaths even though they know it’s impossible. Maybe they think we’ll forget about the promises they made."

The question of who is at fault for Thailand’s lack of progress draws a lot of finger pointing by Thai officials.
Chayatan Phromsorn, the deputy director-general of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, the agency that pledged to the United Nations to halve the number of road deaths, said he was not familiar with the document that detailed Thailand’s promise. (That English-language document was never made available online in Thai script.)

The official who presented the paper to the United Nations in 2015 said she had done so only because her colleague was unable to attend the conference. In turn, that colleague, Usanisa Jikyong, said in an email that her office "is not responsible for a road safety initiative in the national level."

Ms Usanisa suggested that another government agency, the department of disaster prevention and mitigation at the Ministry of Interior, was in charge of such matters. But Chayabol Thitisak, the department’s director-general, shifted responsibility back to Ms Usanisa’s office.

Officials at both agencies said that the blame lay primarily with the police.
"The big factor is law enforcement," Mr Chayabol said. "We have to make people realise that by violating the law they will face severe consequences."

But the police refused to accept fault.

"As police, there are many things we cannot do," Maj Gen Jirasunt said. "We cannot build more roads and public transportation. We cannot change the number of cars on the road. We cannot change the attitudes of people so they have discipline."

The high human cost
The World Bank estimated in a 2018 study that Thailand could lift its per-capita gross domestic product by 22% by the year 2038 if it successfully halved its traffic fatalities.

Despite that economic upside, the government — led by a retired military general since a 2014 coup — has done little to address the wealth gap that’s at the core of Thailand’s problem with road deaths.

The country has made a few road-safety improvements. Schools have added road safety lessons to their curriculums, and there has been some progress in setting new vehicle safety standards.

The numbers do show a slight improvement: Road deaths were 7% lower in 2018, with 22,491 deaths compared with 24,237 in 2015.

While the enormous macroeconomic cost of all these road deaths can be measured, what can’t be given a dollar figure is the personal toll inflicted on individuals by the inequality and impunity that menaces Thailand’s roads.
The family of Orathai, the killed motorcyclist, has no lawyer to pursue a civil claim. It did not appeal the decision not to jail the officer. There is no further legal action to take.

"In Thailand, the law does not matter," said Ms Chularat, her daughter. "People like us, how can we change anything? Even if we die for no reason, our lives are worthless."

The Takeaway: For the poor, Thailand’s roads are unsafe at any speed.

---

The article is part of The New York Times "Promises Made" series.

[Saint Willy]

Lack of public transport does not force poor people to stack motorcycles without helmets. That's a choice made. And lack of education.

[baldrick]

We cannot change the attitudes of people so they have discipline."

thai culture has to change - its evolution into a toxic patronage society has to be addressed from Kindergarten

[bowie]

And lack of education.

addressed from Kindergarten

That is the answer - "education", of course, implemented laws that are enforced equally and without prejudice would aid in the effort.

[bowie]

And, as is typical, the article is chock full of finger pointing and excuses for the lack of progress in meeting the stated goal or promise.


"slight improvement: Road deaths were 7% lower in 2018, with 22,491 deaths compared with 24,237 in 2015."

I the three years since the "promise" was made we have seen a 7% improvement, which, all thing considered, is an improvement - much better than an increase in deaths. The question is; "Is the improvement due to safer vehicles, greater enforcement of existing laws, or just plain luck?

Gotta say the road conditions are improving, but, the number of vehicles is increasing. Does additional vehicular congestion cause an inverse reaction in the speed of travel? Could this be the major cause of the decrease in deaths?

Perhaps a better quality of motorcycle helmets?

[marcusb]

That is the answer - "education", of course, implemented laws that are enforced equally and without prejudice would aid in the effort.

I agree 100%, but .... At my school none of the teachers who who ride motorcycles wear helmets. When they leave the school they ride over the curb, across the "island" and onto the other side of the 4 lane highway instead of going a couple hundred meters to the uturn. I've even seen them doing it with a student on their bike. They learn by example, unfortunately not a lot of good examples.
I have a 3 minute commute to work, I am always wearing my full face helmet. I'm sure when they see me they don't think safety, they think crazy farang.
Hopefully it gets better

[headhunter]

they should be made to watch channel 3 NEWS 6am.-7am. every morning,AL DAY AND EVERY DAY till they get it into their thick sculls.
whoever makes those WHITE SHEETS must have a big interest in the turnover.

[bowie]

I am always wearing my full face helmet. I'm sure when they see me they don't think safety, they think crazy farang.

As you should. Although I doubt they think "crazy farang". Lead by example - you are their teacher, you are "observed" and in a good light. They may in fact call you crazy falang to their friends and peers, but, the impression of your actions is noticed and does sink in. Keep it up. The actual benefit may not be acknowledged - although, it is there. Do not change your method - they do reap the benefit.

[bowie]

they should be made to watch channel 3 NEWS 6am.-7am.

Yup, amazing blood on the highway videos of the results of carelessness and blatant disregard of laws and safety practices. Almost boggles the mind.

Human natures "it only happens to others" coupled with the philosophy of karma "you get what you deserve".

Yesterday, insurance verification roadblock, main highway, 4 lanes throttling down to two. By looking down the road you can see exactly what's happening. In the five or so minutes it took me to reach the BIBs at least five vehicles made illegal (and downright dangerous) u-turns so they could take the long way 'round and avoid the BIBs.

And, yes, the BIBs could see them.

[Pragmatic]

Perhaps a better quality of motorcycle helmets?

Quality comes at a price. Thais aren't prepared to pay that.

I have to add that cycling is becoming big around where I live and nearly all wear helmets even there is no proof that cycle helmets save lives. And wearing a cycle helmet is not legally required.

[Saint Willy]

And something that annoys me even more is the farang that go Thai style when it comes to safety....drink driving, motorcycle helmets, poor driving, speed g et al.

[cyrille]

^^ Yes, two very different socio-economic groups, there. Cyclists and motorcyclists without helmets.

[bowie]

farang that go Thai style

Going native - when in Rome... yet, doesn't really matter just where in world you are macadam and concrete are damn hard...

and, of course, trauma centers are in short supply over here.

Cyclists and motorcyclists

yup, both play in the traffic. Neither stands a chance against a four wheeler - yet, they continue to test the laws of physics (which do not change).

[Klondyke]

Gotta say the road conditions are improving, but, the number of vehicles is increasing. Does additional vehicular congestion cause an inverse reaction in the speed of travel? Could this be the major cause of the decrease in deaths?

Indeed. It cannot be generally compared with other countries not having such heavy traffic and such a crowd of motorcycles.

However, that the "road conditions are improving" is rather understatement, those conditions are quite good even in a remote rural areas in the last village. That cannot be always stated for other countries (non-Asian) with more safe traffic...

And that also falangs are not always well disciplined with the driving behaviour and the helmets wearing? It can be e.g. looked on a high number of traffic accidents on Koh Samui...

[bowie]

falangs are not always well disciplined with the driving behaviour and the helmets wearing

Interesting note on that. I spent twenty years in Pennsylvania, a rider decide state. (see below)

Pennsylvania motorcycle helmet laws require anyone under the age of 21 wear protective headgear while riding on a motorcycle. Additionally, those over the age of 21 must also wear a helmet if they do not have more than two years of riding experience or if they have not completed a state-approved motorcycle safety course.
Passengers don’t have to wear a helmet if they are 21 and over and the driver is exempt from having to wear one.
Eye protection is required. And, if by chance you are involved in an accident – if you are not wearing a helmet, it may be considered willful negligence and an insurance company may use that as a reason to deny a claim.


Now, I attended the MC course two nights a week for a month with two Saturdays driving, plus the associated tests, written and driving. Most attendees pass. Not really difficult for experienced riders.

But, the point I want to make – all during the course, and plastered everywhere, is the fact that Motorcycle Helmets “Save Lives”, a undeniable fact, and yet, all you see is a ridiculous number of bareheaded riders.

And, even more ridiculous, I lived near the Pennsylvania/New Jersey border. New Jersey is helmets required, so, I would see many helmetless riders with helmets hanging from their bikes as they would don them before crossing the bridge into Jersey.

Now, not young kids, but mature, some downright old and aged, supposedly intelligent, knowledgeable and, well, “smart?” individuals. The same ones who say "I'm a safe rider, it's always the cages that cause bike accidents". Yet, they're out there, on the heavily trafficked superhighways zipping along at 70+ mph, in the middle of all them accident causing cages, bareheaded with their impact resistant goggles on.

Go Figure.

[HuangLao]

Oriental barbaric savages.

[jabir]

Takes us back to the junta monkey that scored points by promising Thailand would shed its 3W status by 2025.

More like 2520 if they don't address the Thai mindset, which would be against stiff resistance from the top end. Start by ignoring the road carnage, corruption and other cultural effects like daft promises that were never meant to be taken seriously, and focus on the core problem. This means higher education standards leading to higher overall expectations.

Eventually that thing most precious to Thais, culture, will come to terms with progress so that the whole country benefits, not just its controllers. No magic wand, it could only be a long term option, and probably futile since holders of absolute privilege are naturally reluctant to compromise their authority.

[bowie]

the core problem. This means higher education standards

reluctant to compromise their authority.

Reluctant - I'd say they actively suppress their subordinates - see the "reasoning(s)" presented for not raising the minimum wage, and yet, "fixing" their abysmal road safety record has a most favorable economic benefit - and 'tis the "rich" who would benefit the most (takes money to make money).

The World Bank estimated in a 2018 study that Thailand could lift its per-capita gross domestic product by 22% by the year 2038 if it successfully halved its traffic fatalities.

So Be It. The powers-that-be have far more "pressing" items on their plate at this point in time.

[crazynoonga]

That is the answer - "education", of course, implemented laws that are enforced equally and without prejudice would aid in the effort.

education+thailand dont fit together at all

[AntRobertson]

education+thailand dont fit together at all

Did anyone ever teach you about capitalization, syntax and punctuation?