Too many people dying too many accidents

[Jockey]

Enough is enough! Hua Hin bikers have the mentality this is still a small fishing village which you can safely shoot about any old way on your motor bikes without coming to harm. It needs to stop! Too many people are dying. Too many people are having accidents. Hua Hin (population 45,000) has more road accident deaths per year than the whole of Ireland (population 4,500,000). Thousands more are severely injured. The roads are littered with police white chalk marks where the most recent accidents have occured.

Here are 10 things that the police should enforce:

1. Everyone forced wear helmets. On the spot fines or bike confiscated.

2. Children should not be allowed to ride motor bikes. Bikes should be confiscated and children taken home by police.

3. Traffic lights should continue after 10 pm. What joker decided it would be a good idea to stop the lights at 10?

4. Bikes traveling down the wrong side of the road should be stopped and riders given an instant fine. If they haven't any money - bikes confiscated.

5. Drivers in cars driving down the wrong side of the road should be arrested and put in jail!

6. Trucks speeding down Phetkasem road should be stopped and given instant fines.

7. All motor bike taxis should be instructed to insist passengers wear helmets (or lose their license)

8. Motor bikes drivers should have licenses having passed road tests.

9. Vehicles with inappropriate loads should be stopped and the driver fined.

10. Why are vehicles allowed to be driven in the dark!!!!

A major campaign should be organised to raise awareness of road safety.

I may not be a Thai citizen, but I do pay taxes, including road tax so deserve to have a say! Concern for peoples lifes, particularly childrens, is everyones concern!

How about a HHAD ROAD SAFETY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN?

[SuperTonic]

It would have my full support. I was amazed when I first saw someone going the wrong way, bit of a shock to the system! And yes stopping the lights at 10pm is a bit odd. It makes driving somewhat akin to Russian Roulette.

[JW]

Jockey,

You are right on,

Lets put something in writing to the tessaban, its likely to have no effect but at least we can say we tried.

[Jim]

Can we add using lights after dark to the list?

[splitlid]

from what i understand. driving down the wrong side of the road is legal in so situations.

so are points 10 and 7,however f*c&ing stupid they are.

they know the dangers but are too ignorant to abide by the laws of common sense cos it ,may take them 2 extra minutes to do a proper u-turn ,may mess their hair up,or stop them from being able to look at theirseves in their mirrors.

its inbreed, and will take lifetimes to change.

[buksida]

Some very good suggestions there Jockey, with two major flaws hindering its successful implementation:

1) It would involve the cops actually doing some work which is a highly unlikely scenario.

2) Thais just don't seem to value life as much as we do in the west, Buddha is looking after them all because they hang flowers off their mirrors and make merit once a year with shiny things in their gardens.

Although I fully support a HHAD driven campaign for road awareness for farangs. I think your population figure is a little off though, its closer to 65,000 - which only increases the statistics.

[Jockey]

What I don't understand is the police seem to ignore the incentive regarding the amount of money the police could generate through fines by implementing road safety rules.

What infuriates me is the amount of times I have been stopped to check all my car documents are in order. The police seem very vigilant when it comes to this practice. My cynical view is they get more money checking documents than trying to make the roads safer.

[buksida]

Absolutely. If they really wanted to make money and keep the roads safer all they would need to do is stand outside any school in HH when it kicks out and pull over every kid on a bike.

Especially with this new 500 baht fine for the passenger also, they could get a packet, three kids on a bike none wearing a lid, also underage driving if any such law exists here.

I think you're right though, they'd rather sit on their arses near a TV checking documents.

[STEVE G]

It’s a fine idea in theory Buksida, but the only flaw is that the average Thai kid goes to school with about 20 baht, and they will have spent that by the time school finishes.
I think the law worked this out a long time ago, hence their disinterest.

[Jockey]

The police are not too happy with the appointment of General Seripisuth Tem iyavej as acting national police chief.

Quote from yesterday's Bangkok Post:

It will be all the more interesting to see whether Pol Gen Seripisuth will get along well with his subordinates., who form the 20,000-strong police force, since his rigorous, uncompromising stance has created more foes than friends in the police force in the past.

On assuming office, the acting police chief told them in no uncertain terms that he would tighten the screws on these police officers he views as been operating in "lazy mode".

The axe will fall on these who remain in "neutral gear" and are unresponsive to government policies.

[Burger]

IMHO nothing will change the Thai mentality on the roads.

The poxy plastic crash hats you get free with a motorbike, wil help in minor accidents, but won't do much good in a major accident.

Protect your family, make sure your loved ones are inside cars and not on motorbikes or Tuk Tuk's.

Burger

[buksida]

It’s a fine idea in theory Buksida, but the only flaw is that the average Thai kid goes to school with about 20 baht, and they will have spent that by the time school finishes.

Yes but the parents are obviously not short if they can afford to buy their offspring shiny new motorbikes.

As Jockey said, confiscate the bike until mum rocks up in her SUV to pay the fine - they'll be wearing helmets in no time or better still shanks's pony!

[Randy Cornhole]

Yes, yes and thrice yes, well said Buksida.

[bozzman101]

can someone suggest where to buy some good helmets
and is there a thai equivlent of uk rateings for protection
as i will have to buy some when i arrive in hua hin
thnaks in anticipation

[Guess]

can someone suggest where to buy some good helmets
and is there a thai equivlent of uk rateings for protection
as i will have to buy some when i arrive in hua hin
thnaks in anticipation

Tesco have a good selection but I do not know of any standard ratings. Dr Dave should be more clued up on this.

I agree most of Jockey's suggestions and of course the revenue generation should be an incentive if the saving of lives is not.

As for the kids on motorbikes going to school I agree with Buksi. The way to get the money is to take the bike and return it on payment of the fine and nick them again the next day if necessary ans lets have a few more songthaews inn the interim.

Someone mentioned the attitude of the driver never changing. Well overnight it will not, but one generation has seen dramatic changes in Malaysia. When I first worked in KL in the mid eighties the driving standard and number of motorbikes was similar to that of Thailand now. I was back in Malaysia last week and the difference is monumental. The driving standard in general is more on a par with Northern Europe.

I anybody does wish to start a safety campaign for Hua Hin I would be fully behind.

If anybody has contact with Hua Hin Today or the Observer then maybe they would be the places to start.