Coss Posted January 7, 2016 Report Share Posted January 7, 2016 The Thai government is trying to secure some of the world’s deadliest roads, but faces an uphill battle. --- Thailand has a road fatality rate of 36.2 deaths per 100,000 people, according to World Health Organisation [Christophe ARCHAMBAULT/AFP] At no point did I lose consciousness. Instead, I remember the confusion with clarity. One minute, everything is normal - the next, the world is turning upside down at such a pace that my brain can’t keep up and everything starts to swirl around. The collision came out of nowhere. One of Bangkok’s commuter minivans - notorious death traps - ran a red light and smashed into the taxi I was in. Our car skidded onto a curb then flipped over. Looking at the crushed remains a few minutes after I crawled out of a shattered window, I could barely believe I’d survived. I was truly lucky - in the streets of Thailand, the second deadliest in the world, many don’t. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) survey, Thailand has a road fatality rate of 36.2 deaths per 100,000 people - coming second to only Libya. The accidents come to a climax during the week around New Year’s Eve - appropriately dubbed The Seven Deadly Days by local media. Those seven days, which have just ended, have seen over 340 people killed this year, with over 2,000 accidents and 2,000 injuries. The reason for this annual apex? The heavy abuse of alcohol and drugs that take place during this week, and the relaxed attitude towards it - a live and let live stance that often amounts to live and let die. But there is cause for optimism. This year the Thai government made a concerted campaign to change this, with heavy penalties announced for drink driving. Most importantly, they are actually enforcing these penalties. Over 3,000 vehicles have been confiscated from drink drivers. If the government keeps this up, then over time the warnings should start to be heeded by the general population. Despite these commendable measures, the current rules are still too narrow. I escaped my accident with a broken clavicle - my friend who was with me had been slammed onto my shoulder by the force of the collision. He was knocked unconscious, eventually recovering. He didn’t have a seat-belt on, neither did I. Many vehicles in Thailand, especially taxis, remove or hide the seat belts in the back seat - they’re seen as inconvenient. They can get away with this because the law requires seatbelts be worn only by drivers and front passengers. Bloodied and bruised, waiting outside the taxi for the paramedics to come, my friend and I started to wonder where the driver was. Because it looked like the minivan hit the taxi on the driver’s side, we worried he might have been badly hurt. Just then, he popped out of his car, not a scratch on him. He’d been trying to get his seatbelt off. http://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/asia/2016/01/thailand-tackles-deadly-days-160105084458250.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted January 8, 2016 Report Share Posted January 8, 2016 I would have thought Songkran had a worse record.....and I was correct. 364 deaths and 3,559 injuries from 3,373 accidents – higher than last year’s figures, the Road Safety Centre said yesterday. http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/songkran-2015-road-toll-exceeds-last-years-figures/51031/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 8, 2016 Report Share Posted January 8, 2016 " Taxis, remove or hide the seat belts in the back seat - they’re seen as inconvenient." The above statement is untrue ... Most taxi drivers in Bangkok wear a seat belt, should you be a front passenger the driver will ask you to put a seat belt on. Never heard of a driver ask you to put on a seat belt as a rear passenger, although they are there and available and is presumed your responsibility to use or not. I think many including myself, are guilty in not taking enough self responsbility in using seat belts whilst using taxis in a hop in, hop out, journeys fully understanding accidents happen on short journeys too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Penis is hungry Posted January 9, 2016 Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 Many taxis i catch its true. Shock horror. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted January 9, 2016 Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 " Taxis, remove or hide the seat belts in the back seat - they’re seen as inconvenient." The above statement is untrue ... Most taxi drivers in Bangkok wear a seat belt, should you be a front passenger the driver will ask you to put a seat belt on. Never heard of a driver ask you to put on a seat belt as a rear passenger, although they are there and available and is presumed your responsibility to use or not. I think many including myself, are guilty in not taking enough self responsbility in using seat belts whilst using taxis in a hop in, hop out, journeys fully understanding accidents happen on short journeys too. Disagree. You have to dig around and maybe find a seat belt in the back seat. It is extremely seldom that I see the seat belt in the back seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted January 9, 2016 Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 I think the newer ones have rear seat belts but some of the older ones don't. Forget digging in between the back seat if it hasn't go a sash strap to begin with you are wasting your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baa99 Posted January 9, 2016 Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 With all these blessings, who needs seatbelts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted January 9, 2016 Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 I only ride in ones with scriptures on the roof lining. Unfortunately Taxis aren't the only problem. It's virtually anyone behind the wheel of a vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 9, 2016 Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 " It is extremely seldom that I see the seat belt in the back seat." Yes, not many songthaew have them .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Penis is hungry Posted January 9, 2016 Report Share Posted January 9, 2016 I use samlor, no belts, but for 20 baht ride, its not fast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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