UK Channel 4 Report on Thailand's Roads

[CheshireTom 1,377]

A report prompted by the deaths of 3 Brit backpackers earlier this year.

 

[python 27]

I read this before and was surprised initialy by lack the of experience of roads and or driving in Thailand, but then I remembered that the families that started their campaign in the UK have probably never been in in LoS and have no idea as to how cheap road death is i LoS.

 

So, thinking how Thai's drive as they do, is this such a surprise?

 

For example, recently, I learned a lot from my Thai minibus driver, Hua Hin to Pattaya, 6hrs each way. Early November in Bangkok, the rain showers got extremely heavy. Rain bouncing knee high and slip roads flooding. Low visibility.

 

Forget about reducing your speed, leaving more distance between you and the vehicle in front,

 

All you got to do is turn your hazard lights on and your vehicle can go at 130kmp, 4m behind the vehicle in front!!!!

 

Why I never think of that!

 

Thailand is the 2nd worst country in the world for road deaths. Second to South American country that I can not which! Honduras I think?

 

So, be warned, take care.

 

I wish the mothers from UK greatest success with their Camapaign !!

 

 

Regards,

[joekicker 53]

Thailand is the 2nd worst country in the world for road deaths. Second to South American country that I can not which! Honduras I think?

 

Not even close, by whatever measurement - car ownership, miles driven, per 100,000 or whatever. You can Google it yourself, but I bet you can't come up with such a chart as you say. Africa is way worse, for starters. South Africa is worse. Vietnam is worse. And so on.

 

Most deaths in Thailand have three things in common - two wheels, alcohol and night. Yes, there are HORRENDOUS deaths on the highways, and there are really bad drivers in Thailand. But it's not even close to the top, not even a contender. Last year there were about 33,000 Americans killed in traffic deaths, let's say 13,000 in Thailand with roughly 25 per cent of the population. Given all the drunks on rice-burners in that total, it's not bad, comparatively.

 

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[CheshireTom 1,377]

Not even close, by whatever measurement - car ownership, miles driven, per 100,000 or whatever. You can Google it yourself, but I bet you can't come up with such a chart as you say. Africa is way worse, for starters. South Africa is worse. Vietnam is worse. And so on.

 

Most deaths in Thailand have three things in common - two wheels, alcohol and night. Yes, there are HORRENDOUS deaths on the highways, and there are really bad drivers in Thailand. But it's not even close to the top, not even a contender. Last year there were about 33,000 Americans killed in traffic deaths, let's say 13,000 in Thailand with roughly 25 per cent of the population. Given all the drunks on rice-burners in that total, it's not bad, comparatively.

 

 

The actual quote is somewhat different from that reported here ....

 

 

For the sake of accuracy, what was written, was;

 

"On the other hand, the US State Department has ranked Thailand as the world's second most dangerous country (after Honduras) in terms of the number of road fatalities suffered by American tourists".

 

That's quite different from being the claimed "2nd worst country in the world for road deaths".

 

Source ...

[joekicker 53]

"On the other hand, the US State Department has ranked Thailand as the world's second most dangerous country (after Honduras) in terms of the number of road fatalities suffered by American tourists".

 

But that's also hugely misleading. Thailand is second because it gets a lot of US tourists. It's just a number, in relation to nothing at all. If there were something like "per 100,000 miles driven by US tourists" for example, then you'd have something worth going "hmmmm" over.

 

Thailand has the second greatest number of deaths. What is the ranking of the greatest number of NON-deaths? Compared with other countries, how many Americans do NOT get killed in any way in Thailand? Pretty big number, for sure. Nothing like Canada or Mexico, though.

 

Statistics. You gotta love 'em.

 

 

EDIT: Sorry, my error. The chart does have "per 100,000". But only seven countries, wassup with that? And what is a US tourist, no residents?

 

Anyhow. It's a stat, and as I say, it says nothing about Thai roads in the world pecking order. You know what is amazing? How many different, often contradictory stats there are about world highways. Seems every rating company and their idiot brothers-in-law have their own set of statistics. What a surprise! No one, however, seems to put Thailand anywhere but very roughly in the middle.

 

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Edited December 31, 2011 by joekicker

[jacko 8,695]

Joe, I think your arguing over the numbers/stats detracts from the fact that Thailand does have an abysmal road deaths record.... probably going up as I type.

 

The 3 who died did so because the bus driver drove dangerously......

[Paul BRS 64]

I was driving back from the south approaching Bangkok some months ago, it was night time and was travelling at approx 100 - 120 Kph. The road was the highway, well a three lane carriageway most of the traffic on the roads were HGV's when suddenly around a bend in the road a coach was attempting a U-turn blocking the entire 3 lanes on my side of the carriageway! what was worse his lights? most of them didn't work! so couldn't see him until the last minute. I managed to avoid him but that scared the shit out of me...

 

Paul

[joekicker 53]

Joe, I think your arguing over the numbers/stats detracts from the fact that Thailand does have an abysmal road deaths record.... probably going up as I type.

 

Well.... yes. Who doesn't? That was my base point, is that you can run the numbers and come up with "abysmal" for anywhere. For people *in* Thailand, Thailand has an abysmal record. On the other hand, for people *in* Thailand who are not half or fully pixxed on a motorcycle at night, it's not nearly *as* abysmal.

 

Listen, don't get me wrong, if I'm behind the wheel for 30 minutes or more, count on an expletive about the jerk that I just saw, even if I'm in a good mood. But I can think of one or two other places where I can easily match that record.

 

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[VPI78 11,363]

I was driving back from the south approaching Bangkok some months ago, it was night time and was travelling at approx 100 - 120 Kph. The road was the highway, well a three lane carriageway most of the traffic on the roads were HGV's when suddenly around a bend in the road a coach was attempting a U-turn blocking the entire 3 lanes on my side of the carriageway! what was worse his lights? most of them didn't work! so couldn't see him until the last minute. I managed to avoid him but that scared the shit out of me...

 

Paul

 

That is one reason I do not drive in Thailand at night. Most of the intersections/U-turns even on the carriageways are at grade. The U-turn lane is often too short and the buses and large lorrys have little choice other than to take up more than one lane.At least during daylight you have a better chance of seeing them.