Children driving motorbikes !!!

[hotnutts]

Where I currently live its a daily occurrence to see young children driving a motorbike , no helmet , no driving license  and some times two or more other children sitting on the back. My Thai neighbor a few months ago bought a brand new Honda Scoopy for his 13 year old daughter to ride to school on . The girl can just about control the bike but thats about it . Ive learned long ago that some times trying to challenge a Thai about many things is just a waste of time so although I speak to the girls father most days , ive not brought up the subject of how dangerous it is for his young daughter to be riding the new bike . Daily I see both in the Thai newspapers and TV graphic photos and descriptions of motorbike accidents , yet this seems to have no visual effect or deterrent for the children's parents , they still let their young children out onto the street's of death. My wife seems to think that the children take the bikes out onto the road without their parents knowing , but my answer is if the parents cared they would lock the bike up. Well in the few months the girl has been riding her new bike she's had two accidents , one where a large truck went speeding by and the draught blew the motorbike over and into a ditch , thankfully the girl only sustained a few minor bruises and skin burns . The second accident the girl was riding the motorbike with a friend as a passenger, the bike hit a pot hole and they both came off , again luckily no serious injuries , just a bent front wheel . 

My wife tells me that the girls parents only told the girl to be more careful in the future as they have to pay for the bike on a monthly basis 


 I will never understand how responsible parents can let this happen 














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[mahdam]

On a trip over to Surin yesterday afternoon, we past the scene of another very recent, tragic accident no emergency services yet!
A young man on a motorcycle had been in a collision with a car, and his body was lying in the road in a pool of blood.
He had obviously sustained a severe head injury. Of course NO F@CKING HELMET.
Why is it that the Thai's refuse to wear one???
Motorcyclist's are regularly targeted by the police, and fined 200 Bht they can ill afford, but still they continue to ignore the law.
I have no idea who may have been at fault yesterday, but I do know what happened will have a massive impact on the family's of  those involved.

Vietnam has far more motorcycles on the road than here in Thailand, but you will have your work cut out to find a rider without
his or her helmet. How can the mind-set of these two neighbours be so different???   
I seem to remember that the Vietnamese made the wearing of helmets Trendy and fashionable, by having manufactures produce them in designs that would appeal. Could this type of approach work here in Thailand?
OK I have had my say.   RIP to the young man yesterday. 

[hotnutts]

On a trip over to Surin yesterday afternoon, we past the scene of another very recent, tragic accident no emergency services yet!
A young man on a motorcycle had been in a collision with a car, and his body was lying in the road in a pool of blood.
He had obviously sustained a severe head injury. Of course NO F@CKING HELMET.
Why is it that the Thai's refuse to wear one???
Motorcyclist's are regularly targeted by the police, and fined 200 Bht they can ill afford, but still they continue to ignore the law.
I have no idea who may have been at fault yesterday, but I do know what happened will have a massive impact on the family's of  those involved.

Vietnam has far more motorcycles on the road than here in Thailand, but you will have your work cut out to find a rider without
his or her helmet. How can the mind-set of these two neighbours be so different???   
I seem to remember that the Vietnamese made the wearing of helmets Trendy and fashionable, by having manufactures produce them in designs that would appeal. Could this type of approach work here in Thailand?
OK I have had my say.   RIP to the young man yesterday.

You would think that the constant daily media reporting of these accidents and fatalities would at least have some sort of impact and put the thought into peoples minds that it could happen to them or their loved one's , but sadly no.  I think words it will never happen to me, springs to mind.















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[Freddy]

Throughout my life I have done a fair bit of travelling. I can honestly say that I have never before been in a country where such a large % of the road users, of whatever age, have such a total lack of awareness. This applies both to how they behave and also there awareness of what others may do. Thailand has a similar population to the UK however in the UK there are on average 1,300 road related deaths a year whilst in Thailand it is on average 13,000 a year. That's just the deaths..........
When my wife first came to the UK she immediately noticed the difference in driving styles and commented how every one drives so correctly although I acknowledge there are bad drivers everywhere, Thailand excels. Sadly, until such time as the government and Police approach improves things will not change. I wish I could feel support for the Police in their alleged helmet campaigns however we all know where the majority of the money goes. Until licences (if held) and bikes are taken away I don't think much will change and I don't for a minute think that your average Thai teenager believes that the Police have their welfare at heart when they hand over the 200 baht.
On my soap box, I'll climb down now.

[JasonB]

No freddy,your not on your soap box,your saying what we nearly all think.This country,as much as I care,has to be the most apathy ridden country on the planet,the old "Mai Pen Rai" seems to be the way they want to live....enough,I must stop now,before I get on my soap box.

[hotnutts]

Throughout my life I have done a fair bit of travelling. I can honestly say that I have never before been in a country where such a large % of the road users, of whatever age, have such a total lack of awareness. This applies both to how they behave and also there awareness of what others may do. Thailand has a similar population to the UK however in the UK there are on average 1,300 road related deaths a year whilst in Thailand it is on average 13,000 a year. That's just the deaths..........
When my wife first came to the UK she immediately noticed the difference in driving styles and commented how every one drives so correctly although I acknowledge there are bad drivers everywhere, Thailand excels. Sadly, until such time as the government and Police approach improves things will not change. I wish I could feel support for the Police in their alleged helmet campaigns however we all know where the majority of the money goes. Until licences (if held) and bikes are taken away I don't think much will change and I don't for a minute think that your average Thai teenager believes that the Police have their welfare at heart when they hand over the 200 baht.
On my soap box, I'll climb down now.

One snippet I read some where was that in the Thailand road accident statistics are based only on people who actually die at the scene of the accident if they are alive at the accident scene and taken to hospital , then die later because of the accident injuries , its not recorded as a road accident fatality.  Ive not been able to find this fact in writing ,but it sounds about right for Thailand.

 
 

[hotnutts]

No freddy,your not on your soap box,your saying what we nearly all think.This country,as much as I care,has to be the most apathy ridden country on the planet,the old "Mai Pen Rai" seems to be the way they want to live....enough,I must stop now,before I get on my soap box.

Personally I find and always have found the whole situation involving these senseless motorbike accidents a sad reflection on the way the Thai mind dismisses the obvious and inserts the phrase ''  Mai Pen Rai  '' as a way to deal with difficult issues . My neighbours young daughter has already has two accidents on her new Scoopy , it has crossed my mind on several occasions what I would say to her father when his young daughter is involved in yet another accident, but this time a fatal one ,  while riding the motorcycle he bought for her .

 





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[Freddy]

I do kind of understand the motor cycle need over here due to the topography and lack of money in many families and don't think the issue is specifically down to age. It is lack of proper training/instruction, generally appalling driving and riding habits at all ages, and the general inability amongst many to consider any consequence. inefficient and ineffective laws and policing compound the problem. The video of the guy carrying the baby and pulling out in front of the car sums up what we all see and experience a hundred times. He wasn't 13.

[hotnutts]

Ive no info on this , I wonder what happened here ?












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