Udomsak of the Center for Alcohol Studies and Center of Excellence in Health System and Medical Research at Walailak University believes that there should be a general alcohol ban during Songkran in order to reduce the number of road casualties.
The government can use Article 44 of the interim constitution for this purpose. Udomsak said yesterday at a forum in Bangkok about measures to reduce the number of road accidents during the so-called seven dangerous days have to push back.
In recent years, the number of victims has increased despite previous measures. Last year, Songkran killed 442 people in traffic and injured 3.656. Most accidents are the result of alcohol consumption. Most of the victims rode motorcycles and many accidents occur on small village roads.
According to another expert, people drink twice as much as normal during the Songkran and New Year holidays.
Source: Bangkok Post
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Good idea though!
Perhaps even better to use mopeds, scooters and the like during Songkran
to prohibit.
Anyone else have an impracticable plan?
Prime Minister Prayut has absolute power with Article 44 on legislative, executive and judicial matters. With this article in hand, he can prohibit traffic casualties and if they do occur, he can prohibit making this public. Problem solved.
Yes, here's another one, with Article 44 making Songkran and New Year's Eve coincide. Saves half the number of accidents.
Drinking and driving are already prohibited anyway, but if that is apparently not easy to enforce: what can a general alcohol ban change? I don't think that will prove sustainable.
Given the large number of road deaths and even greater number of road injuries during the holiday trips twice a year (Songkran, New Year's Eve) it is absolutely recommended to introduce a total alcohol ban, starting with upcoming festivities. The fact that there is a great lack of enforcement in Thailand on anything and everything is not an argument not to do it. In Thailand, the main reason for the high number of road traffic casualties over the years is the complete absence of any awareness of traffic mentality. Traffic agitation is the norm for many road users. Just ask your own Thai (in-law) family and your Thai acquaintances. None of them will disagree with you that the necessary efforts should be made in Thailand in the field of traffic education. The introduction of a general alcohol ban can bring about the beginning of awareness. Irony is the best thing to do, because there are enough deaths already: an average of more than 2 per day throughout the year!!
a few months ago there was a study in which country has the most road deaths.
Thailand was in second place with 2 deaths per 440 million inhabitants.
A small calculation shows that that is about 29000 deaths per year, divided by 365 is 80 deaths in traffic per day.
So would be times 7 in the dangerous days is 560 dead. I read a lower number above
You understand, of course, that the truth lies in the middle, but there are still thousands too many.
Drinking and partying during these days cannot be eradicated, as is driving through a red light, driving without a helmet.
A ball has already been thrown for many things, unfortunately without result. And I'm afraid this songkran isn't going to look much different than many years before SADLY
I stay home
tons,
The same confusion over and over again. Those 25-29.000 deaths per year are the WHO figures and they also count the number of deaths due to the accident in the first month after the event.
Thailand only counts the deaths immediately on the road and not in the days after. You have to double the Thai numbers to compare them with the WHO numbers: 884 in those seven dangerous days, and indeed an average of 550.
It remains a difficult subject, but I myself believe that you should remain reasonable in taking measures. The fact that there is insufficient supervision due to the lack of sufficient supervisors must be separate from this. Something has to be done because it can't go on like this. A total ban on alcohol consumption is far-reaching and unrealistic. Abolishing the great folk festival could also be an option, but in any case keeping it under control, so no more than 1 day and then allowing it to take place under conditions, is also an option. There are also people who are in control of themselves and drop out after one or two drinks and take responsibility. With a total ban you will hit everyone, including non-traffic participants.
Of course you also have the people who cannot keep their hands off others with alcohol, after it has been made known that they do not like it, and that is therefore another form of nuisance that will play a role, apparently under the influence of alcoholic and other refreshments. A people averse to rules and full of their own right will have to be re-educated across the board. Large campaigns will therefore have to be conducted to highlight the specific items. This will have to be on the agenda in schools and in families. But with many parents setting a bad example themselves, it is difficult to spin yarn. The government and the executives actually have a heavy task to make it safer with policy and approach. It is also their responsibility (in addition to their own responsibility), so doing nothing is of course impossible. Information, good examples, education, consistent behavior and enforcement of the policy, where possible, should increase safety and quality of life, so that there is less tragedy and criminal behavior. All this will take years, which will exceed my time on this planet. It will turn out to keep the score and watch the farewell of many loved ones. Human beings are self-destructive and often take others with them. I hope you are all spared and keep it healthy.
As long as normal traffic rules are not or hardly enforced throughout the year, such an optical measure will have no effect. The basis is already wrong: drinking/abuse and driving takes place 365 days a year. And the number of road casualties per day during Songkran is not substantially higher/different than on normal days. Only the statistics during the Songkran period are kept on TV and in newspapers. Why? In the - misplaced - hope of a decrease in relation to previous years. That will never be proven.
So: strict checks 365 days a year and heavy fines for violations. If repeated: an even higher fine/prison sentence and confiscation of the vehicle. As long as that does not happen and only cosmetic measures are taken without essential consequences, nothing will change.
What would be the best thing to increase the petrol to 100 baht per liter in the days of songkran, as a result of which there will be less driving because the money has run out on the booze,,,is just a suggestion/
Banning is not the problem, but enforcement is not all that Thai.
Remains to accept the dead and wounded.
The Thais have no problem with this, they drink an extra drink after the cremation and the family takes care of the victims.
Who then lives …., then cares
Only one thing helps: alcohol checks on the street.
Some people have no sense of responsibility at all. A tough approach is needed for this group. A ban without control will not help.