Warning: Be careful during Thailand's 'Seven Dangerous Days'!
In the coming period you will have to be extra careful in traffic in Thailand, the 'Seven Dangerous Days' are coming and that means even more traffic victims than there are normally.
Thailand's roads are among the deadliest in the world. Only Eritrea and Libya surpass Thailand in the top 3 for the highest number of road deaths in the world. Thailand has no less than 38,1 road deaths per 100.000 inhabitants and 118,8 road deaths per 100.000 motor vehicles.
Holidays
Especially during the holidays it is dangerous on the Thai roads. This has to do with the extra crowds of Thai people who go home during the holidays. Many Thais also get behind the wheel with a drink. The period around Songkran and the turn of the year are notorious for the many road casualties.
'Dangerous Days of the New Year'.
Foreign tourists and expats would do well to travel as little as possible during the seven dangerous days, which covers the period from December 29, 2014 to January 4, 2015. That is wise anyway because it will be much busier at airports, train stations and bus stations and on the roads. If you haven't booked a ticket in advance, chances are you won't even be able to come along.
Measures taken by the Thai government
The Thai government is taking extra measures that should curb the number of road casualties. Soldiers, police and volunteers man 6.000 checkpoints where alcohol consumption and helmet use will be checked.
The Thai Ministry of Health has units on standby that are quickly on the scene in the event of an accident. For example, 5.000 ambulances and 100.000 medics and doctors are on standby to provide medical care during the seven dangerous days. An extra supply of blood has also been built up for blood transfusions. However, the Thai Red Cross has announced that it is still looking for blood donors in order to have sufficient donor blood available for the expected large numbers of road casualties.
Source: ThaiPBS
Donated blood the day before yesterday and stay home for the 7 black days.
I no longer need the blood itself.
It is also no wonder considering how easy it is to get a driver's license.
The theory has now been increased to 45 correct out of 50 questions,
But practical experience
Do three mandatory situations on a field.
Are these going well and theory 45 points
Hooray you have your driver's license.
Hit the road you've never driven before.
with a bit of luck some experience on a motorbike.
Chris you replenish your blood at home during the 7 black days but happy holidays
I read here that the dangerous days start on December 29, but that is a Monday.
So I assume that many Thais are already on their way in the night from Friday to Saturday, Saturday and Sunday.
Well, it doesn't really matter that much.
Personally, I think it's not too bad for tourists and expats. We are (I think) more aware that drinking in traffic is not allowed, let alone drinking your trash.
If you also maintain a reasonable speed and don't do crazy things on the road, you have a very good chance of getting off without a scratch. Especially if you can use toll roads or motorways.
If you patiently drive on the left lane at a moderate speed and keep the necessary distance, it must be very ugly to get involved in a possible crash by a madman.
And don't let yourself work on your hips when traffic jams or even comes to a standstill due to the large number of vehicles or accidents further up.
Let's hope the engine doesn't overheat.
And a quick prayer never hurts either…
I have already noticed in recent years that those announced police check points usually do not amount to much. There are police tents here and there along the road, neatly populated by cops, but they just sit there chatting or whatever, but rarely come out of their tent, let alone carry out checks. Thais know that too and really don't lose sleep over it. So checks, yes….
Quite right, Roland…. for half then. I was on the 21 direction Korat with my in-laws on Sunday 2 December. It was awfully busy. We had to take a U-turn (on the ground floor, not over a viaduct) to the other side towards Pak Chong. After waiting for 20 minutes I drove on and ended up on the other side of the road via a detour. Many Thai motorists also did not risk their lives.
But that, if you patiently drive on the left lane at a moderate speed and keep the necessary distance, that is no guarantee that you will not be involved in a crash. Usually in a crash there is a cause and a victim without fault. So with every crash there is a 50 percent chance that an innocent person will be involved. Suppose you are driving in the left lane behind a truck that can hardly be burned forward. Then there is a car that notices you too late and hits you at full speed. In fact, I have experienced this twice in the Netherlands. In the 44 years that I have had my driver's license and drove a car or motorcycle, I have been involved in an accident 4 times. Not once was my fault. Oh yes, I once turned a pirouette due to ice on a road surface that had become very slippery and I hit a lamppost.
Yes Frans I understand your position. But here we were indeed talking about the 7 dangerous days during the end-of-year leave in Thailand.
Then you should know that there are hardly any trucks on the road "which cannot be burned forward". And if there is already one, you just overtake it appropriately, it is not prohibited.
You will usually not find the cars that crash into you at full speed in the back on the extreme left track section, but on the two right sections where the traffic freaks sometimes go slalom.
Of course you are never 100% sure and something can always happen to you, I have not denied that. But the chance of this will be very much less if you drive carefully to the left (as much as possible) at a moderate speed and of course without alcohol in the blood.
Well, it will take you a little longer, I always say when I see the madmen busy “look there he wants to be the first in the hospital”… if he makes it at all.
And what is an hour earlier or later at your destination if you weigh it against the possible risks?
I would like to clarify something about my comment. I have known the 2 from Saraburi to Udon Thani for years. Last Sunday's crowds were so extreme that I couldn't help but conclude that the “Seven Dangerous Days” in Isan must have already started. It's never happened to me that I didn't get to the other side of the road via an at-grade U-turn.
A few days ago I saw a question about Thailand or Indonesia ?? The traffic behavior is not inferior to each other, but in Indonesia you will not experience any drinking drivers.
Dear readers,
This problem will never go away and change.
A few weeks ago, there was talk of a bill banning the sale of alcohol during the end-of-year celebrations and Songkran.
I thought to myself a very good thing.
It now appears that this bill will not pass because the catering sector and manufacturers of alcohol are against it.
So +/- 25.000 road deaths per year are of no importance.
Now let a column of 500 buses pass by, each with 50 people per bus and bus + space in between together 80 meters, then that column is 40 km long !!!
Can you imagine this death column?
Greetings.
Gino