Stricter laws needed to ensure road safety in Thailand
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THE NUMBER of cyclists killed in road accidents over the past few months might result in Thailand's already poor reputation over road safety being further tainted.
Thailand was recently slammed for its lax road-safety laws when a Chilean cyclist’s quest to ride around the world in five years came to an abrupt end when he was run over here in February. A British couple on a similar around-the-world quest were also killed in the East of Thailand in February 2013.
Arguments have been raised about the main reasons for these deaths.
Some people blame the deaths on there not being enough bicycle lanes to match the rising popularity of this mode of transport, thanks to the successful campaign launched by the Tourism and Sports Ministry, while others blame the deaths on the rising number of cyclists on public road. Some say the roads in Thailand are not suitable for cyclists, while others put it down to motorists lacking “kindness” for those on two wheels.
Others have blamed it on cyclists not being “disciplined” on roads.
The reality, however, is that cycling is friendly to the environment and safe for people – it only becomes dangerous when cyclists have to share the road with irresponsible motorists.
So what does the government plan to do about this?
In the Chilean cyclist’s case, the driver of the pickup truck was arrested on charges of causing death by dangerous driving and released on bail.
The charge carries a maximum term of 10 years in jail and a fine of up to Bt20,000 under the Criminal Code.
The recent long weekend brought more depressing news. A female student who was driving under the influence ran over three Thai cyclists in the North, while another cyclist was run over on Ratchada-Ram Intra Road in Bangkok and many others injured.
According to government statistics, there have been more than 300 accidents per year involving cyclists between 2011 and 2014, though this number is a lot less than the 2,800 cyclists killed per year a decade ago.
Of course, the charges for these latest accidents would be the same as the ones handed out in the Chilean cyclist’s case. However, since drunk driving is the cause of many road accidents, people should ask if the law on people driving under the influence is far too lax.
Also, both motorists and cyclists need to be trained on using the road safely.
Cyclists perhaps need to learn to signal their movements and follow universal traffic rules, while motorists should understand the meaning of the words “mercy and compassion”.
Apart from running cycling campaigns, the government should also encourage people to be disciplined while using the roads and maintain law and order more strictly to keep roads safe for both motorists and cyclists.
