Police blind to motorbike madness

More than 80 per cent of the fatalities involve motorbikes. 

The vast majority of Thais rely on the motorbike as their only form of transport for the whole family. The recent hostile public reaction to the proposal to ban young pillion riders shows this, and the unfortunate consequence would be that children, particularly in rural areas, would simply not get to school. In fact, many everyday activities could not proceed and the country would grind to a halt.

Fortunately, this is unlikely to happen. Why? Because, unlike other countries, THERE ARE NO TRAFFIC POLICE!! Traffic law enforcement is confined to regular police roadblocks, usually at the same place and at the same time. Most of the motorbike traffic is local and prospective offenders are careful to avoid them.

Consequently, there exists what amounts to a benevolent conspiracy between the police and the, albeit reluctant, offenders (who include, of course, police families). 

Therefore we will continue to witness, in the provinces, the sight of small motorbikes carrying three or more passengers, often with young children and sometimes driven by children, motorbikers driving one handed while carrying trays of food, stepladders, young babies, etc, or using phones. When high schools turn out we see motorbikes overladen, sometimes with two girls side-saddle on one bike, not a safety helmet in sight, zig-zagging around the police busy trying to control traffic flow and apparently oblivious to it all. All accidents waiting to happen and all and sundry wearing expressions of self-righteous plausibility!

Frankly, I sometimes feel that it’s not the number of fatalities that should surprise us – it’s the astonishing number of survivors!

Tony Ash

Cha-Am