Get serious about road safety

Apart from obvious reasons for Thailand’s atrocious record of road deaths, perhaps an element of “Thainess” is also involved. Veena Thoopkrajae’s column is very telling. Spoilt brats frequently retain their bad habits through their teenage and adult years, having little respect for others’ rights or property, or the laws of the land, especially laws on road safety. Poor parenting and lack of discipline in schools are to blame.

Thai authorities have a built-in reluctance to seek advice or follow the experience of other countries regarding road safety. The government should study the harsh penalties other countries levy on drunk driving, red-light running and fleeing the scene of an accident. And the Thai driving test needs to be a completely rehashed to include proper training, a tough written test in a room where mobile phones are banned, and driving on real roads under the eagle eye of a trained examiner. 

Thailand, you need to get serious about addressing the carnage on your roads.

Chris Kaye