Thailand’s road safety plan makes novel step

A novel approach to improving road safety is being made in Thailand. The country is now making it compulsory for convicted drink drivers to visit hospital morgues. This move is being handled by the Thai Probation Department and forms part of a series of measures intended to improve road safety in Thailand. The aim of the programme is to scare drivers committing DUI offences into avoiding reoffending. The country has the second highest rate of road fatalities in the world, according to a report by the World
June 22, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
A novel approach to improving road safety is being made in Thailand. The country is now making it compulsory for convicted drink drivers to visit hospital morgues. This move is being handled by the Thai Probation Department and forms part of a series of measures intended to improve road safety in Thailand. The aim of the programme is to scare drivers committing DUI offences into avoiding reoffending. The country has the second highest rate of road fatalities in the world, according to a report by the World Health Organisation, with its risk of road death second only to Libya. Since the scheme was initiated over 1,700 drivers convicted of DUI offences have visited hospital morgues. The official data records 11,370 deaths in Thailand from road crashes in 2015, with drink driving being a major factor. However it is widely assumed that the actual death tolls is far higher, with many more people dying a period after crashes have occurred or with road deaths simply not being recorded.

Related Content

  • UK equipment exports and imports continue upwards trend
    August 24, 2017
    UK exports of construction and earthmoving equipment continued its upward trend in Q2 of 2017, showing growth for the fourth consecutive quarter. Overall, Q2 2017 levels were the highest for two years, since Q2 2015, according to the latest quarterly report from the UK’s CEA – Construction Equipment Association. Exports in Q2 2017, increased by 5.3% in weight terms (tonnage of machines) compared with Q1 2017 and 2% in monetary terms, reaching nearly €777 million (£714 million).
    Read More
  • IRF Presents 2017 Road Safety Award to Korea
    August 30, 2017
    The International Road Federation has introduced a landmark Global Credential Programme for Road Safety Audit Team Leaders, recognising the essential role of Road Safety Audits to drive change in safe road design practices. Preventive risk assessment measures, such as a road safety audit or inspection, carried out on new and existing roads offer a well-charted and cost-effective pathway to reducing road traffic injury risk. Yet, those countries with the fastest growth in motorisation and road construction
    Read More
  • Brake and Direct Line survey: UK drivers flout traffic laws
    April 28, 2015
    Half of UK drivers in a recent survey admitted to breaking traffic laws and half of these drivers said they did it with intention. Of the drivers who willingly broke the law, half acknowledged they did it because they believed there was little chance of getting caught, or they simply did not agree the law and saw no reason to obey. Road safety charity Brake and vehicle insurance company Direct Line said the survey reveals a worrying attitude by many road users toward safety on highways. Brake said that U
    Read More
  • Safer Roads: More Than Just Progress on Paper
    June 8, 2016
    As the co-chairman of Pillar II (“Safer roads and mobility”) of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, I was privileged to be in New York on April 15, 2016 as the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on “improving global road safety” sponsored by 56 UN member states. By a bitter twist of fate, this resolution came to pass as many countries around the world are reporting a notable increase in injuries and deaths on their roads, including in countries that had seen a steady decline
    Read More

Highlighted Content