BANGKOK — Southeast Asia is the second most-affected regions in the world when it comes to road accidents, after Africa, and Thailand “tragically leads in this statistics” said UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety Jean Todt on Monday, November 4, in Bangkok.
Speaking at a seminar on road safety in Southeast Asia, co-organized by the Embassy of France and UN ESCAP, Todt said 40 percent of road accidents in Southeast Asia involved motorcycles and riders not wearing safety helmet.
Todt, who flew in from Geneva, said helmets suitable for hot and humid weather are now available and costs 20 US dollars.
The UN’s target is to reduce the 1.2 million annual global deaths on the roads by 50 percent by 2030. “The target is ambitious but achievable,” he told the seminar at the Alliance Francaise in Bangkok. To achieve the goal, a comprehensive system is needed, said Todt, who cited stricter speed limits, expanded public transport, public education, use of safety helmets and more.
French Ambassador to Thailand Jean-Claude Poimboeuf said during the opening remark that more than 400 French nationals in Thailand have been caught in road accidents. “Fortunately not all were fatal,” Poimboeuf said.
The French Ambassador then recalled a meeting with a male French expat in Thailand who told him he “feels free living in Thailand” because he could ride a motorcycle to buy goods at a market without having to wear a helmet. It was at that point that the Ambassador said he “scolded” the man and furbished the expat with road accident statistics. “I hope he got the message.”
Plan to Lower Speed Limits in Bangkok
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said at the seminar that he is seeking to reduce speed limits for drivers in Bangkok from 80 to 60 kilometres per hour in an attempt to reduce road accidents and fatalities.
The governor stressed that the number of fatalities is decreasing: the period between January and September 2023 saw 884 people killed on the roads in Bangkok, while in the same period this year, 2024, the number was reduced to 596.
Chadchart said more CCTV cameras have been installed and in October alone, 43,000 instances of traffic violations captured on camera. There are 100 spots identified as dangerous for motorists.
He added that 82 percent of road accidents involved motorcycles and 50 percent from speeding.
On the other hand, 34 percent of the accidents were attributed to insufficient lighting conditions. The governor said City Hall has changed 100,000 street lights to LED lights to ensure better visibility, with the expectation of having nearly 200,000 done before his term ends.
Paralympic Star Shares Road Crash Story
Ms Saisunee Jana, 50, may be a Paralympic icon for Thais and foreigners, particularly the physically handicapped people, but she said on Monday she wasn’t born half paralysed but that was due to a reckless driver who hit her motorbike when she was 17. The incident subsequently led her to an attempted suicide while at the hospital, which failed.
Saisunee said the driver was never apprehended and her life changed from being a poor factory worker to an even poorer lottery seller and artificial flowers maker. She managed to eventually muster enough strength to carry on, eventually entering competitive sports and became the first Thai Paralympic gold medallist in wheelchair fencing and has since won 3 gold medals.
“The [speeding driver] has no conscience in driving… It took me a very long time before I could come to term with it. What’s most important is to awaken the conscience of people,” she told the audience at the Alliance Francaise.
_______
