Stiffer penalties for drunk drivers and helmets

by **Bump** » January 17, 2007, 12:52 pm

From the Bangkok Post

ROAD SAFETY / LAND TRAFFIC ACT AMENDMENTS

Penalties stiffen for drunk drivers
The cabinet yesterday approved harsher punishment for motorists convicted of drunk driving, including losing their licence. Amendments to the Land Traffic Act, which since 1979 has dealt with drink-driving offences, were approved to impose fines up to 200,000 baht and jail terms up to 10 years for violators who had caused road accidents.

The existing law had proven ''inappropriate and inconsistent'' to properly deal with the current situation, said government spokesman Yongyuth Maiyalarp.

The amended law will give officials more power to deal with the rising number of drunk drivers by empowering courts to more easily suspend or cancel drivers' licences, he said.

''If motorists kill someone, they will be sent to jail for three to 10 years, be fined between 60,000 and 200,000 baht, and their driving licences will be cancelled,'' Mr Yongyuth said.

If a drunk driver seriously injures someone, their licence will be suspended for at least one year, Mr Yongyuth said.

The law also imposes heavier penalties on motorcyclists who do not wear helmets.

Motorcyclists without helmets will be fined 500 baht. The fine will be doubled if their passengers also have no helmet, Mr Yongyuth said.

by **BKKSTAN** » January 17, 2007, 1:04 pm

It would be great if they imposed the same sentences on police and other gov't officials for taking or extorting bribes and proven dereliction of duty in not enforcing equally!
Then maybe we would see some compliance!As it stands now ,it seems hypocritical to me and an opportunity to selectively enforce and demand higher bribes!

by **Bump** » January 17, 2007, 1:15 pm

TT ( tis Thailand) I haven't had to change what I do when I smoke thus far

What it will take is something like happened in California MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. That had a profound effect on how drunk driving was viewed at one time just a minor fine treated much like being drunk in public, not so today.

When there is enough public setiment if there ever is here then enforcment will be forced upon the Courts and Police. But lets face it if your doing this type of activity do you really want to see it enforced properly. Another reason why Tea money works.

by **Funman** » January 17, 2007, 1:27 pm

I was eating breakfast next door to Steve's Sun. morning (Jan. 14th) while the boys in brown were out in force. Every Thai on a motorbike was being pulled over and everyone was getting a ticket. Only one or two were for lack of a helment. It took me a while to figure it out until I saw one person that had been stopped pull out his wallet and show the officer a drivers license and was promptly allowed to go on his way. Must have been at least 40 bikes pulled over in the 1/2 hour I was there. Almost all recieved tickets for no license. Point being, you cannot take away something that does not exsist.

by **Bump** » January 17, 2007, 5:50 pm

Boy that is active they usually take Sunday off.

by **Paul** » January 17, 2007, 10:05 pm

ray23 wrote:From the Bangkok Post

ROAD SAFETY / LAND TRAFFIC ACT AMENDMENTS

The law also imposes heavier penalties on motorcyclists who do not wear helmets.

Motorcyclists without helmets will be fined 500 baht. The fine will be doubled if their passengers also have no helmet, Mr Yongyuth said.

My oh my, I sure hope that applies to hypocritcal policemen who drive around without helmets or who give rides to passengers who also feel no need to wear a helmet !

I once asked a policeman why he did not pull over the passing policeman riding by without a hemet on - he replied that 'he didn't see him'.
So I asked if that applied to the other dozen policemen, also at the roadblock stopping all 'ordinary' people without helmets on !!!!!

Theres a long way to go yet !!!!!

by **Bump** » January 17, 2007, 10:17 pm

I wouldn't get to excited Paul remember the smoking :lol:

by **Paul** » January 17, 2007, 10:23 pm

I recently wrote an email to the manager of an un-named pub where I had recently dined and asked why he was flaounting the (new) law and still allowing people to smoke. In addition why he did not have the newly required 'no smoking' signage on his premises.

The reply I received was almost I couldn't care less attitude and he catered to his customers more than the letter of the law. He invited me back where he would do his best to find me a smoke free seat !

There was no reference to the law - despite me quoting the relevent sections to him.

As we frequently hear - TIT

(I still don't understand how they got everyone to comply with the non-dispaying of cigarettes though)

by **Bump** » January 17, 2007, 10:35 pm

Like I have said many time smoke and mirrors, that is Thailand. Remains to be seen if this new law is going to be any different, they have already made a full time program of helmets. It's the drunk driving that I wish would be enforced, it gets tiring dodging the boys on holidays.

But I'm not planning to stop dodging for awhile every notice that at the check posts set up all over the country, they just sit and talk to one another no one is even looking at the traffic. That alone tells you serious the matter is being taken.

You can write law from now to dooms day if they are not enforced means nothing. You really want this guy to listen then picket his place. That will get his attention. But I wouldn't count on the government really doing much. Hiding the cigarettes was very minor everyone knows they are there. Doubt that had any effect on sales at all, thats why it happened really didn't mean anything.

by **ntvillas2** » January 17, 2007, 10:37 pm

At least its a Start. hope they put 10.000 fine for mothers
and fathers who let young Children drive bikes to School
without a helmet Licence and insurance. at least now they are doing something to help.

by **muscle** » January 18, 2007, 6:17 am

We were in Pattaya for New Year's Eve. I was surprised at how compliant motorbike drivers have become there with the law. The bike taxi guy even gave me a helmet to wear as a passenger. I was impressed.
In terms of smoking, at least it isn't as bad as Germany. Not as many people smoke here, there, it seems as if everyone does. I avoided a lot of places because of that.
Compliance will be slow and spotty with both these.

by **Paul** » January 18, 2007, 2:00 pm

muscle wrote:We were in Pattaya for New Year's Eve. I was surprised at how compliant motorbike drivers have become there with the law. The bike taxi guy even gave me a helmet to wear as a passenger. I was impressed.
I

Simple answer to that one - its enforcement.
You can guarantee that every single day here the police are out catching those without a helmet, they are everywhere all over town - and yet people still try to get away with it. In Pattaya if you don't wear a helmet - chances are extremely high you will get caught somewhere along your journey.
The locals have finally got the message. Trouble is they wear it to avoid getting stopped, not because they realise it could prevent them getting their head smashed in.
Where do all the fines go - who cares. It just proves that when you enforce the law - eventually people will comply.
People can't complain about policemans tea money when they are the ones contributing voluntarily to it !!!!

Of course the exception is the nutters who come here on 2 weeks holiday and rent the biggest bike they can find and because they are not Thai - somehow think that they don't need to comply with the helmet law.
There isn't a day go by when you don't see some middle Eastern or European guy on a superbike get pulled over. Oh! and you don't have a bike licence either - lovely, here we go then sir - two fines thank you very much

by **valentine** » January 18, 2007, 2:51 pm

As previously mentioned, laws are no use without strict enforcement. let me relate a personal incident in my village last week.Driving along the main road in a pickup, straight out of a side turning ,motorbike, I brake, bike swerves onto grass verge, but stays upright. Get out to see if rider okay. Guess what?
She's only 10 years old, yes 10years. In the bike basket were 3 bottles of Leo beer. So this kid was not only breaking the traffic law but had broken the purchase of alchohol one. Dad had sent her to the supermarket to get it, Dad? forgot to mention he is a policeman/??? :roll:

by **Paul** » January 18, 2007, 6:28 pm

Even better would be if it was between the hours of 2pm and 5pm - that would round the story off nicely

by **arjay** » January 18, 2007, 7:43 pm

Val, I bet you didn't carry out a citizen's arrest! :lol:

(Not that I would expect them to have such laws over here, and she would be too young to be held responsible.)

Stiffer penalties for drunk drivers and helmets

Stiffer penalties for drunk drivers and helmets

Re: Stiffer penalties for drunk drivers and helmets

Who is online