The first few hours of rain are the most treacherous. So when the rain starts to fall on a smouldering hot Phuket road, after months of dry weather, it creates a death trap.Īnd as the rainy season continues, due to the oil present in the asphalt, even fresh rain after the roads have been dried by the sun can be dangerous. On top of that, there will be a lot of dust and dirt on the roads, which have not been soaked for a while. In Phuket, the heat makes this worse and mixes it with the tarmac. Over time, no matter where you are, engine oil builds up on road. It is not only the risk aquaplaning, which most people are aware of. But we have found that driving during the period when the high season is ending, and the low season is just beginning, is often the worst. What to Watch Out Forĭriving on the roads is dangerous all year round. We have even heard of some foreign offenders being deported.
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More people are being subjected to breathalysers, and some drunk drivers are even prosecuted. And there are definitely a great deal more road blocks these days. New Campaigns to Improve the NumbersĮvery year we do see the authorities coming up with new safety initiatives.Ĭertainly when there are more road blocks, there seem to be fewer road deaths. Despite this, there are questions about whether the real tally is actually higher.Įither way, during these two weeks each year, over 400 people die, and almost ten times that number are injured, from road accidents in ThailandĪnd most of these accidents involve motorbikes. People are now so aware of the risks during these dates that they consciously avoid drink driving (more from fear of arrest than anything else). The Songkran period in 2018 saw 418 traffic-related deaths. Songkran (the traditional Thai New Year) also has its own seven dangerous days around mid-April. This was 9.5% higher than the previous year, and just shy of the record 478 death in the 2017. New Year’s week (28 th December and 3 rd January) is the deadliest, so much so that the police have nicknamed these “The Seven Dangerous Days.” In the 7-day period ending 3 rd January 2019, 463 people died on the roads in Thailand. Not surprisingly, these coincide with the biggest holidays. Thailand has two 7-day periods which have become infamous for the number of road deaths that occur. Some of those 9 still suffer broken limbs, internal injuries, permanent brain damage, or are otherwise crippled for life. If 1 in 10 accidents results in a death, then the other 9 are not even a part of the statistics. The ones who become statistics are already in the ICU – or worse. But the ones you see in reception or the waiting areas are the lucky ones. It’s a real reminder of the dangers of driving a bike.
Visiting Sririroj or Bangkok Phuket Hospital would be equally eye-opening.Īt any time of the day you will see outpatients having wounds stitched or their heads bandaged. Go See For YourselfĪ trip to Wachira Hospital is an easy way to check out the daily toll of motorbike accidents. Most of the time, but no means all of the time, they get away with just cuts, bruises and scrapes. Some are middle aged women, who drive slowly and carefully. Some have had multiple accidents.Īnd these are careful drivers. Most of the people we know who drive motorbikes in Thailand have had at least one accident over the last 20 years.
Libya has the most deaths per 100,000 inhabitants (35.9), but Thailand still comes in at 8th with around 32.7 deaths per 100,000 population.Ĭompare this with countries like Norway and Switzerland, with only 2.7, or even Sweden and Singapore, which have just 2.8 deaths per 100,000. For a few years now, Thailand has been near the top of the list for road fatalities according to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Status Report on Road Safety. Every time you ride a motorbike, there is a very good chance you might get hurt. Most of the road deaths that occur in Thailand involve two wheeled vehicles.
Long-term residents of Phuket all know someone who has either spent a great deal of time in hospital or died from a nasty road accident.
We have seen things on the road that would literally make your toes curl. We cannot stress just how dangerous it is.Īnyone who has lived in Thailand long enough has seen plenty of ghastly sights. Thailand has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates in the world. Riding a motorbike in Thailand is dangerous.
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