Current Accident Situation

and
Motorcycle Safety Measure
in Thailand
by
Mr. Chamroon Tangpaisalkit
Director of Safety Planning Bureau
Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and
Planning

Accident Frequencies in the past decade (1993-2003)

Frequencies
120,000
100,000

102,610

94,362

91,623

88,556

84,892
80,000

82,336

73,725
67,800

73,737

84,177

77,616

60,000
40,000

Source: Royal Thai Police

Year

20
03

20
02

20
01

20
00

19
99

19
98

19
97

19
96

19
95

19
94

19
93

20,000

Accident Fatalities in the past decade

(1993-2003)
Fatalities
18,000

16,727
15,176

14,405
13,836

15,000

12,234

12,000

12,040 11,988 11,652

13,116
11,960

9,496
9,000
6,000

Source: Royal Thai Police

Year

20
03

20
02

20
01

20
00

19
99

19
98

19
97

19
96

19
95

19
94

19
93

3,000

Accident Injuries in the past decade (1993-2003)

Injuries

69,313

70,000
60,000
50,718 50,044

50,000

43,541

53,111 53,960

52,538
48,761

65,701

47,770

40,000
30,000

25,330

20,000

Source: Royal Thai Police

Year

20
03

20
02

20
01

20
00

19
99

19
98

19
97

19
96

19
95

19
94

19
93

10,000

Source: Department of Land

Year
1.10

0.82

0.80

20
03

20
02

20
01

0.77

7.33

7.09

6.52

6.21

6.09

5.62

5.26

16.58

15.24

13.82

13.24

12.46

11.65

10.85

18.22

Motorcycle
Passenger Car
Truck and Bus

20
00

0.75

0.74

0.73

0.71

4.82

15

19
99

19
98

19
97

19
96

0.70

10.04

12

4.45

9.06

8.85

18

19
95

4.03

0.69

0.67

3.56

19
94

19
93

Registered Vehicles (million)

Registered Vehicles in the past decade (1993

2003)

Countrywide Road Traffic Accident Statistics

during 1995-2003

Ratio of the Registered Vehicles Nationwide

Ratio (%)

Highest

70

MC : Motorcycle

67.69

PC : Passenger car

60
50
40
30
20
10

15.65

10.82
2.48
PC

Van

Pick up

MC

0.45

2.81

0.09

Bus

Truck

Others

Vehicle Types

Percentage of the Vehicles involved in

accidents (year 2003)
Ratio (%)

40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Highest

37.65

24.72

3.08 1.41
0.53

1.13

17.20
2.08

2.44 2.08 3.16 2.96

Type of vehicles involved with accidents

classified by injuries and deaths
(passengers and drivers)
24 hospitals Thailand, 2002

Number

66%

4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000

Number
72%

19%
8%

500
0
Bicycle

Motorcycle

Small truck/Van

180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

Bicycle

injuries

13%

10%
Motorcycle

Small truck/Van

deaths

Sources : National Injury Surveillance,Ministry of Public Health

Helmet used in motorcycle riders classified by

injuries and deaths
24 hospitals Thailand,2002

3,906 injuries
Wearing helmet 1.5 %

Not wearing
helmet 98.5%

166 deaths
Wearing helmet 0.9 %

Not wearing
helmet 99.1%

Sources : National Injury Surveillance,Ministry of Public Health

Distribution of child driver,by age and vehicles

21 hospitals Thailand,2001

No.
700

Motorcycle
1,421

600
500
400
300
200

Bicycle 750

100
0
1

10 11 12 13 14

Age(year)
Sources : National Injury Surveillance,Ministry of Public Health,Thailand

Contributing Factors in Road Accidents

(Chain of Events)
Human factors
Road environment factors
Vehicle factors
Human

Road

Vehicle

Motorcycle Accidents
The 1st murderer on streets
Risk Factors: Not wearing helmets,
drunk driving, dangerous driving behavi
or.
If more than 90 % of motorcycle drivers
wear helmets, the number of deaths and
severe head injuries would be reduced 2
0-30 %

Accident Contributing Factors

Experience Less than 5 years
Occupations High school students,
University students
Vehicle types Motorcycles

Risky behavior

Fast driving
Drunk driving
Not wearing safety helmets
More than 1 carried passengers
Wild and careless driving
Lack of concentration

Driver Behavior

Motorcycle in Thailand

Riding Style , Protective and

Safety Devices
Riding Style
Riders Body is Exposed
Protective Devices
Riding Suite, Glove and Boots
Helmet
Active Safety Devices
ABS
Combination Brake
Passive Safety Devices
(Airbag System)

Passive Safety
has Limitations

(From HONDA Co. HP)

Motorcycle Safety Campaigns

1. Headlight on while driving
2. Safety helmets
3. Motorcycle lane

Design Standard

Design Standard

Signage Standard

Motorcycle and Bicycle Lane on

Chiangmai- Mae Rim Highway

Motorcycle lane in Phuket

Motorcycle lane in Phuket

Motorcycle lane in Lampang

Separated Motorcycle lane in Tak

Center of Directing on Road Safety

(Approved by the cabinet on 29 July 2003)

Traffic Measures
3. Safety helmets
4. Alcohol detecting on drivers
5. Safety motorcycles (the number of
modified motorcycles less than 10%)
6. Safety belts
7. Driver licenses
8. Speed control

Thailand Road Safety Strategies and Action Plans

IMPORTANT
STRATEGIES (5E)
Strategy 1:
Engineering

-Safe planning and design

of roads
-Improvement of
Strategy
2: Law
hazardous locations
Enforcement
-Vehicle safety standards
-Traffic police and law
enforcement
-Traffic legislationStrategy

5:
Information

Strategy 3: Public
Relations, Education and
Public Participation

-Driver training and testing

-Road safety education of
children
Strategy
Emergency
-Road4:safety
publicity and
campaigns
Medical
Services
- Emergency assistance to road
accident
Evaluation
andvictims

-Coordination and management of road

safety
-Road accident data systems
-Road safety funding and the role of the
assurance industry