Anti-drinking blitz puts dampener on Songkran carnage
For years, drunk drivers have feared little on Thailand's roads - except death. That's changing, but even with stiffer penalties and the supply of more breath analysis units for April's Songkran festival, the death toll may not fall unless campaigners persuade party-loving Thais to take life a little more seriously.
Police will receive 836 handheld breathalysers and 350 speed-guns over the next few weeks, allowing them to make more arrests and, hopefully, save lives. More than 600 people died in traffic accidents during Songkran's three days last year. Those arrested will find bribing their way out of handcuffs harder, as arresting officers will receive part of the fines drunk drivers pay.
While such equipment is standard for police patrols in developed countries, Thailand's under-funded force is lucky to have a patrol car, let alone the testing gadgets. Most make do with basic pick-up trucks. Government spending prioritises universal healthcare, education and transport improvements.
In a few months, drunk drivers will also face up to 10 years' jail and fines of up to 100,000 baht (HK$19,785) when new penalties are introduced. At the moment, the stiffest penalty is three months' jail and a 10,000 baht fine - less than a few weeks' salary for many drivers.
These measures may not be enough to stop some 13,000-14,000 people being killed each year - about 7.5 people for every 10,000 vehicles on Thailand's roads. Then there are the million-odd injuries. In neighbouring Malaysia, about four people are killed per 10,000 vehicles. In countries such as Japan and Singapore, the figure is between one and two.
'In my opinion, more than 70 per cent of road deaths and injuries are caused by alcohol,' says Dr Tairjing Siriphanich, the secretary-general of the Don't Drive Drunk Foundation (DDDF) and head of the Ministry of Public Health's injury prevention and control section.
Campaigners such as Dr Tairjing and the police invariably view Thai culture as a major barrier to reducing deaths. 'In Thailand we lack self-discipline,' says Dr Tairjing. 'Law enforcement is not very good. To control [drink driving], strict law enforcement is needed. We are too mai pen rai [no problem], too easy going. It is a cultural thing, too, and partly due to religion. In Buddhism, we believe in reincarnation, in fate.'
'We have to change Thai culture,' says Major-General Pharnu Kerdlarpphon, commander of Bangkok's traffic police. 'And laws have to be changed - for example, we must make it harder to buy alcohol. The provincial traffic police also needs reform, so that officers work more at night. But this requires a higher budget.'
In Thailand, alcohol is cheap and available everywhere, including petrol stations. And consumption has soared over the past few decades, along with vehicle sales. In 1979, Thais quaffed 450 million litres of alcohol annually. By 1998, they were downing 1,980 million litres a year. It is no surprise then that road accidents in Bangkok climbed 94 per cent over the decade to 1999.
'This is not an issue in Thai society,' says Dr Tairjing. 'Nine people die from bird flu, so everybody stops eating chicken. Yet they will get drunk and drive.' But there is some reason for optimism. Since early this month, more than 250 drunk drivers have been arrested in Ayutthaya province, compared with five last year. Police, the provincial authorities and the DDDF came up with a pilot project aimed at cutting the number of deaths, with an ongoing crackdown coupled with education through local television, radio and newspapers.
'The government tried for two New Years and two Songkrans and they failed [to cut road deaths],' says Dr Tairjing. 'You can't just campaign over the festive seasons. It has to be a daily campaign, with double or triple effort during festivals.'
Colonel Naret Nantachot, the head of Ayutthaya's anti-drink driving taskforce, is confident that - with the breathalysers provided by the DDDF, and harsher laws - police will meet their goal of halving the annual road deaths. 'If this project is a success the government will expand it across the country,' says Col. Naret.
