A MASSIVE rally of 10,000 Phuket motorcycle riders is expected on Sunday to conclusively demonstrate that the island now wears helmets and is committed to road safety.
The rally all over Phuket will be overseen by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban who will fly in from Bangkok to greet Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha before launching the ride from Phuket City.
Ten thousand helmets on 10,000 riders on Phuket's roads on Sunday would also demonstrate that even entrenched cynics and doomsayers cannot prevent Phuket from changing for the better.
More importantly, the newly released statistics for 2010 show a dramatic reduction in the road toll.
There were 137 deaths on Phuket's roads in 2010 compared to 153 in 2009. With the rapidly increasing numbers on Phuket's roads, that's a life-saving achievement.
While solving crimes continues to be an important part of police work, the days when the toll topped 200 and Phuket was one of the most dangerous places to be on the roads in Thailand appear to have passed, and for that the police deserve plenty of credit.
Phuket Police Commander Major General Pekad Tantipong said today that Phuket City's campaign for 100 percent helmet safety from April on led to the change in thinking.
With the whole of Phuket becoming ''100 percent helmet'' from January 1, the hope is for continuing change.
The depressing part of the road toll statistics is that there were still 13,889 people who required hospital treatment on Phuket for injuries after road crashes, a figure that does not fully explain the maimings, losses and family pain behind the number.
Drownings too have become less frequent on Phuket, with 37 deaths in the water in 2010 compared to 57 in 2009. The advent of a series of lifesaver pods and beach patrols from late April on Phuket's most popular stretches of sand helped awareness of the dangers.
For a holiday island that specialises in year-round beach holidays for tourists who are not always strong swimmers, the number of deaths still requires greater committment and more responsbility from all who benefit from the tourism industry.
A total of 119 people required hospital treatment after being plucked from the water on and around Phuket.
Sunday's island wide helmet rally begins when motorcyclists begin to arrive at the Sanam Chai park in Phuket City, opposite Provincial Hall, from 2pm.
Khun Suthep and Governor Tri will make speeches at 4pm, then the 10,000 helmetted riders will be off and rolling. It should be a great day of celebration for Phuket.
Phuket's pacesetting strategy for ''100 percent helmets'' has been adopted in other provinces and is being introduced nationwide.
Colonel Wanchai Eakpornpit, who conceived the strategy for successfully introducing helmets, became the Phuketwan Phuket Post Phuket Person of the Year 2010.
Phuketwan supports the Mothers or Motorcycles (MoM) action group that urges compulsory helmet wearing and safety awareness.
The rally all over Phuket will be overseen by Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban who will fly in from Bangkok to greet Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha before launching the ride from Phuket City.
Ten thousand helmets on 10,000 riders on Phuket's roads on Sunday would also demonstrate that even entrenched cynics and doomsayers cannot prevent Phuket from changing for the better.
More importantly, the newly released statistics for 2010 show a dramatic reduction in the road toll.
There were 137 deaths on Phuket's roads in 2010 compared to 153 in 2009. With the rapidly increasing numbers on Phuket's roads, that's a life-saving achievement.
While solving crimes continues to be an important part of police work, the days when the toll topped 200 and Phuket was one of the most dangerous places to be on the roads in Thailand appear to have passed, and for that the police deserve plenty of credit.
Phuket Police Commander Major General Pekad Tantipong said today that Phuket City's campaign for 100 percent helmet safety from April on led to the change in thinking.
With the whole of Phuket becoming ''100 percent helmet'' from January 1, the hope is for continuing change.
The depressing part of the road toll statistics is that there were still 13,889 people who required hospital treatment on Phuket for injuries after road crashes, a figure that does not fully explain the maimings, losses and family pain behind the number.
Drownings too have become less frequent on Phuket, with 37 deaths in the water in 2010 compared to 57 in 2009. The advent of a series of lifesaver pods and beach patrols from late April on Phuket's most popular stretches of sand helped awareness of the dangers.
For a holiday island that specialises in year-round beach holidays for tourists who are not always strong swimmers, the number of deaths still requires greater committment and more responsbility from all who benefit from the tourism industry.
A total of 119 people required hospital treatment after being plucked from the water on and around Phuket.
Sunday's island wide helmet rally begins when motorcyclists begin to arrive at the Sanam Chai park in Phuket City, opposite Provincial Hall, from 2pm.
Khun Suthep and Governor Tri will make speeches at 4pm, then the 10,000 helmetted riders will be off and rolling. It should be a great day of celebration for Phuket.
Phuket's pacesetting strategy for ''100 percent helmets'' has been adopted in other provinces and is being introduced nationwide.
Colonel Wanchai Eakpornpit, who conceived the strategy for successfully introducing helmets, became the Phuketwan Phuket Post Phuket Person of the Year 2010.
Phuketwan supports the Mothers or Motorcycles (MoM) action group that urges compulsory helmet wearing and safety awareness.
I'm neither a doomsayer nor an entrenched cynic. All this development is very positive and I fully support it.
However it's still far off 100%. Take a ride around Rawai and you'll see that barely 10% wear a helmet, even in daytime.
Campaigns are great and save lives but enforcement is just as important and that's what is seriously lacking in Phuket.
Curiously enough not so in Pattaya. Far more people wear helmets there than on Phuket and since many years already.
To call Phuket a forerunner in this regard does not reflect the reality.
Posted by Chris on January 21, 2011 20:31
Editor Comment:
Phuket is not a forerunner but it has been the place where a strategy has evolved that works. Colonel Wanchai first persuaded local community leaders, made a local road safety movie, gave away helmets to motorcycle taxi riders, and brought schools on board with MoUs. It won't happen overnight. (Why is it that people expect massive change overnight?) But more lives will be saved, even in Rawai, eventually. The strategy is what makes it the ''Phuket model.''