What a wonderful sight, it makes us feel so good that so many people have come out in such numbers to support the Helmet law. You are all fantastic, I hope this message will continue and get stronger, and stronger. Well done to the police force.

Monica and Shane. MoM

Posted by monica on January 23, 2011 20:01

i was in sappan hin this evening, and still people drive past the police box there with no helmet and nothing is done to stop them.. perhaps most disheartening is when i see fathers and mothers on motorbikes wearing helmets but no helmet on their children!!

Posted by another steve on January 23, 2011 20:26

What a joke, as well meaning as this is.The fact is that the ''pudding bowl'' type helmets you can wear to simply comply with the law, makes the law an ass!!!

Take a look at what Governor Tri and Deputy PM Suthep have on their heads....are they really serious? If you fell off your barstool with one of those you may well prevent an injury, but at speed on a motorcycle???come on!!

Their aim is to reduce DEATHS by 50 percent is laughable even with a decent helmet...in fact is undo-able.These plastic buckets at best will stop minor abrasions and scratches in a low speed tip-over type incident and fortunately these falls are very very rarely fatal.

Usually high speed impact with another solid object or the road surface are the killers and these helmets are about as effective as a silk scarf in these situations.

I agree 100% that action needs to be taken to reduce ALL deaths on ALL roads but unless it goes hand in hand with all the other obvious failings.ie drink driving, lack of enforcement of even basic road rules, lack of credible rider ability testing, condition of roads,etc, etc.

ED says." Anybody who has lived in a regimented society knows enforcement is never a real answer." This is true...there is no real answer to the stupidity of some people, but strict enforcement certainly DOES have an impact on reducing deaths.

Simply enforcing ONE law; that is to simply put a plastic pot on your head and imply that you probably will not die in a crash, is beyond belief. But TIT !!

Posted by david on January 24, 2011 10:03

Dave, can't believe you can be so negative and rude about people trying to do there best. I bet you have done some really stupid this in life and afterward thought 'what a dick head I was.' Reality is no one is perfect, and we have to learn by mistakes. Just as you did growing up being taught by your mother. And I bet if you were a skateboarder you didn't put on all the gear you need to come to no harm. It is going to take time, it is the next generation that hopefully will take this to the higher level. So many people are seeing that the law is saving lives and wearing their helmets even if they are not to your liking, but are still saving lives. Be a bit more positive thinking perhaps but on your helmet a slogan, I wear my Helmet. I love living.

Monica MoM

Posted by Monica on January 25, 2011 21:45

Monica Mom...Presenting FACTS is in no way at all negative or rude [ point out where please]. As a long time senior m/cycle rider trainer i can tell you that the points i make ie;actually being able to competently control a m/cycle in all conditions and pass a strict test to confirm so is the MOST important step in lowering the death toll for m/cyclists! !Followed up by strict police enforcement of every single vehicle operator who doesn't comply with the law, and special attention to drink drivers. Lack of maintenance of roads to a safe standard... which fuel taxes are meant to be used for is another co contributing factor to m/cycle deaths. A good dose of commonsense also helps.
Without the whole package i have mentioned being done i will state again.....;Simply enforcing ONE law; that is to simply put a plastic pot on your head and imply that you probably will not die in a crash, is beyond belief! !It is as intelligent as saying..if you go swimming in the ocean in low season wearing kids 'floaties' the drowning rate will also be reduced 50%...un-doable!! As a rider myself i fully agree that something MUST be done to lower the road toll, but this 'highly publicsed' stunt will in no way at all achieve a lowering of the death rate on m/cycles.
Another point...look at the pics above and the one on the far right...dad and child, both wearing useless pretty wee plastic pudding bowls, with the child sitting on the fuel tank...joke ,right? Glad to hear that you wear a helmet..i only hope that you do indeed have a proper 'safety helmet' and not one of these pudding bowls, otherwise M/M you are only fooling yourself regarding your chance of survival in a serious accident..Good luck.

Posted by david on January 26, 2011 10:49

Ed..you say that SOME people are wearing poor quality helmets. I resectfully beg to differ here.I was at the rally and i would say that the vast MAJORITY were wearing poor quality helmets. This is the problem..awareness to wear a 'helmet' for safety is a great move, but as i say, if the helmet is not of a high quality the awareness is a non-event.In fact, often this awareness of wearing a helmet[ pudding bowl type ] can result in "wow i'm wearing a helmet that can make me unbreakable" and make the rider even more reckless as a result.This is fine, until the point of serious impact! The result of cranial impact to a hard object when wearing a pudding bowl is no different at all to not wearing any helmet.Sure , a minor fall will possibly result in a minor head injury... protect from a few scratches maybe, but the stated goal is to reduce deaths by 50%. Statistically this is impossible unless ALL riders wear a high standard helmet...FACT! There is no real excuse for expats not to have and to wear a high standard helmet, they do cost a lot more than the 2-500baht plastic bowls, but as the saying goes.."$10 helmet on a $10 head, only means you are going to be dead!" For most Thais to be able to pay top money for a high quality helmet is beyond their means, i know, but when you look at what the cost to the country is from deaths and maimings on m/cycles, the correct thing for the authorities to do would be to either donate high quality helmets to the thais or else subsidise the cost significantly so all can reduce the risk of death or serious injury.This combined with a serious training programme and serious enforcement of the laws is the only way they will get anywhere near maybe a 20% reduction in deaths on m/cycles in thailand...Sadly....

Posted by david on January 26, 2011 13:50

Hi Dave,I appreciate you comments and your expertise with motorbikes. But the fact is to get any law going, you have to start right at the bottom. Working your way up, teaching the older generation is going to be much harder. The helmet my be not the standard that we are used to, and the law enforcement in Europe. But it is a start getting it into someone's head that helmets are a good thing to wear. I can remember us wear these pudding pots, many years ago.
With all of your experience in motorbikes you would be the perfect person to help with this campaign. Perhaps you could put yourself forward to go into the schools and demonstrate the safety in the right helmet to buy. As I said it will be the young generation to bring this to a higher level. As for the police I do think with the man power that they have it is always going to be hard job, there definitely needs to be more police employed.

Monica. MoM

Posted by monica on January 27, 2011 14:01

i agree with what you say monica, [ i also wore a pudding pot helmet around 1964-66, but at the time that was basically all there was, and in fact until about 1968 in NZ you didnt have to even wear one if under 30 mph..but things have changed a lot in 40 years!] but you are missing the point of all this.my response is 100% aimed at the article/rally itself,and how misleading it is.They imply that the simple act of wearing a helmet regardless of any type or quality will itself lead to a 50% reduction in m/cycle deaths. This is wrong and missleading info.Even with all wearing a high quality 10,000-20,000 baht helmet this is un-doable.Maybe 20% could be achieved by wearing these helmets, but even then, not, as i say without a multipronged full on campaign over the long term. Many friends have died of internal injuries on impact whilst wearing expensive helmets. ALL deaths are NOT only from head injuries, unfortunately.This is where the whole package [ training,high quality helmets, enforcement , etc ]needs to be considered, otherwise the horrific toll will continue as it is now. Sad but true! As for my going along to spread the word...sorry , not for all the tea in China..the expression 'banging ones head on the wall'' comes to mind here..lol and even if i was wearing a very expensive helmet whilst doing so, would still have major headaches....

Posted by david on January 28, 2011 12:09

Dave I have been banging my head against the wall for the past year, with all the negative comments people are so happy to give. But the minute you suggest for them to help, they decline. Shame on them.
Monica MoM.

Posted by Monica on January 30, 2011 03:38

Can only presume that your little outburst is directed at me again mon...maybe 3.30 am you're not thinking straight.Please point out where have i made any negative or rude comments about this issue. I will happily apologise if i have done so. I think that you are still confusing my posting of actual facts with being negative. Presenting facts is being realistic...on such a serious issue, as this is in aiming to save lives, you can only be realistic...and sadly, you, though probably well intentioned are not listening to the reality of what i say. You really think that a westerner going to thai schools and telling them what they should / should not do would have any effect at all. In fact its so unrealistic that its laughable. Their whole culture and thinking is worlds apart from western. Here's ONE example of what you are up against; young thais say "if you need to wear a helmet you obviously cannot ride a motorsyc well...I am very good rider so I don't need a helmet!!!.".."but it messes with my hair!!"..."I only go to market, not far, no problem" etc, etc, etc. You can lead a horse to water, but you CANNOT make it drink. So tell us Mon. what are you, yourself actually doing for this cause that you are so passionate about, apart from saying..Quote: What a wonderful sight, it makes us feel so good.

Posted by david on January 30, 2011 11:44

All this helmetizing is just window dressing. Sorry Monica Mom, your son made bad choice, and you are suffering and want action but stop the the super-sonic speeding airport taxis if you want streets to be safer- for everyone.

Helmet enforcement only harasses lower income drivers.

I'd rather see enforcement of speed limits and teach young Thai drivers in cars and on motorcycles to respect inertia.

Posted by Capt Kirk on January 30, 2011 12:37

This from our estimed ED...;seem to think young Western lives were worth saving. But when it comes to Thai lives, you're a quitter. How come?
My only reply to your pathetic post above is...?????????? Did you also come up with this nonsence at 3.30 am, when you should 've been sleeping and replenishing your grey matter!! Good grief man! Shame on you!! You very obviously have no idea what you are talking about and makes you look very foolish.You probably will not post this , but i really think you should.

Posted by david on January 30, 2011 13:19

Dave as I live in England the time span is I think about 7-8 hours different. So my eyes were wide open and my brain definitely was working. The fact is lives have been save since this campaign has started. What a joke, laughable, these comments to me are rude and unconsidered. These people are trying their best. There is a great difference between telling someone what to do, and teaching someone what will happen if not wearing a helmet. From my end here in England I try to spread the word of wearing a helmet in Thailand through Phuketwan.

Dave this is the last I will comment on this. Ride safe.

Monica. MoM

Posted by monica on January 30, 2011 17:24

STOP MOANING..THIS IS PHUKET THAILAND..
The ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGN HAS STARTED...
ALREADY THE TRAFFIC POLICE ARE VISITING SCHOOLS AND PUTTING INCENTIVE SCHEMES INTO PLACE FOR THE PUPILS..It takes time..lets be POSITIVE..PEOPLE LIKE MOM help this happen GOOD LUCK..IF IT SAVES 1 LIFE ITS WORTH IT...

Posted by STAN on January 30, 2011 19:16