Road safety: Habits of ineffective policymaking
Road safety big issue during holiday season but then forgotten, so policies never solve dangerous road problem, a long-term problem in Thailand.
Road safety big issue during holiday season but then forgotten, so policies never solve dangerous road problem, a long-term problem in Thailand.
ROAD SAFETY & GOVERNMENT POLICY
Road safety: Habits of ineffective policymaking
10/01/2017
By Suranand Vejjajiva, Former secretary-general to the prime minister
Government policies in Thailand repeat certain dysfunctional patterns and habits that lead to policy failure over and over again.
In today's article, Suranand Vejjajiva, with his long experience in government working close to two Prime Ministers, outlines how these bad policymaking habits affect road safety in Thailand.
He also discusses how this problem might be overcome (some specific examples are also added from the author's daily pedestrian experiences on the sidewalks of Bangkok over a period of 10 years).
CRACKDOWN MENTALITY: SHORT-LIVED POLICY RESPONSE TO PROBLEMS
The public outcry over fatal road accidents in Thailand is seasonal and tied to major long public holidays, namely New Years and Songkran...
Past governments' responses to the chronic problem have usually been short-lived.
Once the media's attention subsides, traffic law enforcement becomes lax.
Then, the death toll is forgotten until the next holiday approaches.
NEWS CYCLE: ROAD SAFETY ISSUE DURING HOLIDAYS, THEN FORGOTTEN
Measures imposed by the current and previous governments are reactionary in nature and piecemeal in approach.
Road safety campaigns come in short bursts in the lead-up to and during a public holiday week.
Then comes the public outcry when the death toll is reported by the media until the news cycle changes -- like the current reports on floods in the South.
Once the cabinet passes resolutions to deal with road accidents, procurement and campaign budgets get approved.
Government officials act tough for a week or two. And then everyone forgets about it until the next holiday.
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO ROAD SAFETY NEEDED
It is time Thailand adopted a comprehensive approach to deal with the problem and make roads safer.
There are three ways to address the issue.
AIR, RAIL & WATER TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT NEEDED TO BALANCE ROAD TRANSPORT
The first one is infrastructure. Since the early 1960s, Thailand's major investments in public transport have mainly been given to the building of roads and highways.
Lesser investments went to the development of railways or water transport.
Railways have fallen into disrepair, river docks and ports remained underdeveloped and fragmented.
But more roads continue to be built, even though low-cost air service is available as another option for inter- provincial travel.
[In Thailand's ASEAN island neighbour the Philippines, for instance, there are many more budget airlines and prices routinely run from 600 to 900 baht or at least under 2000 baht for long flights across the country.]
POOR ROAD CONDITIONS & MAINTENANCE
One problem with Thailand's extensive road network is poor road conditions failing to meet standards for safe driving.
For example, one big pothole on the road can mean getting thrown from your motorcycle into moving traffic.
Lack of road maintenance can often be due to corruption (lack of transparency and accountability) in the handling of road maintenance budgets.
HEAVY USE BY OVERLOADED TRUCKS LEADS TO ROAD DETERIORATION
Heavy use by trucks carrying loads that exceed the allowed limit or traveling in downtown areas cause roads to deteriorate sooner with bumps and uneven slopes.
Deteriorated roads with potholes and uneven surfaces make roads prone to accidents.
[The Khlong Toey port of Bangkok near the Sukhumvit-Phra Ram IV Road is a perfect example. Giant 10-wheel trucks rip apart roads and sidewalks, make driving and walking dangerous and park along roads blocking traffic and pedestrians.]
LOCAL VILLAGE ROADS EXIT DIRECTLY ONTO MAJOR HIGHWAYS
Few major highways are accompanied by parallel local roads.
Accidents occur when local roadside residents merge into the fast-moving highway traffic at a slow speed.
Farm vehicles driving driving on the wrong side of highways present another problem.
[As a rural highway approaches a residential or shop area there are typically triple parked cars on the highway, motorcycles driving in every direction, even against the flow of traffic and often without their iights on because there is zero traffic law enforcement in this area.]
[Another well-known problem are motorcycles who speed on sidewalks when roads get crowded making life dangerous and difficult for pedestrians.]
[Cars also park on sidewalks and welders weld on public sidewalks, so pedestrians have to walk in the road.]
[Near the author's Khlong Toey condo there are even two car repair shops with cars and car parts strewn all over the sidewalk and a motorcycle dealer who uses up the entire public sidewalk as a display area.]
[There is also a forklift that uses the public road for a loading dock creating a continual a hazard forpedestrians, especially children and older people as well as a continual traffic jam.]
LOTS OF LAWS, LITTLE ENFORCEMENT
The second big problem is the law enforcement.
Laws exist. This includes legislation, cabinet resolutions and ministerial regulations which cover everything under the sun in the area of road safety.
However, these laws are useful only if they are observed by drivers and enforced by police.
JUST ENFORCE THE LAWS
The laws to curb drink driving (drunk driving, driving under the influence (DUI)), to control speed limits and demand the use of helmets and safety belts are there; just enforce them.
Those who violated the laws should not be let off the hook. Any officials failing to enforce the laws should be subject to disciplinary action.
NO DOUBLE STANDARDS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
At the same time, law offenders must receive punishment fairly without any double standards applied.
Preferential treatment in the judicial process for the well-to-do and well connected, influential individuals will only undermine the rule of law.
ALLOW CIVIL & CRIMINAL COURT CASES FOR ACCIDENT VICTIMS
Victims of road accidents should be able to take their cases to court to protect their rights and reach closure in grief over their losses.
Authorities whose negligence of duty has caused certain accidents must be held accountable.
ROADS DANGEROUS ALL YEAR LONG, NOT JUST DURING HOLIDAY SEASON
Regarding, prevention campaigning, if we want to change the way we do things, public campaigns must be ongoing efforts all year long.
Road are not just dangerous during the holiday weekends. Roads are dangerous every day.
Authorities have to be committed to reduce the number of accidents with a clear target. Local governments and the police must always be on hand and to work with communities on awareness-raising.
Let's keep our roads safe every day.
Suranand Vejjajiva was secretary-general to the prime minister during the Yingluck Shinawatra government and is now a political analyst.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1177413/knee-jerk-reactions-wont-lower-road-toll
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