Carnage

[sandman67]

J above hits the nail on the head.

As Ive said before Im a biker, and that means I ALWAYS will stop. Even if its just to make sure someone has called an ambulance/tuk tuk/mate to get the victim to hospital.

Ive done it 3 times now. In all three cases its been some kids on a ped, and in all three cases the driver of the car had done a runner. All three were out on the main road/BKK to HH race track late at night.

Yes in two cases the MIBS hassled me...but the bystanders helped out by translating for me....and a ped in bits next to my scratchless bike, and the headlight glass scattered about, dictates it wasn't me that hit em, so they would have looked pretty stupid trying to pin it on me.

If it were me at the side of the road Id want someone to stop and help out.....you would want the same.

Id rather spend an hour with the MIBS, till my lawyer turned up and made them look dumb, than ride on by and wake up the next day wondering whether the poor sod I ignored was still breathing.

And on the off chance y do stop and the motorcyclist is wearing a helmet please don't try to take it off (or allow anyone else to)...it could kill or paralyze the victim. Just undo the strap very carefully and leave it on.
_________________
If I can't smoke and swear I'm f****d!
"To sin by silence makes cowards of men"

[STEVE G]

I absolutely agree with Jaime as well. About ten years ago I was out at night in Pattaya when a Thai girl was knocked down by a speeding motorbike. At least 20 farangs witnessed this and just carried on as if nothing had happened. I started administering a bit of basic first aid but she seemed to be in a pretty bad way. I was fully aware of the potential of the situation, but as Jaime points out you don’t watch someone die to save money and as I was unable to get anyone to call an ambulance, I took her to a hospital myself in a taxi.
At the hospital I just explained what had happened and they whisked her away on a stretcher, I just paid the taxi driver and went on my way.

[richard]

Think you need one of these if driving in Thailand

http://www.monstertrucks-uk.com/gallerypiclist00.php3?picno=9

_________________
Syd--------Shine on you crazy diamond
Freddie--- Love kills
If you've a problem don't moan. Find a solution!!

Khun Richard of Yorkshire (Halifax) and Hua Hin

[STEVE G]

How about one of these:http://www.bizbuzzmedia.com/blogs/big_lorry_blog/archive/2007/04/02/8422.aspx

[sandman67]

nahhhh

gimme this little baby anytime.....http://www.morozov.com.ua/eng/images/btr_4_1.jpg

Sod 4x4...this ones 8x8 and comes with a water cannon add on for Songkran!

and for the motorcyclists amongst us may I recommend our latest 2008 model



Put some BOOM with your VROOM....drive a tank
_________________
If I can't smoke and swear I'm f****d!
"To sin by silence makes cowards of men"

[Jaime]

[Terry]

I thought that this little snippet from todays' Bangkok Post was worth an airing here.........

Reckless rescue

Driving home one evening I saw flashing lights some distance behind me accompanied by the sound of siren. Yes, the vehicle belonged to one of those charities with rescue volunteers.


As usual the emergency vehicle was speeding recklessly with the lives of casualties on board at stake. The pick-up seemed to be heading towards a hospital in a Soi I know and I felt an urge to follow it.


I just wanted to see whether the reckless driving a moment ago is worth the risk. I caught up with the vehicle just as the casualty was coming out _ a lone man walking with a slight limp on his not so severely wounded foot.


Now, even with a seriously injured casualty on board, reckless driving and speeding can not be justified.


These rescue volunteers are very much mistaken in believing that there is a need to rush the sick or the injured to the hospital as quickly as possible, and that speeding is justified.


I have read a paramedic manual published in a developed country and it emphasised that appropriate first aid is the primary objective.


Secondary objective is to transport the injured to the nearest hospital promptly at reasonably safe speed.


Using common sense and logic, say the hospital is half an hour away, excessive speed would merely cut five or ten minutes at most from the usual pace _ provided the ambulance didn't roll over or crash into someone else's car on the way.


An improper first aid could contribute to worsening injury condition of the traumatised patient in the first place and shorter transportation time might not be of any help at all.


Rescue personnel who still drive this way must no longer be praised for their despicable and physically dangerous acts.


Another case of reckless rescue driving occurred some time ago when a large hotel in Pattaya had a fire. The blaze got of control and rescue workers were called in to help a large number of casualties.


One of the rescue vehicles speeding to the hospital rolled off the road, setting itself on fire and killing those on board.


It is time to properly train and upgrade these so-called rescue volunteers.


Each and every one of them ought to be thoroughly screened to rid off the tradition of praising the fastest drivers and craziest staffs as being the best.


I am sure that training these personnel is very cost effective and socially beneficial.


In fact, these training might not even cost a baht if sponsored by charities or even one or two large multinational petroleum companies.


My opinion is that there should be a clear definition of the responsibilities and roles of the fire brigade and the rescue charities.


In developed countries, the fire brigade is responsible for rescuing the people and are well trained technically and morally. They are loved by the people.


A family member who works in the fire brigade is respected just as much as a soldier who is willing to sacrifice his life for the country (in this case of the fireman, to save another person's life).


Looking back at the Thai fire brigade and I cannot help feeling a sense of despair.


A friend of mine lives in a crowded soi and he told me that each house in that soi need to have a ''sizeable'' cash reserve in case a fire breaks out.


The money is needed to pay the firemen or else there would be ''no water available'' to extinguish if a fire breaks out.


Casualties from accidents and various other incidents need medical and physical assistance provided by adequately trained personnel to make it through.


Sufficient number of suitable tools and equipment are also required to perform rescue operations.


Specifically prepared ambulances and trained personnel are needed for medical assistance, not slightly prepared pick-up trucks currently used to transport both rotten corpses and injured people by ill-trained ''volunteers''.


Jessada Tandhasetti is former department head of automotive engineering studies at Rangsit University and is currently a technical consultant. He holds a master's degree in automotive engineering from Technical University, Berlin, Germany.



Very fine thoughts and words - unfortunately the chances of any such action here is just a pipe dream...
_________________
Terry Theobald
Hua Hin Fishing Lodge
Tel:- 081-927-1271 (Eng / Thai)
089-837-4079 (Eng)

Come on over - you might get hooked.

www.huahinfishing.com
www.huahinfishingtours.com

[Hobiecat]

Will have to agree with you Terry. Of course when you are at home in your native country when you hear a siren you pull over to let the emergency vehicle past. Although Thai's don't pull off the road when asiren is heard. I personally get the hell out of the way to avoid the potenial wreck that is going to take place in front of me.

It never cesses to amaze me watching the fire trucks going by with the brigade hanging off the top hair straight back like a bunch of monkies swinging from a vine. Makes me wonder how much emphasis is put on safety during there training. Or if training even takes place.

I get chills thinking of being resued from an accident in this country. From first hand experience. It's just throw an injured person in the ambulance and GO! No real initial or emergency first aid performed before moving an injured patient.

Considering the purchace of a ten wheel Hino to keep the family safe while on road trips.
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Why is it called 'after dark' when it really is 'after light'?

[miked]

I have been driving in thailand,both car and motor bike,for just over a year. a year ago without doubt would have stopped for an accident and offer any help I could. A year on and after experiences the appalling standard of driving here, no way. stop and help and then get blamed??? forget it.
If you pull out from a turning and don’t look, drive with your wheels on the white lane marker because you can’t judge distance and generally couldn’t care less about other road users, that’s fine. drive up my arse, overtake on my inside and then cut in front of me only to do a u turn at the next exit, that’s fine. pull away from traffic lights so slowly that I look in my mirror and think “ did I jump the lights” that’s fine. drive in the middle lane at 40kph because you’re on the phone and even if you are aware of me you don’t give a toss, that’s fine. in heavy rain don’t put your lights on, no problem.
When you cause carnage i.’m expected to stop, help and the probably get blamed for the accident.??? I don’t think so. Away and forget it. i never will stop.
miked

[sandman67]

I dont want to sound confrontational (or overly emotive) Mike, but this

[lindosfan1]

I was in the UK some years ago watched a car speeding down a hill towards a roundabout driving far to fast it hit the roundabout and rolled over. I ran over pull three of the 4 occupants out 1 got out on his own.
30 seconds after I pulled the last one out the car went up in flames.
I was the only person there so I helped, To this day one man still communicates with me. He would not have been able to had I or someone else had not been there.
To my mind to not stop and help is extremely selfish, if you were in an accident and unable to help yourself you would be hoping someone will help.
I just hope that the callous ones who do not help do not expect help when they need it.
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Woke up this morning breathing I thought this is a good start to the day.

[miked]

yes it's selfish not to stop, but more important to me is it's bloody selfish of them to drive the way they do. they put my wife and myself in great danger.i don't expect any of them to stop and help me.
you stop and help. do the right thing. as for me i'm gone.
miked

[lindosfan1]

Mike I come from Kent originally I am glad no one I know is like you you are depriving a Kentish village of its idiot with that attitude,
Sorry for the rant but the doesnt even live here
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Woke up this morning breathing I thought this is a good start to the day.

[miked]

lindosfan1,
i lived in kent, rainham in fact for 23 years coming here in february 2007. had a wholesale company and i drove something like 60,000 miles a year for 28 years. never had an accident in all that time. not bad. in england saw many accidents and helped at quite a few. but this is not england. if you want to be the good samaritan i have no problem with that. i will not stop and offer help only to end up taking the blame for something that has nothing to do with me. don't blame me, your in thailand now.
miked

[BaaBaa.]

Have to agree with Miked to a certain degree, by all all means pull up and help if you want to make a donation to the MIB.
Sandman is obviously correct but the driving past 1 of your own is like a future horror story, I shudder to think about that.
You want to help but it really is catch 22.