Well, you will be glad to know we are not the “hub” of road deaths, we are only second worst. The WHO has released its findings and has shown that the global road death toll has already reached 1.24 million per year and is on course to triple to 3.6 million per year by 2030.
In the developing world, where this pandemic has hit hardest, it will become the fifth leading cause of death, leapfrogging past HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other familiar killers, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) most recent Global Burden of Disease study.
Another second place for Pattaya.
The U.S. was an early pioneer in road safety standards, particularly with respect to engineering safer highways, implementing government-mandated safety standards for vehicles and enforcing strict drunk-driving laws. The number of road fatalities has been in steady decline since the early 1970s, but with 11.4 deaths per 100,000 citizens, the U.S.’s overall driving record is still poor compared to other wealthy nations.
Here are a few figures from the WHO report (deaths per 100,000 citizens): Sweden 3, UK 3.7, France 6.4, Russia 18.6, Thailand 38.1.
These are appalling figures and we already know that 80 percent of these fatalities are motorcycle riders with no helmet. The message is there, loud and clear, but we can expect lip service only, and no real application of the laws that already exist. (I do not consider the nightly check points as application of law, but rather donations for tickets to the policeman’s ball.)
Those of you who do ride motorcycles should be aware of the situation and I suggest an upgrade to a car or pick-up is a good idea.
