The document summarizes road safety legislation efforts in Thailand. It discusses (1) the high road accident and fatality rates in Thailand, particularly among motorcyclists, (2) existing gaps in Thailand's road safety legislation regarding issues like speed limits and child restraints, (3) the Legal Development Program's objectives to advocate for evidence-based road safety laws, and (4) examples of the program's advocacy activities and some progress made in improving Thailand's road safety laws.

1. IMPROVING ROAD SAFETY
LEGISLATION IN THAILAND
Legal Development Program (LDP)
2015-2016
BY LDP members Thailand
Geneva, Switzerland – 13 October, 2016
BLOOMBERG INITIATIVE FOR GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY

2. CONTENT
1. The Road Safety Crisis
2. Legislation Gap in Thailand
3. Overview: Legal Development Program
4. Objectives: Legal Development Program
5. Activities: Legal Development Program
6. Road Safety Legislation Progress

3. The Global ProblemTHE GLOBAL ROAD CRISIS
Every six seconds, someone is killed or
seriously injured on the world’s roads
The young and poor are
disproportionately affected
Half of those dying are vulnerable
road users
$518 billion is lost annually due to
road crashes
3

4. THE ROAD CRISIS IN THAILAND
4
Though many
stakeholders are
working toward
improving road
safety, very few
experts are
advocating for
improved
legislation
There are 36.2
deaths per 100,000
people – 2.5x the
global rate
Thailand has the
second highest road
crash fatality rate
in the world 73% of road crash
fatalities are riders of
motorized 2- and 3-
wheelers

5. LEGISLATION GAP IN THAILAND
•National speed law ✔
•Speed limit on urban roads ≤ 50 km/h ✗
•Local authorities can modify the national speed limit ✗
Speeding
•National drunk driving law ✔
•Drunk driving based on BAC or equivalent measure ✔
•BAC limit for general ≤ 0.05% ✔
•BAC limit for young and novice driver ≤ 0.02% ✗
Drunk
driving
•National motorcycle helmet law ✔
•Law applies to drivers and adult passengers ✔
•Law applies to all road types ✔
•Law requires helmet to be properly fastened ✔
•Law requires helmet to meet a national or international standard ✔
Motorcycle
helmet
usage
•National seat belt law ✔
•Law applies to front seat passengers ✔
•Law applies to rear seat passengers ✗
Seat belt
usage
•National child restraint law ✗
•Law is based on age, weight, height, or a combination ✗
•Law restricts children under a certain age and/or height ✗
Child
restraints

6. OVERVIEW: LEGAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (LDP)
The LDP builds the capacity of its members to
advocate for effective road safety legislation in Thailand
2015: AIP Foundation partnered with the World Health Organization as part of
the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety to establish the LDP
2016: the LDP has 14 members and an advisory committee

7. OBJECTIVES: LEGAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Enhance
knowledge and
skills
Promote active
participation in
relevant working
groups and
committees
Advocate for
evidence-based
laws

8. 2016 LEGAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

9. 2015 ACTIVITIES

10. 2016 ACTIVITIES

11. ADVOCATING THROUGH AN ACADEMIC FORUM

12. ADVOCATING THROUGH THE MEDIA
Media coverage from Voice TV reporter Chayakorn
Kumchoke and Pol. Maj. Gen. Pongson Kongtreekaew
Ms. Ratanawadee H. Winther appears on
Thailand Today

13. ADVOCATING THROUGH THE MEDIA

14. ADVOCATING FOR LEGISLATIVE IMPROVEMENT BASED ON
RECOMMENDATIONS MADE ON RELEVANT PLATFORMS

15. ADVOCATING FOR LEGISLATIVE IMPROVEMENT BASED ON
RECOMMENDATIONS MADE ON RELEVANT PLATFORMS

16. ADVOCATING THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT
OF DISASTER PREVENTION AND MITIGATION
19 February:
First meeting to to amend
road safety improvement
law
3 May:
Second meeting to amend
road safety improvement
law
16 May:
Third sub-committee on
road safety management
19 May:
Third “Road Safety
Directing Center”
11 July:
Fourth “Road Safety
Directing Center”
21 July
Meeting to prepare
revisions to road safety
improvement law
31 August:
National Road Safety
Policy Committee Meeting
October:
Cabinet Meeting – road
safety-related agency is
improving the law in five
months

17. ROAD SAFETY LEGISLATION PROGRESS
Issue Legislation Legislative Improvements Made
Speed limit 1. Road Traffic Act
2. Highway Act
3. Department of
Transport Regulations
(suspension or
revocation of license)
1) Reduce speed in urban areas and set appropriate speed limits for
provincial roads. Worked with the police to determine appropriate speeds
and announced the speed control methods.
2) Increase fines for offenses in the Road Traffic Act to 10,000 baht.
Drunk Driving 1. Road Traffic Act
2. Alcohol Control Act
1) BAC less than 0.02% required for a novice driver and/or a temporary
license holder.
2) Establish measures to deter the issue of drunk driving.
3) Increase penalties related to BAC levels.
4) Include offenders in a database.
Driver’s licenses 1. Road Traffic Act
2. Land Transport Act
1) Intensify driver’s license regulations.
2) Suspend and revoke a driver's license to drive a personalized cover.
3) Increase the criminal penalties to three months and a 50,000 baht fine.
Public
transportation
1. Road Traffic Act
2. Land Transport Act
3. Car Act
4. Consumer Protection
Act
1) Set additional conditions for obtaining a specialized license to establish
stronger safety standards for public buses.
2) Improve methods available to protect and provide justice to those
affected.
Seat belt usage 1. Road Traffic Act 1) Require seat belts for passengers in the rear seats of a car. The driver is
responsible for the rear seat belts.

18. SITUATION ON 2-3
WHEELERS IN THAILAND

19. SITUATION ON 2-3 WHEELERS
IN THAILAND

20. 2 WHEELER
04/12/59 20LDP Thailand country paper

21. 3 WHEELER
04/12/59 21LDP Thailand country paper

22. NUMBERS OF 2-3 WHEELERS REGISTERED
Category registered total
- Motorcycle 20,342,403 20,531,896
- Public Motorcycle 189,493
- Motor-tricycle 1,654 21,920
- Motor-tricycle taxi (Tuk Tuk) 20,266
Table 1.1: Numbers of 2-3 wheelers registered in Thailand:
(Source : Department of Land Transport, 2016)
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23. STATISTIC OF 2-3 WHEELER’S ACCIDENT
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Table 1.2: Numbers of 2-3 wheelers involved in traffic accidents between
2011-2015,
(Source : Royal Thai Police, 2016)
Category 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
-Bicycle 418 365 394 387 891
-Tricycle 17 18 19 16 29
-Motorcycle 20,056 20,395 20,426 19,038 26,715
-MotorTricycletaxi
(TukTuk)
259 294 285 224 241

24. THE HIGHEST
• Motorcycle ranks the highest number in
road accident among 2-3 wheelers.
• The average rate of accident per year on
motorcycle is at 21,000 accidents
• Bicycle is at 490 accidents per year.
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25. FATALITIES AND CASUALTIES
Table 1.3 :Traffic accidents: fatalities and casualties, 2011-2015,
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Victim 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
fatalities 9,552 9,007 7,944 6,338 6,268
seriousinjured 4,138 3,954 3,666 2,813 2,519
Slightlyinjured 17,258 18,656 18,037 17,035 15,641
(Source : Royal Thai Police, 2016)
The average death rate on road accidents in
Thailand is 7,800 people per year or 38 people
out of 100,000.

26. CAUSES OF MOTORCYCLE INJURY
The main reasons are:
• Speeding
• Not wearing helmet.
• Carelessness
• Lack of knowledge and understanding of road safety
• Weak law enforcement
• Light penalty (e.g. fine for not wearing helmet
around 400 THB, 11.43 CHF)
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27. RATE OF HELMET WEARING
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2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Rider 53 54 52 51 51
Passenger 19 24 20 19 19
Both 44 46 43 43 42
Table 1.4: Rate of helmet wearing between 2010-2014 (percentage).
(Source : Thai Roads Foundation, 2016)
Average 52.2% for riders, 20.2%
for passengers.

28. SEVERE INJURY
From the total number of 79,416 road accidents in Thailand 2010.
Table 1.5: Severe injuriesd by transport accident, 2012
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Vehicle involved Percentage
Motorcycle 82.25
Pick-up truck 7.12
Bicycle and tricycle 3.85
Others 6.78
(Source: Injury surveillance report, Ministry of Public Health, 2012)

29. CASUALTIES AND INJURIES FROM MOTORCYCLES
Table 1.6: Number of casualties and fatalities from motorcycles, 2012
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Serious injuries 62,031
Fatalities 3,154 (5.08%)
Serious injuries rate of wearing helmet (percentage)
Rider 13.84
Passenger 5.56
( Source: Injury surveillance report, Ministry of Public Health, 2012)
From all serious accidents, only 13.84% of drivers
wore helmet, and 5.56% passengers did.

30. LAW ENFORCEMENT
• Despite availability of many types of 2-3 wheelers in Thailand,
they are not included in traffic laws
- no requirement for registration, driving license, or helmet
wearing helmet to non-motorized 2-3 wheeler.
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31. LAWS
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Table 2.1: Registration of 2-3 wheelers in Thailand, 1979
Categories of 2-3 wheelers Applicable laws
1. Motorcycle Traffic Act 1979 C.E.
2. Tricycle, Bicycle No.
3. Motor-tricycle Motor Vehicle Act 1979 C.E.
4. Motorcycle Motor Vehicle Act 1979 C.E.
5. Motor-tricycle Motor Vehicle Act 1979 C.E.
6. Motor-Tricycle taxi (Tuk Tuk) Motor Vehicle Act 1979 C.E.
( Source: Traffic Act, 1979 C.E)

32. VIOLATION PENALTY
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Table 2.2 : Rate of penalty in violating traffic laws
Violation Penalty/Fine
Rider who does not wear helmet 500 bath (14.06 CHF)
Rider who carries a passenger and
the passenger does not wear helmet
1,000 bath (28.12 CHF)
Passenger who does not wear
helmet
500 bath (14.06 CHF)
Source(: Royal Thai Police, 2016)

33. COMPARING TO MALAYSIA AND USA
Note: Thailand 1987; Malaysia 1994; and United States 1995.
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Table 3.1 - Proportion of Road Users Killed in Various Modes of Transport as a Percent
of All Fatalities
Country Pedestrian
s
Bicyclists Motorized vehicles Others
2-wheeled 4-wheeled
Thailand 47 6 36 12 -
Malaysia 15 6 57 19 3
United
States of
America
13 2 5 79 1

34. COMPARING TO INDIA 2016
• India (Wikipedia, 2016) has numerous users of 2-3
wheelers and also high number of traffic accident.
• Global Road Safety Report-2015, an estimated of
207,551 deaths on roads.
• The motorcycles and motor-powered three-
wheelers constitute the second largest group of
traffic collision deaths.
04/12/59 LDP Thailand country paper 34

35. COMPARE TO SRI LANKA
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(Source: Police Headquarters, Colombo, 2006)
Year Fatalities Pedestrians Passengers
(bicycle
riders)
(motorcycle
riders) Drivers Others
1989 1,596 648 417 224 226 77 4
1990 1,795 686 417 265 324 96 7
1991 1,532 542 529 195 181 85 0
1992 1,515 528 485 231 187 84 0
1993 1,421 603 304 222 208 65 19
1994 1,611 586 438 217 220 147 3
1995 1,681 636 366 246 244 177 12
1996 1,755 753 354 153 272 192 31
1997 1,835 662 347 251 244 319 12
1998 2,023 814 367 238 232 294 78
1999 2,059 713 358 307 172 288 221
2000 2,058 827 470 306 237 213 5
2001 2,118 791 431 338 294 261 3
2002 2,160 750 380 317 451 188 74
2003 2,096 747 397 311 281 171 71
2004 2,214 748 381 298 385 194 208
2005 2,304 747 428 326 406 178 221

36. MODEL OF CAUSES FOR MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT IN THAILAND
04/12/59 LDP Thailand country paper 36
Motorcycle
accident's
cause
Helmet
wearing
Speed
violation
Traffic sign
violation
Specification
unsuitable

37. ANALYSIS & RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Motorcycle is the biggest problem in Thailand
and neighboring countries in Asia such as
Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam,
Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka, etc.
• The main problem is not wearing helmet
• Note that motorcycle in this region comes in
small size ,high speed power but very small
risky tires.
04/12/59 LDP Thailand country paper 37

38. RISKY DESIGN OF MOTORCYCLE IN THE REGION
04/12/59 LDP Thailand country paper 38

39. MAIN PROBLEMS
Law enforcement:
• There is a law requiring drives and passenger to wear
helmets.
• Traffic police work mostly on traffic management rather
than traffic discipline.
• This causes challenges in decreasing number of road
accident.
• Presently, it is only 50% of 2-3 wheels users wearing
helmet.
04/12/59 LDP Thailand country paper 39

40. NEXT STEP FOR THAILAND
• Next step for Thailand is to emphasis on
law enforcement on motorcycle driver.
• Providing knowledge to people.
• Pressure from civic society to bring the
government’s attention to this issue.
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41. Q & A

42. THANK YOU
For more information:
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Contact:
Ms.Oratai Junsuwanaruk
Thailand Country Manager
AIP Foundation
oratai.j@aipf-thailand.org
Tel: (66) 81 454 90 54