(Link to poll is at the end of the story)
By far, the most common type of daily news story reported on The Phuket News is traffic and road accidents.
It's no secret, Thailand roads and their respective drivers, are some of the most dangerous on the planet, and in fact, according to one recent study, the kingdom had the 2nd most road fatalities per 100,000 people, with 44, behind only Namibia (45).
While Phuket's roads aren't statistically the deadliest in the country of 65 million – at least during the dangerous holiday periods – that doesn't mean they're safe and without incident.
Quite the contrary.
Just this past week, we reported about a multiple collision accident caused by a recklessly speeding lorrie who smashed into a van stopped at a red light (story here, with the TV news report here).
Even when they follow rules, motorbike drivers are often vulnerable on the roads when much larger vehicles decide not to drive safely, like in this case.
Other times, the motorbike drivers are the culprits, to their own dismay, when they decide perpetuate a dangerous status quo and drive on the wrong side of the road, like here.
Anyone who has been on the island for any respectable period of time will verify that road and traffic accidents are all too common of an occurence here, with a lot of them involving or affecting tourists (like in this recent incident) and even expats driving faulty vehicles (see this incident on Patong Hill).
All too often, the cause of accidents can be linked to reckless or irresponsible driving habits, whether it is speeding, falling asleep at the wheel, or a driver who is more concerned with what's happening on their cell phone than the safety of other people, like in this story.
Sometimes, only property is damaged from reckless driving; but other times, the loss cannot be repaired, and life is lost, like in this case.
And so much more doesn't get reported, although you, our readers experience and see it every day. This is where your input can help shed some light on everything.
The poll – which was launched today, Friday, February 20, and will run online, until Friday, March, 6 – asks readers the following question:
In your experience, what is the biggest hazard on Phuket’s roads?
The online survey provides six possible answers, and allows voters to choose up to two answers from the following choices:
- A. Poor road maintenance and design – bad surface, U-turns, turn lanes, traffic lights, etc.
- C. Reckless driving by large transport vehicles: lorries, tour buses and vans
- D. Reckless driving by motorbikes and three-wheelers
- E. Reckless driving by private cars: saloons, pick-ups, SUVs
- F. Pedestrians, cyclists and other obstructions that shouldn’t be on the road
- H. Phuket’s roads are as dangerous as anywhere
Voters are also asked to identify their Phuket road traffic status demographic, by selecting one of the following categories:
- I drive a motorbike most of the time
- I drive a four-wheel vehicle most of the time
- I switch between a motorbike and car regularly
- I drive a large transport vehicle
- I drive a bicycle, walk or use public transport mostly
Have your say, vote in the poll, and be sure to leave comments and feedback.