Hundreds joined the event, including a gang of big bikes from Phuket Bike Week, which led a parade of bikes from the event to Kathu, and then to Central and back to the event site, to publicise the wearing of helmets on motorbikes.
The main speaker at the event, which is part of Class Act Media’s ongoing “Safe Driving Saves Lives” campaign, was Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut.
Also in attendance were the Mayor of Kathu Chai-anan Suthikul, Col Thitirat Asakit, Superintendent of Thung Thong, and representatives of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
“It’s my pleasure to be here as a host of the Safety Road Campaign opening ceremony,” said the Governor, looking out at the traffic flowing past. “In rush hour, everybody is rushing to their destinations and sometimes we forget to care about safety, both ours and that of others.
“Sometimes, we ignore speed limits, traffic lights, and traffic signs. Of course, by doing so we may arrive at our destination in time, but we may also causing harm and risk to other people.”
“In rush hours, when every minute is money, we should think whether risking life and possessions is really worth arriving at our destination on time. We should take time to check out rear-view mirror, be aware of traffic signs and of others who are driving on the same road.
“Everybody has a risk on the road. Will it be better to help each other reducing that risk? Drive on the left, stop when you see people crossing the road and when you come to a red light. Wear a helmet or, in a car, fasten your seat belt. Look after the safety of people near you.
“It’s not hard to do and it only takes a few minutes, and it will ensure you arrive at your destination safely. This is a worthy dedication.”
Gov Maitri also said that people living on the island need to “change from being people to being citizens”.
He explained, “Normal people don’t care about how their actions affect others in the community. They don’t care about wearing helmets or respecting the rules of the road.
“But ‘citizens’ are always aware of the consequences of their actions. They know the law and the rules. They care about the community.”
The governor also proposed that the languages on traffic signs should be expanded to include Chinese and Russian as well as the current Thai and English. “If we have these,” he said, “we can reduce road accident eventually.”
More importantly, he said, “Don’t drive drunk, wear a helmet, and don’t use your phone while driving.”
Class Act Media managing director Simon Samaan said afterwards, "The event was a great success. I believe that road safety is the responsibility of the entire community, not just the government but also the private sector.
"I was delighted that we got so much support from the Governor and the Province, and Kathu Municipality and Thung Tong Police, but also from private companies, especially SGS, which donated helmets and replaced defective motorbike lights.
"It's the second time we have done this. The first time we gave away 400 helmets. This time it was twice that number. Plainly, a lot of people out there still lack helmets, so we will definitely be doing this again."
In addition to the helmet giveaway and the motorbike parade, the event included a road safety quiz for students from Kathu Wittaya School with prizes for the winners.
Class Act Media thanks co-sponsors Barry Buck and Siam Guardian Services, Narong Hemprapan and Kannika Noosupasit of Arrow Media, Bake restaurant, Absolutely Phuket (Slushy Phuket), Phuket Bike Week, Kathu Municipality and Thung Tong Police.
More pictures of the event can be seen here.