Stiffer drunk-driving penalties urged

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Stiffer drunk-driving penalties urged

Published: 5 Jan 2013 at 18.26
Online news: Transport

BANGKOK - The Don’t Drive Drunk Foundation has urged the government to clamp down on drunk driving with harsher sentences.

File photo

Dr Taejing Siripanich, the foundation’s secretary-general, said on Saturday that during holidays, such as New Year and Songkran, authorities should zealously crack down on driving under the influence of alcohol, just as they do on narcotics.

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jgriff
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Discussion 17 : 07 Jan 2013 at 00.4417
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In BC Canada if you fail a breatherliser you, at roadside loose your licence for 3 months, car impounded for 30 days. $25,000 baht to get the car out. $15,000 fine. Then a drivers program, breatherliser machine in your car for 1 year. Have to blow into it before your car will start.Even the tinest amount of alcohol will not let it start. Then pay $5,700 bant a month for this privillage. Final tally is $160,000 baht.
I won't go into what happens if it is the 2nd time.
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tcr
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Discussion 16 : 06 Jan 2013 at 08.2916
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How about enforcing the laws regarding selling of alcohol instead of taking bribes to look the other way. During Songkran last year, couldn't buy beer in 7-11's along the way to Issan, but a lady in the back with an ice cooler had plenty for sale. She told us she just paid the police off and was ready to go.
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jfb44
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Discussion 15 : 06 Jan 2013 at 07.5415
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D3 is correct that the key, as with so many other things, is education. But an additional factor is the blind belief in amulets. No amulet, no matter how powerful - if at all, will protect a drunk driver when they hit a tree or other fixed object at high speed.
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rfukata
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Discussion 14 : 06 Jan 2013 at 07.3814
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impound the vehicle or motorcycle, revoke their drivers license and make them serve the penalty in jail or
community service work as well as mandatory drivers education courses.
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nicholas
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Discussion 13 : 06 Jan 2013 at 07.1413
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Instead of staged check points why oh why do the Police not Police ! Stop checks arbitarily done when you see a driver driving badly oir very slowly at night will yeild far more offenders that waiting ofr them to stop if they feel drunk.
When an offender is caught and fined his insuirance company should be informed and he should be immediately banned from driving and the insurance compoany informed .
Again i was stopped and tersted found not to have drunk any alcohol, but the same could not be said by the officer who tested me.
police clean up your own house first then do the job you are paid to do Protect the Public.
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steveyinasia
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Discussion 12 : 06 Jan 2013 at 03.4512
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Adding harsher penalties will only work if they are being enforced and we all know that wont happen, it would require the BIB to do their job in protecting the community, not their wallets.
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Roosterbkk
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Discussion 11 : 06 Jan 2013 at 03.3411
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On many occasions, I had ride on a taxi n smell acahol on the driver n even majority of them intoxicated and I c them pass through easily without been check.
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felixqui
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Discussion 10 : 06 Jan 2013 at 00.2010
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Might I suggest that an excellent way to kick off any program that pretends to seriously deter the murderous harm that alcohol and driving wreaks on Thai individuals, families, the economy and society begin with a concerted effort aimed especially at hi-so targets, who currently set the worst possible example to Thai youth.

A bit of healthy revocation of licences, prison sentences for their reckless drug use with driving and some much needed public disgrace is long overdue in Thai society.

In the meantime, let us not hold our breath in eager anticipation of a sensible solution being tried when the familiar old failures still exist.
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jacksprat
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Discussion 9 : 05 Jan 2013 at 22.419
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Blame part of it on the decline of pedal samlors. Years ago when I lived in the North, men too drunk to ride their motorcycle would flag down a pedal samlor and put their bike in it. Then they would ride home in another samlor. Seemed to be a satisfactory solution!
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patchar
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Discussion 8 : 05 Jan 2013 at 21.378
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Law against drunk driving existed for a long time, what we need to do is strict implementations of that law. Even if you will make the penalty more harsher or tougher, it's still useless if the people who are supposed to implement such laws are not honest. I haven't heard yet even one offender of this law(drunk driving)put to jail. Of the 1,700 drunk driving cases in Sisaket that was published earlier here, how many are fined, or put to jail. I think Thai people knows that the police are actually not serious enough to really imposed this penalties/fine against those breaker of this drunk driving law. that's the truth ....
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Stiffer drunk-driving penalties urged | Bangkok Post: news