Poorly skilled drivers and the law
Pattanadesh Asasappakij
Apart from the regular launching of new models, the big news concerning automobiles in Thailand is the fatal road accidents.
BANGKOK: -- While some accidents lead to many deaths, other accidents may have just one casualty, but even the name of the driver involved can make headlines.
There have been two cases that recently became big news. The first one involved a 16-year-old female driver that crashed her car with a van on the tollway, resulting in the deaths of 9 people. Society has been blaming the girl to a point that people are not willing to listen to any reason, even though the court of law has already come out with a verdict.
The second incident, which just took place, also drew much criticism for many reasons. The first is that the car that hit and killed a policeman on a motorcycle was an expensive Ferrari sports car, so this was enough for society to point fingers at the rich driver. Second, was the fact that the motorcycle rider was a low-ranked police officer, and third was that the Ferrari driver is the son of a famous business magnate, thus news like this would surely sell. Fourth, the driver fled the scene, and another person initially came out to take the blame instead. All these reasons are great ingredients for a big story.
After each big accident, I am always interviewed by various media for comments, whether in terms of analysing the incident as well as finding preventive measures. These two accidents are no exception.
But what I want to say today might not be about who is right or wrong, but concerns a question raised by a newspaper. It asked "why do fewer and fewer people know traffic rules and drive with extremely bad manners than in the past?"
I answered that what has happened is the lower quality of driving that happens not just in Thailand. The reason for people these days driving without much care is the increasing number of automobiles being produced around the world. As more cars are made, it is normal for manufacturers to stimulate more people to purchase them, otherwise they will surely suffer an oversupply. So manufacturers must do everything to sell the vehicles, which mean that they are unable to choose in selling the cars to people who have good driving skills.
Auto-makers know full well that they must sell vehicles to inexperienced and less capable people. And you can see that today there is a much larger number of driver assistance systems being fitted to automobiles, so that it is easier for inexperienced drivers to drive a vehicle. These features are offered along with the words "innovative new technology", and it also makes the automobiles more expensive as manufacturers have a reason to mark up the price of the vehicle.
For example 30-40 years ago, many drivers would find it very difficult to stop and start the vehicle on an incline such as a steep bridge. That's because most vehicles in those days came with manual transmission, which required good driver skill when faced with this situation. If the clutch was released too quickly or with the wrong timing, the engine would likely stall or the vehicle would jump forward and hit the car in front, or roll back and hit the car behind. Engaging the clutch to keep the vehicle stationary on the incline would also lead to clutch damage.
Well, today the "Hill Start Assist" function gets rid of this problem as the wheels are locked when the vehicle stops on an incline, and the wheels are released only when the accelerator pedal is pushed once again.
When going downhill, there is also the "Hill Descent Control" function that automatically maintains a stable speed (7-10km/h). In fact, there is a large number of driver assistance systems being put into the brakes, such as ABS (Anti-lock Brake System), EBD (Electronic Brake Force Distribution) and BA (Brake Assist)
There are even automatic inspection systems that tell you when the tyre pressure is too low or when it is time to change the timing belt. There are also warning systems for the seatbelts, doors not closed properly, etc.
Manufacturers say these systems are fitted into modern cars to make life easier for car users. But in reality, manufacturers fear that if users were to carry out their own inspection, they could forget and this could lead to damages or accidents that tarnish the reputation of the brand itself.
So the problem of poorly skilled drivers on the road today seems inevitable, and this happens in every part of the world, especially in countries with poor law enforcement and a high growth rate of automobiles. Anyone who has driven in China would find that this is one of the countries where road traffic is heavy and rather confusing. Thailand also ranks high here, especially during rush hour in Bangkok or during long holidays.
The important thing is that when manufacturers invent and provide us with various driver assistance systems, the driver must also learn to adapt so that they can fully make use of these features.
Most importantly, we must strictly follow traffic laws, while authorities need to enforce them evenly in every area. This will more or less help ease the situation we are all facing on our roads today.
-- The Nation 2012-09-14
