Prof. Yordphol quoted on Times 'Mean Streets'
Prof. Yordphol Tanaboriboon (right), a faculty of Transportation Engineering, SCE was recently quoted on 'Mean Streets', a news feature story on road safety and accident situations in various major cities in Asia including Bangkok published by Time magazine. The issue, published on 9 August 2004 had Prof.Yordphol noted on road and transport safety and accident situations in Thailand.
According to Prof. Yordphol, one of the few generalizations that can be made is the high proportion of motorcycles plying on Thailand's roads remarkably noting on the country's 20 million registered vehicles, 12 million are two-wheelers.
Mr. Nikorn Jamnong, Deputy Minister of Thailand's Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC), also quoted in the article added, 'Another 6 million unregistered motorcycles is linked to a higher death rate. As many as 80% of all fatal accidents in Thailand involve motorcycles, which are light, tricky to control, and leave riders exposed to injury even in the slightest brushes with heavier cars and trucks. They are also wildly popular in many parts of Asia because almost anyone can afford one.'
Prof. Yordphol continues, 'We really need motorcycle-only lanes on our roads' to keep riders from tangling with heavier forms of vehicles. But with existing roads already hopelessly congested, the measure seems too expensive to undertake and nearly impossible to enforce.
The article concluded Bangkok-based Prof. Yordphol says many Thai motorists believe that no matter how defensively they drive, their fate is predetermined. 'We are trying to persuade them that accidents are not an act of God'. He continues as saying, 'that you can avoid them if you are careful, obey the laws, and not to speed or drive under the influence of alcohol.'
Prior to the interview with Time, Prof. Yordphol has been extensively involved in a number of initiatives regarding road safety improvement for Thailand.
'Road traffic accidents pose heavy burdens to Thailand's economy? Why? Because majority of traffic victims come from the economically-active segments of the population,' Prof. Yordphol stressed. It was estimated that every hour, approximately two people die due to road accidents and several are crippled for life. Recognizing the alarming situation and the need for safety improvements, Thailand's MOTC, with assistance from World Bank, initiated a study on road accidents in 1995. The study estimated that economic losses due to road accidents in Thailand were more than THB100 billion per year or over THB12 million per hour.
Alarmed by these findings, MOTC, through a WB loan, developed a comprehensive Thailand Road Safety Master Plan in 1998. The master plan emphasized that the lack of knowledge on accidents is a major constraint for safety improvement. In particular, knowledge on how, when, where, and if possible, contributing factors to why accidents are prone to happen are essential for effective road safety improvement. Moreover, the plan recommended that due to the complex nature of road accidents and the many different sectors involved, local research is a must to have a scientific and objective approach to reducing road accidents in the country.
Realizing the urgency to build up an accident knowledge and research base for the country, the master plan, among others, identified the necessity for establishing the Thailand Accident Research Center (TARC) at the Asian Institute of Technology, a center that will be spearheaded by Prof. Yordphol. It is envisioned to lead in the conduct of road safety research in the country.
The Master Plan recommended that the best research results could be achieved when carried out in an academic community that is independent from the authorities responsible for implementing safety measures. Another important point is that research is a long term learning process, therefore, it should be combined with education and training.
In view of these, efforts have been made to establish TARC on a partnership basis among academic societies, government agencies and the private sector. The Thailand GRSP Steering Group, therefore, recommended to involve the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) as host for the first ever national research center on accidents.
'While based at AIT, TARC can have the advantages of being accorded the necessary infrastructure and professional capabilities; of conducting independent research activities; and of having better access to an international research community as well as attract partnership possibilities', Yordphol ends.