A road safety advocate is urging the government to address road accidents involving motorcycles, adding that 10 million motorcycle riders do not have a licence.
More than 21.2 million motorcycles are registered with the Department of Land Transport, says Chamaipan Santikarn, manager of ThaiHealth's Social Mobilisation for Motorcycle Safety Project.
"Thailand is lagging behind in promoting safety for motorcycle riders," she said, adding the number of motorcycle-related deaths had risen to two every hour.
A lack of regulations on vehicle safety standards and an absence of better classification for motorcycles contributed to motorcycle accidents, she said. Another factor was the failure to introduce the Graduated Driver Licensing system (GDL), which would allow riders to acquire a licence step by step.
"We see motorcyclists dragged under buses and trucks, and their crash helmets can't save them. A traffic regulation requiring motorcycles to share traffic lanes with six-wheelers and 10-wheelers increases their risks," she said.
Dr Chamaipan also proposed classifying bikes with engine capacity of 246 cc and over as big bikes; and introducing the GDL system.