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| นิตยสาร สารคดี: ฉบับที่ ๒๒๑ เดือนกรกฎาคม ๒๕๔๖ | ISSN 0857-1538 | |||
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In 1885, Gottlieb Daimler invented the first motorcycle with a wooden frame and a single-cylinder Otto cycle engine. The motorcycle, ridden by his son on a rural road in Germany, then moved very slowly and had a dismal range. Almost 120 years later, the two-wheeled vehicle can race faster than many might want and has become a ubiquitous phenomenon in both urban and rural areas, with over 17 million in Thailand alone. Although they are basically just an assembly of two wheels and an engine, motorcycles in actual lives of people mean a lot more than just a means of transport from point A to point B. They are the vehicles for quickly weaving through the Bangkok traffic, for liberating oneself from the daily grind, for earning a living, and for winning a girl's heart. They are the vehicles of choice for the majority poor, an outlet for decoration and creativity for the well-to-do, and an obsession with speed and competition for the young and daring. Some may love motorcycles even more than their own spouse while others regard them as a nuisance on the road and a menace to society. |
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The darker side of motorcycles in Thailand is that motorcycle-related accidents are the number one killer on the road, leading to a massive loss of lives and a heavy burden on the healthcare system. During the week of Songkran holidays this year alone, the road casualty toll was 665 despite massive government campaigns to bring the number down. Each year the country loses 13,000-25,000 lives to road accidents (1-3 deaths/hour) with 600,000 seriously injured. Of all road accident deaths, 80% are motorcycle riders. Sadly, half of these would have been preventable if riders wore helmets, did not drive drunk or recklessly, and properly maintained their motorcycles. Because of lax law enforcement in recent years, the number of people not wearing helmets has increased from 40% to 60%, indicating that many thai motorcyclists wear helmets mainly to avoid being caught by police -- not to protect their brains. Many believe that accidents are a matter of luck, and that "it's my life-I can do whatever I want because only I am responsible for the consequences of my own action". |
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To convey how misguided this widespread attitude is, nothing is more compelling a survivor's tale. Vichien Pimsala, 25, is paralyzed for life from just one mistake-driving drunk into a car. That incident left him with an aching bed-ridden body. He could not urinate or even turn from side to side on his own, and was so dejected that he attempted suicide. Not only his relatives but also the Department of Public Welfare now have to be responsible for his well-being. "It's not just my life. My life, my mistake have become a burden to the society", said Vichien. |