At Phuket City Police Station’s standing room does hundreds of people caught wearing no helmet whilst rode their motorbikes crammed into the fourth-floor meeting room to watch a movie showing graphic images taken from road accident scenes.

That was part of Phuket City Police effort to enforce a long-ignored traffic law requiring people, including passengers, on motorbikes wear safety helmet.

The crackdown, announced in April, was set to take effect from July 1, at which time police were to begin fining anyone caught ride a motorbike without a helmet.

However, faced with the enormity of the task before them, police have decided to extend the public awareness campaign a few months, during which time offenders will have their licenses seized.

Offenders will only have their licenses returned after they have viewed the locally-produce movie with graphic images showing in detail the scene of a fast-moving human skull is no match for asphalt.

There are 200 people crammed at the meeting room watching that movies from 10 a.m. in the morning. A second showing was set to take place immediately after the first, with 195 people waited to attend the one-hour viewing that included a safety talk and opening ceremony.

All of the reluctant audience members were caught at one of three ‘mobile’ police checkpoints operated in the district since Saturday.

Officers at the Phuket City Police Traffic Division say at least three checkpoints will be set up daily to seize the offenders, quite possibly making the documentary one of the most-watched movie productions on the island in upcoming months.

Police do not need to going far to rope in an audience; among the locations where checkpoints have been set up are at the Muang District Office intersection and on Thepkrasattri Road near Phuket Wittayalai School. Both are easy walking distance from the station.

Traffic Police Officer Phaisan Rodthieng said that the effort would also include shaming offenders and possibly setting them up for admonishment in the home or workplace.

“We will record all of them and inform their schools or the companies they work for. The schools will cut their student’s behavior grades, while companies will issue warnings to their employees”.

“For example Bangkok Hospital Phuket will give staff warnings each time they are reported and will terminate their employment altogether if they are reported three times,” he said.

Police have asked many large organizations to take part in this event and so far, they cooperated well, he said.

The public awareness phase will probably continue for two months until everyone knows about the law. Thereafter, the police will begin fining offenders, he said.

News by Phuket Gazette