BANGKOK, Thailand - January 5, 2017

This opinion piece penned by AIP Foundation’s Thailand Chairperson, Ratanawadee Winther, was recently featured in the Bangkok Post.

Have you ever wondered why after years of efforts, Thailand has barely made a dent in reducing road traffic fatalities and injuries?

With 66 people killed every day on Thai roads, we are only second behind war-torn Libya in annual road traffic deaths. It is no accident either that we’ve ended up here and yet — why aren’t we more upset?

The reason is simple. Most of us who are in charge of making our roads safer for all — do not know what it feels like to be a pedestrian or a rider or passenger of a motorcycle.

We blame vulnerable road users for not wearing helmets, for not knowing road rules and for crossing our paths. But have we ever asked ourselves why this is happening?

Keeping people safe should be a priority and we need a system that recognizes that road safety is a right that belongs to everyone. Rich or poor, we should be able to feel safe when we cross the street, take our kids to school or go out.