If all else fails, try a rubber band.
Being the smartest (and sexiest), Coconuts readers would never play with their smartphone/tablet/phablet while behind the wheel.
Seriously, put it down.
Almost one in three of all drivers in Thailand were involved in an accident last year, and authorities say distraction is to blame. Coincidentally or not, about that same number use their mobile phones while driving without a hands-free device. And it probably doesn’t help that nearly one in 12 of all motorists in the kingdom are driving without a license.
Recently released figures for 2012 count 54,341 reported accidents, which killed 7,634 people, caused 3,551 serious injuries and lightly banged up 17,465 others, according to a Nielsen survey.
“Most motorists still change the stations on their radio or switch CDs while driving, as well as to chat with their passengers, despite these being two prominent causes of road accidents,” said Somwalee Limrachtamorn, Nielsen’s director of automotive business.
Talking on the phone without a headset or other hands-free system is the No. 1 cause of accidents (11 percent), with consuming beverages equally culpable. Talking with passengers and playing with the radio cause 8 percent of accidents.
Of all the accidents, those who’ve been behind the wheel for three-to-five years are involved in the most accidents, The Nation reported.
Illlustration: Mike Kline
