Arresting street motorcycle racers won't solve the problem, experts have said.
They shared their views after national police chief Pol Lt Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas last Tuesday issued a warning against dek waen motorbike riders who have returned to take over the roads of Bangkok and some provinces after the government lifted the night-time curfew last Sunday.
Rangsit University's Pol Lt Col Kritsanapong Phutrakul, from the Faculty of Criminology and Justice Administration, said the problem of street racing is caused by social factors.
"Police arrests do not solve the problem at its root cause so all parties should work together to eradicate street racing,'' he said.
He suggested motorcycle modification garages should be inspected and their owners arrested as well, and the government should also educate parents when their children buy a motorcycle.
Sunee Kanyajij, from the criminology programme of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Mahidol University, said assigning different holidays to different schools can prevent students from gathering and racing on the streets.
Research shows that over 60% of motorcycles bought from shops have been used by young racers to race on the streets, leading to many other problems.
Wuttichai Phumsanguan, a public prosecutor, said prosecutors will draw up rehabilitation plans for young racers.
"If they prove to the attorney that they have really improved, the prosecutors will not indict them,'' said Mr Wutthichai.
The police's plan to stop street racing consists of four phases. The first phase is when police gather data and intelligence about those youths who tend to be involved in street racing. The second phase is complaint handling and street patrols.
The third is data analysis for setting up checkpoints in areas where street racing is popular. The fourth phase introduces measures to monitor street racers and change their behaviour.
