kwilco

Tes- but what is your point?

You mean shedding light? 400 plus mileage? I'm guessing that even in km that represents good quality and longevity - what's not to see? europe is losing the car war, of course America was never really in it.

try the hammer on your head test.

THe RTP -have said they are setting up 93 checkpoints across the country - in reality this means they have no idea of how to enforce the law.

Wow. So, because you once bought a BMW in your early 20s, helmet safety is now beneath you? That’s quite a leap—even for someone who apparently thinks punctuation is a personality. This isn’t about status symbols or flexing your ride history. It’s about basic road safety in a country where thousands die on motorcycles (only the ignorant say "scooter") every year—many of them tourists or expats who thought they were too cool, too rich, or too foreign to bother with a helmet. If you're too grown-up for “helmet talk,” maybe try growing into some responsibility too. Scooters are a real mode of transport in Thailand—for millions of people. And unlike your BMW story, that’s not a joke. PS - Also, just a note: calling everything on two wheels in Thailand a “scooter” (its not eve a real definition just an American colloquialism) really shows you don’t understand the range of motorbikes here. . Plenty of people ride 150cc to 650cc+ bikes in real traffic conditions. Dismissing them as "scooters" or as kid stuff just makes you sound out of touch.

You are a bit stupid, aren't you - that was a typo that I corrected - but you are so desperate you have to clutch at staws as if that alters the point of my argument in any way.

Thailand is in red and France is in blue - it also isn't a cut and dried black and white thing (blue/red in this case) - do you really need it expalining?

you obviously can't drive.

Clearly incorrect

Typo - £35

You really don't get it do you? Crash helmets meeting international safety standards in the UK start at around £5 THe figures for head injury deaths are also categorised for those with or without a helmet - it doesn't specify - in short a cheap plastic bowl id better than nothing - but it seems you think that because you haven't got a £300 helmet, you ill wear nothing - do you not realise how stupid that is?? no helmet, no matter how expensive can protect you from direct impacts - your brain turns to jelly inside the hat. What helmets do is protect tyou from glancing blows between the motorcycle and along te asphalt even a cgep plastic hat will do some good - obviously it is better to have British Standard BS 6658:1985 Kitemark or UNECE Regulation 22.05/22.06 but there are a lot of very poor people riding motorcycles in Thailand (and apparently a lot of very stupid foreigners). the situation has improved over the last 10 years as many youngsters now regard a helmet as a sports or fashion item (in much the same way as in th UK) so this alone improves the chances of wearing something more effective - however I do see some customisations that render a hat useless. At the end of the day the RTP are completely useless when it comes to road safety - they have little or no grasp of the basic principles (like you?0 and so enforcement is only done when someone tells them to and as yet there is no enforcement of standards.

It looks like you are a person who can't use Google and doesn't know the difference between "search" and "research' - you'll be perpetually in the dark on this.

[perhaps you'd care to ex[plain your thinking, bcause it seems a little obscure of just plain daft to me

are you still confused? Even they are better than nothing and you are making a sweeping generalisation - is that what ou'd buy? THen you are very confused - do a test - put a cheap plastic helmet on your head and tap yourself on the head with a steel hammer, than take the hat off and do it again ....please!

because you skull is thicker near your home?

for all you confused expats out there... How to Wear a Helmet in Thailand (Yes, Really): Find your head – It’s the round bit on top of your body, above your shoulders. Put the helmet on it – Not on your arm, not on the handlebars. Do up the strap – That little buckle under your chin? Click it in. That’s it. If your helmet flies off in a crash, you weren’t wearing it. You were carrying it.

Actually, I’d say it’s almost the opposite. The French have always had a strong culture of using their horns—so much so that specific legislation had to be introduced to try and reduce the habit. In Thailand, by contrast, the horn is seen as inherently aggressive. Raising your voice, let alone sounding a horn in frustration, is heavily frowned upon. Thai regulations on horn use aren’t aimed at curbing overuse—they exist to maintain the already minimal use and to discourage any escalation of tension. If you visit some of the old French colonies, you’ll still notice how that fondness for the horn lingers—a bit of cultural carryover that highlights just how different the underlying attitudes are.

"Never drink and drive but had a few beers and was stopped" - oxymoron!

so why do you think that is?

"ethnicity.:? - HOW??

you are unbelievable - you cut and paste my stuff and then try to change the conclusion - you keep posting about stuff that you know nothing about.

Not as simple as that, this is what you really need to know Motorcycles with sidecars (salengs) are common across Thailand, especially for transport and small business use. But they’re not inherently safe—and in a crash, they can be far more dangerous than people realize. Here are the key factors that affect your risk: Build quality of the sidecar - Many are locally welded or homemade using steel tubing with weak welds or poor attachment points can shear off in a crash—or flip the entire vehicle. That metal tubing itself can cause injury on impact. Weight distribution - Sidecars often carry passengers, gas bottles, heavy goods, or even water tanks. Improper balance and instability when turning, braking, or cornering. An overloaded or uneven rig can tip, slide, or spin out, doesn’t even need much speed. Braking & speed - Most setups don’t have brakes on the sidecar. Motorcycle’s brakes aren’t designed to stop safely with the extra weight and momentum. Combined with poor road surfaces, your stopping distance increases dangerously, especially in rain or downhill. Of course there is the problem of road conditions in Thailand Expect potholes, gravel, oil patches, dogs, and uneven surfaces. These can be particularly bad with 3-wheelers - Sidecars with small wheels or no suspension react unpredictably to bumps and hazards. Driver skill (or lack thereof) - Riding with a sidecar is not like riding a solo bike. It requires different skills. Moist Thai saleng users have these, but new users must relearn how to turn, brake, and handle corners—especially when the sidecar is loaded. Few riders, especially foreigners, ever get formal training with a sidecar setup. Protective gear on sidecars - Helmets are often ignored, especially for sidecar passengers. There are no seatbelts, no airbags, and nothing to stop rider or passenger from being thrown forward into hard metal tubing during a crash. Without proper gear, even a low-speed collision can be deadly. Finally there is visibility to other drivers. Sidecars are low, wide, and odd-looking to other vehicles.- often poorly lit and slow. Cars may misjudge your speed or simply not see you—especially at night, rain or in heavy traffic. You need to understand the physics of a crash, i.e. why sidecars can be so lethal ….. In any collision, shock absorption is critical. - Cars have crumple zones, airbags, and seatbelts. Motorcycles rely on helmet quality, protective gear, and tank/frame design. However, sidecars in particular in Thailand? No crumple zones, no seatbelts, and usually no helmets. When you crash, your body continues at the speed of impact, stopped only by metal frames, handlebars, or the road. Add in the lack of upgraded brakes and poor directional stability (especially if the frame is bent), and you’ve got a recipe for serious injury—or worse. Sidecars might look fun or convenient—but on Thai roads, they’re not forgiving.

Why do you think they are safer?

...and one tenth the deaths - that'd not to mention the injuries, life changing ,serious and minor the cost to the country and families loss of earners etc...related deaths and severe injuries cost Thailand an estimated 531,058 million Thai Baht about 3% of GDP. Cost to healthcare and the price of insurance. Although the helmet fines could make a difference in Thailand, I don't think they know how to enforce them so changes are likely to be insignificant.

Yes there are stats - it's just as a thought, as ever you don't understand how to use them. Crash helmets have been shown to reduce deaths by around 40%