Driving at night without lights - Thai's appear to consider them unimportant?

[Daveyh]

I've been driving/riding here for years, but I'm still amazed at the number of cars & motorcycles that drive at night without lights. The police don't seem to be concerned at all, but if you hit someone without lights you will definitely be arrested & charged as it's your fault! I'm sure the mindset set here is that they think they can see perfectly well without lights & it's not required ...... failing to realize that we can not see them of course!! This must change asap Many a time I have nearly hit these "three wheeler" food carts & motorcycles driving in both directions just because they have no lights. Even the modern types of vehicles that are new ignore your polite warnings when they have no lights on .........  I realize the safety standards are low here, but this mentality is insane  & the lack of thought for others (selfishness) is typical local behaviour. What is your view on this & why do they do it ......... surely they realize how important this is??  

[tingtongtourist]

One of my past gf's did believe that having the lights on would burn more fuel.

Anything i could say would not convince her.

[lopburi3]

Electric/lights cost money - why use when not required.  ((you asked))

[Daveyh]

Ha! Ha! ...... tingtongtourist ............ also perhaps it's saving the battery eh?

[Pattaya46]

Quote

I'm still amazed at the number of cars & motorcycles that drive at night without lights.

I don't know how it's possible, seeing that on most (if not all) motorbikes sold in Thailand it's not possible to switch off the lights...

[Peterw42]

Besides being to lazy (or no money) to replace broken globes etc. There are some Thais, being a superstitious lot, believe that lights off and a ghost cant follow you home. They also take off the mirrors because you may look in the mirror and see a ghost following.

Also young kids with no license or number plates hiding from police etc.

[darksidedog]

2 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

I don't know how it's possible, seeing that on most (if not all) motorbikes sold in Thailand it's not possible to switch off the lights...

Yeah, but I have nearly been wiped out more than once from idiots who have a basket on the front of their bike and stick their shopping or handbag in there which blocks the light. When you bawl them out for it, they have a blank look of total incomprehension on their faces. many of them are just too stupid to be allowed on the road at any time of day, which pretty much explains the appalling accident rates.

[Daveyh]

Pattaya46 ...................  rear/brake lights are out on the modern bikes ...... perhaps they never check & replace the bulbs. Typical attitude here ......... irresponsible & police are unconcerned :-(

 

[tingtongtourist]

12 minutes ago, Daveyh said:

Ha! Ha! ...... tingtongtourist ............ also perhaps it's saving the battery eh?

Most probably. Nothing suprises me anymore with what they wil come up with.555

[DD13]

Because the multi storey car parks are so brightly lit some people do forget to put their lights on

 

I guess most of us will never understand the mentality of the (dare I say) limited educated persons who ride around not fully illuminated, they fail to understand that with the various degrees of sun film on windscreens, this can be a factor in making them virtually impossible to see........some of their country-folk (or cops) need to inform them .....(oh, and the craziness of putting bags of shopping in the basket in front of the headlights)

 

The police are somewhat at fault for not booking, and severely fining them

confiscate their vehicles if necessary

[Techno Viking]

I dislike the red headlights.

[banjoe]

I saw 3 scooters the other night riding together. None had a working rear light. Maybe there is a reason for it. Ive give up caring

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[sinbin]

What p* sses me off more than anything here is that a lot of drivers seem to think fog lights should be on all the time. There is no fog so why? I indicated to a Thai woman that she shouldn't drive with fog lights on but use headlights. She replied, whilst shaking her head, 'not dark'. I also said a similar thing to a farang lady . Her reply was 'the Thais do it, I do it.'  The place is a boll*x.

[sinbin]

22 minutes ago, Techno Viking said:

I dislike the red headlights.

I dislike green indicators and blue side lights.

[Get Real]

55 minutes ago, Daveyh said:

but I'm still amazed at the number of cars & motorcycles that drive at night without lights

What number? This is a really small amount you are talking about. Sure, it´s wrong, but the problem is not as big as you try to make it.

 

 

[ezzra]

There was a topic the other day about 24,000 dead on Thai roads every year,

so driving at night with out lights is right up there among the stupid

and careless behavior of the local drivers that the page will be too

short to list all of them....

[maximillian]

46 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

I don't know how it's possible, seeing that on most (if not all) motorbikes sold in Thailand it's not possible to switch off the lights...

OMG...  The bulbs are broken and who cares ?

[janclaes47]

I see plenty of scooters that deliberately removed the bulb in their headlights and replaced it with some small coloured LED's.

 

Same goes for cars.

 

The safety factor has much less appeal for these idiots than the LOOK ME factor.

 

[sinbin]

2 minutes ago, Get Real said:

 This is a really small amount you are talking about. Sure, it´s wrong, but the problem is not as big as you try to make it.

Are you serious. I find out in the rural areas they more likely to ride without lights than in a lit up environment such as Korat. 

[Peterw42]

7 minutes ago, Get Real said:

What number? This is a really small amount you are talking about. Sure, it´s wrong, but the problem is not as big as you try to make it.

 

 

Depends where you are, it can be a significant amount in some rural areas.

[maximillian]

1 hour ago, Daveyh said:

but I'm still amazed at the number of cars & motorcycles that drive at night without lights

From Get Real:

What number? This is a really small amount you are talking about. Sure, it´s wrong, but the problem is not as big as you try to make it.

 

 

YOU better Get Real.  The problem is even bigger as you can imagine.

[KittenKong]

1 hour ago, Daveyh said:

I'm sure the mindset set here is that they think they can see perfectly well without lights & it's not required

 

Douglas Adams, sadly deceased author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, knew all about Thai drivers:

 

" The Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal is a vicious wild animal from the planet of Traal, known for its never-ending hunger and its mind-boggling stupidity. The Guide calls the bugblatter the stupidest creature in the entire universe - so profoundly unintelligent that, if you can't see it, it assumes it can't see you.  "

 

[Dmaxdan]

16 minutes ago, sinbin said:

What p* sses me off more than anything here is that a lot of drivers seem to think fog lights should be on all the time. There is no fog so why? I indicated to a Thai woman that she shouldn't drive with fog lights on but use headlights. She replied, whilst shaking her head, 'not dark'. I also said a similar thing to a farang lady . Her reply was 'the Thais do it, I do it.'  The place is a boll*x.

I'm completely with you on this. There is no need for fog lights to be on under normal night time driving conditions. Modern day car headlights are more than adequate to see or be seen, whether on dipped or main beam. Fog lights should only be used in fog or snow blizzard conditions. I have fog lights fitted to my car, I've never used them.  

 

[DILLIGAD]

What number? This is a really small amount you are talking about. Sure, it´s wrong, but the problem is not as big as you try to make it.
 
 

I see more in one week in Thailand than the 48 years that I spent in ‘Farang-land’.
It’s as stupid as jet black window film.


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[KhunBENQ]

36 minutes ago, sinbin said:

I indicated to a Thai woman that she shouldn't drive with fog lights on but use headlights. She replied, whilst shaking her head, 'not dark'.

"Not dark".

I once tried to explain that the headlights are not (only) for finding the road but to be visible to others even during dusk and dawn.

Blank stare, farang ting tong.

And the wonderful Thai traffic law says that you MUST NOT turn on light as long as you can see a car in 150m distance. "must not"/"not allowed"!

I simply don't care.

Other countries laws say "you must at latest".

 

The problem is so bad in our region that it makes me avoid driving in the dark as much as possible.

I am so careful and anxious to take over during the night on a two lane highway.

It's a ghost ride.

Lunatics all over.

Some have working lights and don't turn then on and many others (preferably motorcycle riders) have broken rear lights. Less often for headlights.

Do you really think they check their rear lights or being advised?

No to think about break lights.

First check is after 5 years for the motorcycle inspection.

And that's only for those who care to drive legally.

Within the village legally registered/inspected motorcycles/scooters are in the 50% range.

[Scouse123]

51 minutes ago, Get Real said:

What number? This is a really small amount you are talking about. Sure, it´s wrong, but the problem is not as big as you try to make it.

 

 

It's a problem by and large confined to rural areas and villages. The drivers in Isaarn are particular guilty of this behaviour.

 

The problem is they keep this practice when then then move onto main roads outside the village side roads and then it becomes a problem with cars and trucks traveling at high speeds.

 

It is a concern and it is dangerous, but they have far bigger issues regards road safety ( drink/drug use and driving, overloading etc )  that need attention before this.

[Get Real]

3 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

The drivers in Isaarn are particular guilty of this behaviour.

I live in Isaan and drive both motorbike and car. Have maybe seen this "behaviour" maximum 5 times in 17 years.

Particlular quilty! Yep, keep on make me laugh. Maybe you know the particular place they are doing this in Isaan.

[Get Real]

54 minutes ago, maximillian said:

From Get Real:

What number? This is a really small amount you are talking about. Sure, it´s wrong, but the problem is not as big as you try to make it.

 

 

YOU better Get Real.  The problem is even bigger as you can imagine.

I don´t imagine things in life. I actually work with facts and life experience.

[stanleycoin]

It's because they can see ok

So everything will be ok !!!!!!!!!!!!!. ( why care anyone else )

its all part of the ingrained selfishness they have on the roads.

Stupid is as stupid dose.  

[mauGR1]

This is nothing, last year i saw 3 on a motorbike going down the steep hill and using feet as brakes, i thought their flip flops were not going to last long.

They seemed to be happy though.