Carnage as brakes work fine - but Thai woman steps on the accelerator instead

[webfact]

Carnage as brakes work fine - but Thai woman steps on the accelerator instead

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Several people were seriously injured when a motorcycle cut in front of a woman - but instead of braking she slammed her foot on the accelerator.

 

Police attending the accident scene on Sukhumvit Road in Bang Poo Mai sub-district found two people lying on the road who had been on a motorcycle.

 

There was a Toyota Vios overturned by the side of the road.

 

And there had even been a collision with a six-wheel "song thaew" bus.

 

The woman driver who drove the Vios - 35 year old Chutikan Saphanuwatanachai - was only slightly hurt and was sitting by the side of the road next to her passenger Kanyaporn Rattanawaleekun, 48, who had head trauma.

 

Lying in the road were 16 year old tech school student Khemchart Dao-udom and "win" motorcycle taxi driver Thongma Naleekhiaw, 41.

 

Khemchart was unconscious with blood coming from his ear, nose and mouth. Thongma had a head injury.

 

All the injured were taken to hospital.

 

Chutikan said she had been on her way from Pak Nam to work in Bang Poo. She said that a bike cut in front of her. She swerved and in a panic slammed her foot down hard on the brake - except it was the accelerator.

 

She collided with another bike being driven in the left lane.

 

She then smashed into a barrier and careened 100 meters down the road before hitting the song thaew and overturning.

 

Thai Rath did not mention any charges yet in their story of the accident.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-12-29

 

[Thaiwrath]

Yet another example of the lack of driving skills, by many Thai drivers, who should not be allowed behind the wheel.

[MadMuhammad]

This is a huge problem in Australia with the elderly, happens regularly. 

Surprising and scary someone so young can get it this wrong 

[Get Real]

How quick do you realize that you have your foot on the accellerator instead of the brake? Sounds like she continued to push the speed up.  Moron!

[ezzra]

She's not to blame, after all, the E-tan they drive in the farm doesn't have

break pedals either....

[Kerryd]

Coming back from "up country" last spring when a pick-up truck in front of us lost control on a wet curve, swerved across the center line, then back into the left lane, then back across the right lane and into the ditch. (One of those "delivery" style trucks with the large metal container on the back that raise the centre of gravity higher even when empty.)
 

There was 2 cars between us and the truck and as far as I was concerned everyone was driving too fast for the conditions. (The posted limit on that part of the road is 60 I think, due to the number of bendy curves, and that is in good conditions. All the traffic that day was doing 80+ of course despite the wet roads.)

As soon as I saw the truck go into the ditch I expected the g/f would slow down and pull over but instead she slammed on the gas and blasted past him. I was like "<deleted> are you doing ?" and when I looked at her, she looked scared. She had panicked and hit the accelerator (as if we already weren't going fast enough). The 2 cars ahead of us never slowed at all either (luckily or the g/f would have rear-ended them trying to get away).
I looked back and not one vehicle slowed (or stopped) to check out the driver of the truck. I suddenly had the impression that nobody wanted to get involved and that's why they didn't stop or even slow down. (The truck ended up in the ditch but stayed upright. If it had of wiped out and stayed on the road I'm sure some people may have stopped.)

All I could do was sit back and shake my head. It was a very quiet ride the rest of the way home.

[Darcula]

Sticking a bottle of Brands essence of chicken under the accelerator pedal might have averted this carnage.

[Rhys]

Sadless.

[petedk]

3 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Yet another example of the lack of driving skills, by many Thai drivers, who should not be allowed behind the wheel.

When I renewed my driving license a few years ago, there was a lady in front of me doing the emergency brake test. She kept pumping the "accelerator" pedal. She tried 4 or 5 times before the examiner stepped in and told her what to do.

 

Actually the whole test thing is a farce. That procedure should be done in a real car. I failed it 2 times because the bloody "box" kept slipping along the floor as I just slid my foot over instead of lifting it.

 

Anyway, surely this woman must have been able to take her foot of the accelerator and brake before she did too much damage.

[akirasan]

1 hour ago, Kerryd said:

I looked back and not one vehicle slowed (or stopped) to check out the driver of the truck. I suddenly had the impression that nobody wanted to get involved and that's why they didn't stop or even slow down.
 

This is entirely possible.  I was following a couple of young guys on a motorcycle a couple of years ago.  The road curved left, they kept going straight.  They hit the shoulder and flipped, one of them was in a really bad way.

Everyone just stood around gawking.  I had to pick up the mangled bike, make sure the kid was alive, direct traffic around him cos he was lying on the road, send my (then) gf to call an ambulance.  Nobody else did a thing besides stare.  

Edited December 29, 2017 by akirasan

[BuaBS]

2 hours ago, Kerryd said:

All I could do was sit back and shake my head. It was a very quiet ride the rest of the way home.

Who let's his wife drive ?

[Classic Ray]

Had a stay in hospital and a plate in my wrist a few years ago just like this. Woman comes round bend on wrong side of road, sees me, panics, accelerates instead of brakes, drags my motorbike down the road as I watch my wrist break, she had no licence of course, never had a lesson.

[4MyEgo]

3 hours ago, Kerryd said:

Coming back from "up country" last spring when a pick-up truck in front of us lost control on a wet curve, swerved across the center line, then back into the left lane, then back across the right lane and into the ditch. (One of those "delivery" style trucks with the large metal container on the back that raise the centre of gravity higher even when empty.)
 

There was 2 cars between us and the truck and as far as I was concerned everyone was driving too fast for the conditions. (The posted limit on that part of the road is 60 I think, due to the number of bendy curves, and that is in good conditions. All the traffic that day was doing 80+ of course despite the wet roads.)

As soon as I saw the truck go into the ditch I expected the g/f would slow down and pull over but instead she slammed on the gas and blasted past him. I was like "<deleted> are you doing ?" and when I looked at her, she looked scared. She had panicked and hit the accelerator (as if we already weren't going fast enough). The 2 cars ahead of us never slowed at all either (luckily or the g/f would have rear-ended them trying to get away).
I looked back and not one vehicle slowed (or stopped) to check out the driver of the truck. I suddenly had the impression that nobody wanted to get involved and that's why they didn't stop or even slow down. (The truck ended up in the ditch but stayed upright. If it had of wiped out and stayed on the road I'm sure some people may have stopped.)

All I could do was sit back and shake my head. It was a very quiet ride the rest of the way home.

As sad as it is, I think your g/f may have done the right thing. I once stopped to assist in an accident, not fully understanding what transpired as there was a hell of a lot of smoke on the road, ahead of me around the bend, I could just see brake lights ahead through the smoke, so on went my hazzard, I pulled the side of the road, cars ahead of me also pulling over to assist.

 

There were two lanes going in our direction and two lanes going in the opposite direction, and on the opposite direction there were cars at least 4-5 smashed and all over the road and a large semi trailer further along that was along side a barrier wall stopped. In the middle of the opposite side of the road was what was left of a car, you could see the driver still sitting in it, the car, what was left of it, was opened up like a can with a can opener, but mangled beyond recognition and wash mangled around the driver, it was quite hard to fathom it, I ran to other vehicles to see if anyone needed assistance, looking through the window of the drivers door as it was dark, what I saw that night so many years ago comes back to me every time I see an accident, suffice to say, sometimes you might be better off putting your foot down, although I know that's not in my make-up.

 

I did read in the news paper the next day on my way t work, the semi-trailer driver was hi on drugs and deliberately crossed the road and into on coming traffic because he had just broken up with his girlfriend, 5 innocent people died that night, and scores of us traumatised. 

[PremiumLane]

It is like one big circle jerk now - TV posts a story about bad driving/accident then always the following:

 

First few comments about how all Thais are bad drivers, then

 

When will they ever learn! followed by,

 

Well they just graduated from farm machinery, so what do you expect! and then,

 

'Witty' comments connecting to the latest news story around the same subject, continued with

 

Long boring stories of 'experiences' of the terrible Thais, and then

 

A long list of how the problem should be fixed, and finally

 

Arguments about fine details

 

Rinse and repeat everyday.... bit like the carnage going on out there.... and just an observation before you get your panties in a twist :) 

[Yahooka]

"Insane in the memblane..... Insane in the blain" [emoji12]

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, petedk said:

When I renewed my driving license a few years ago, there was a lady in front of me doing the emergency brake test. She kept pumping the "accelerator" pedal. She tried 4 or 5 times before the examiner stepped in and told her what to do.

 

Actually the whole test thing is a farce. That procedure should be done in a real car. I failed it 2 times because the bloody "box" kept slipping along the floor as I just slid my foot over instead of lifting it.

 

Anyway, surely this woman must have been able to take her foot of the accelerator and brake before she did too much damage.

I remember lowering my head into some kind of box which had a coloured light come on to the left and the right, I thought I was supposed to tell her which side the light came on, which I did by raising my hand on the side it came on, only to find my wife laughing hysterically the other day, almost 2 years later when I told her that is what I did, with her telling me that I was supposed to tell the later the colour of the light, with my reply being, so that's why she looked frustrated and kept shaking her her, not my fault, I don;t speak Thai, and she didn't speak English, still got my licence though.

[Moti24]

..... but instead of braking she slammed her foot on the accelerator.

 

 No doubt she slammed her foot on the accelerator, but I'm betting that she also had her left foot on the brake.

 

It seems it's standard practice here to use the left foot for the brake and the right foot for the accelerator.  As most Thai drivers are not taught how to drive, I assume it's just laziness; takes too much energy to move the right foot over to the brake.  I often see the brake light flicker on and off when following cars, no doubt caused by the left foot hovering over the brake.  One of my neighbours drives like that, and when I asked her why, she replied that it was easier.  The problem is that when confronted with the need to make an emergency stop, both feet automatically hit the floor - A recipe for disaster.

 

If driving schools actually taught people to drive properly instead of opening the business to fill-up the bank account, and strict driving tests were conducted by a non-corrupted government agency, perhaps there would be some light at the end of the tunnel.  However, who is going to train the instructors!  Even more important, who is going to train the examiners! 

 

Meanwhile, let the carnage games continue.

Edited December 29, 2017 by Moti24

[Ochomo]

People should learn the meaning of the word carnage:

car·nage

ˈkärnij/

noun

 

1. the killing of a large number of people.

   synonyms:

   slaughter, massacre, mass murder, butchery, bloodbath, bloodletting, gore; More

[Bill Miller]

5 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Yet another example of the lack of driving skills, by many Thai drivers, who should not be allowed behind the wheel.

This is true, and absolutely due to lack of or very poor instruction.
I already "knew" how to drive farm vehicles and a 1922 "T" Touring, but took driver's ed for insurance discount purposes. Still learned some useful stuff, and I am sure the extra practice saved me some fender benders.

 

[klauskunkel]

everyday you leave the house, you put your life in the hands of morons

[jimn]

2 hours ago, akirasan said:

This is entirely possible.  I was following a couple of young guys on a motorcycle a couple of years ago.  The road curved left, they kept going straight.  They hit the shoulder and flipped, one of them was in a really bad way.

Everyone just stood around gawking.  I had to pick up the mangled bike, make sure the kid was alive, direct traffic around him cos he was lying on the road, send my (then) gf to call an ambulance.  Nobody else did a thing besides stare.  

Then in my opinion you did the right thing in Western cultures, but very risky in Thailand. I have heard of cases where people have stopped to help, especially Falang and they have been accused of causing the accident and attempting to get money from them.

[Lupatria]

Neither blame on the break, darkness, or slippery road. It must be a chronic shortage of 'Extract of Chicken'.

[manchega]

This woman should be given a medal.  Removing dangerous driver from road - check, teaching a lesson to motorcyclists - check, 

I know I have often thought about accelerating at slow moving motorbikes cutting in front.

 

I try not to think it though,

 

once i had a taxi pull out slowly in front of me from a minor road, I was thinking i hate taxis as I braked a tiny bit too late and hit the expletive in the side.  Thai ( comedy) traffic laws were with me this time, and despite those that came to defense of taxi I sat in car till insurance came with police to explain how taxi was in wrong coming out of minor road.

none the less, it would have been dangerous step out of car without police.

[worgeordie]

"She then smashed into a barrier and careened 100 meters down the road before hitting the song thaew and overturning." sounds like she was trying to make a getaway,once you realize your foot is on the accelerator,

 instead of the brake ,you dont keep it pressed down !surely.

regards worgeordie

[toofarnorth]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

I remember lowering my head into some kind of box which had a coloured light come on to the left and the right, I thought I was supposed to tell her which side the light came on, which I did by raising my hand on the side it came on, only to find my wife laughing hysterically the other day, almost 2 years later when I told her that is what I did, with her telling me that I was supposed to tell the later the colour of the light, with my reply being, so that's why she looked frustrated and kept shaking her her, not my fault, I don;t speak Thai, and she didn't speak English, still got my licence though.

Exactly the same at C/Rai test centre , First time ( either bike or car ) I just waved the left or right hand , the operator of said machine said " No No ! "   So I thought eh up , I can't have got them all wrong . I too passed .

Next exam ( either car or bike ) I was told to say either keow or daeng .  Oh to be taken out on the road by an examiner " You fail test " 

" Why "

"You better than me , loss of face "

[RichardinHuaHin]

Lack of brains a huge problem here.

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, Bill Miller said:

This is true, and absolutely due to lack of or very poor instruction.
I already "knew" how to drive farm vehicles and a 1922 "T" Touring, but took driver's ed for insurance discount purposes. Still learned some useful stuff, and I am sure the extra practice saved me some fender benders.

 

 

Poor instruction ...

 

My Thai son wanted to learn to drive and discovered a small shop front driving school near our condo in Bkk.  I gave him some money to sign up and told him to check if the school also taught the rules of the road,  and found the 20 page book on this (Thai and English, published by the Thai Land Transport Dept.,) I had given him a year earlier.

 

He took the book in his bag when he went to register at the driving school He asked the owner / instructor 'will you also teach me how to apply the laws about the rules of the road'.

 

Answer 'how can I do that there are no laws about rules of the road'. son produced the book, owner suddenly was too busy to accept my son and quickly tore up the registration form and gave all the money back to my son. 

 

 

[moe666]

3 hours ago, PremiumLane said:

It is like one big circle jerk now - TV posts a story about bad driving/accident then always the following:

 

First few comments about how all Thais are bad drivers, then

 

When will they ever learn! followed by,

 

Well they just graduated from farm machinery, so what do you expect! and then,

 

'Witty' comments connecting to the latest news story around the same subject, continued with

 

Long boring stories of 'experiences' of the terrible Thais, and then

 

A long list of how the problem should be fixed, and finally

 

Arguments about fine details

 

Rinse and repeat everyday.... bit like the carnage going on out there.... and just an observation before you get your panties in a twist :) 

You are spot on

[anon789561]

4 hours ago, PremiumLane said:

It is like one big circle jerk now - TV posts a story about bad driving/accident then always the following:

 

First few comments about how all Thais are bad drivers, then

 

When will they ever learn! followed by,

 

Well they just graduated from farm machinery, so what do you expect! and then,

 

'Witty' comments connecting to the latest news story around the same subject, continued with

 

Long boring stories of 'experiences' of the terrible Thais, and then

 

A long list of how the problem should be fixed, and finally

 

Arguments about fine details

 

Rinse and repeat everyday.... bit like the carnage going on out there.... and just an observation before you get your panties in a twist :) 

the thing with you is most of your posts are basically moaning about TVF members. but indeed, you are one yourself

[Just Weird]

It's amazing that no one has started to whinge about the driver being identified as being Thai.  If the driver had been a foreigner, and identified as such in the headline, Thaivisa's indignant hordes would have been out in force demanding to know how his nationality was relevant when if it was a Thai it wouldn't be mentioned.

 

Just hypocrisy, I suppose.