Thai drivers ignoring the "Roundabout of Life"

[rooster59]

Thai drivers ignoring the "Roundabout of Life"

 

Image: Sanook

 

Locals in Samut Songkhram are wondering what is the point of a mini roundabout (traffic circle) in their neighborhood.

 

Many drivers not familiar with road just drive straight over it.

 

Sanook went to the area on the local road next to Rama 2 in Mae Klong sub-district and found the signage flattened. 

 

Locals call it the "Roundabout of Life".

 

They want the authorities to do something as there have been frequent accidents.

 

Soon there could be a death if the roundabout is not properly signposted. 

 

And no one wants it to be called the "Roundabout of Death". 

 

Thaivisa notes that many drivers in Thailand are confused by the protocol at what the British call roundabouts.

 

The UK is full of them and they are generally obeyed there but in Thailand drivers often don't get the point of them.

 

Source: Sanook

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-10-06

[kotsak]

2 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Locals in Samut Songkhram are wondering what is the point of a mini roundabout (traffic circle) in their neighborhood

I am also wondering the same for all traffic signs, zebra crossing, etc etc in the country. ????

 

[Rally123]

In Buriram by the uni they had to takeout/remove the roundabout due to the Thais not knowing how to negotiate it. The shortest way is always the best way in Ting Tong Land.

[ThreeEyedRaven]

16 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Thaivisa notes that many drivers in Thailand are confused by the protocol at what the British call roundabouts.

They seem mightily confused with all other aspects of driving too. God forbid someone ever gives them something complicated to deal with. I think the thing that confuses them most with a roundabout though, is the concept that you are supposed to give way to other motorists, as they never seem capable of dealing with that one any where else.

[worgeordie]

Roundabouts,there a strange concept for Thai drivers,

who usually have difficulty at junctions,there should be

more roundabouts instead of the very dangerous,dual 

u-turns,where you cannot see whats coming for vehicles

u-turning the other way,there's a couple of roundabouts

up here in Chiang Mai,I know about,and the drivers ON

the roundabout alway give way to those entering.

regards Worgeordie

[pattjock]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

"Thaivisa notes that many drivers in Thailand are confused by the protocol at what the British call roundabouts. "

 

Most seems to be confused about most things so no surprise here.

 

Roundabouts are brilliant, much better than traffic lights, when people know how to use them.

 

 

[seajae]

makes it hard when most thai drivers do not know or follow the current road rules let alone try to work out how to use a round about, more than likely caused by the "me first" way they drive. Round abouts should make it easier but as the same people cannot understand what they are supposed to do or who to give way at all the other intersections it just causes mass confusion, ignoring it and driving over it is much more simple for them and doesnt tax their thinking

[Daffy D]

It's easy to blame the locals as being stupid but if no one has told them how are they to know?

 

I  doubt anyone was born with the knowledge about roundabouts or zebra crossings or even the amount of space a truck needs to U-Turn.

 

In the old day back in the real word there used to be government sponsored ads on TV educating us all about things like that. "Wear something white at night" "clunk click evert trip" "look both ways when crossing the road"  and that "amber gambler" one that Crossy posted just recently.

 

The government should have a similar TV campaign here. Flood the airtime with these educational ads especially during the popular soaps which the majority of locals seem to watch.

 

I'm sure in the long term this would cheaper and better way to make people responsible and aware of the problems instead of showing pixelated bodies of rad accidents that seem to have no impact on safety.   

 

 

[DavisH]

Thais treat roundabouts as they treat normal intersections, and this is the problem. In Australia, we give way to traffic already on the roundabout "give way to the right", and out normal intersections are "give way to the right". In Thailand, we give way to the left at normal intersections, but roundabouts are still supposed to be "give way to traffic on the roundabout". This is why cars will shoot out in front of you when you are going around a roundabout (they think they have right of way). This is a problem with driver training here (is there even a  question on roundabouts?). There sound at least be give way signs on the roundabout to remind buffoons of the rules. Maybe I need a dirty big pickup to remind them of the rules. 

[carvets]

7 minutes ago, Daffy D said:

It's easy to blame the locals as being stupid but if no one has told them how are they to know?

 

I  doubt anyone was born with the knowledge about roundabouts or zebra crossings or even the amount of space a truck needs to U-Turn.

The government should have a similar TV campaign here. Flood the airtime with these educational ads especially during the popular soaps which the majority of locals seem to watch.

 

I'm sure in the long term this would cheaper and better way to make people responsible and aware of the problems instead of showing pixelated bodies of rad accidents that seem to have no impact on safety.   

 

 

Totally agree , I think someone in the Thai Transport Dept see's these things in the west and and figures they'll introduce them in Thailand , but fail to tell anyone what they are and how they work, hence confusion and chaos and accidents.

 

[ezzra]

1 hour ago, kotsak said:

I am also wondering the same for all traffic signs, zebra crossing, etc etc in the country. ????

 

traffic rules in Thailand are on take or leave bases, choose to obey or ignore at your peril...

[Dmaxdan]

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

The UK is full of them and they are generally obeyed there but in Thailand drivers often don't get the point of them.

The point of a roundabout is to promote a continuous flow of traffic. Unlike at intersections controlled with traffic lights, drivers are not actually required to stop, only yield to those approaching from the right (or the left in country's where they drive on the left). Thus the intersection can handle considerably more traffic than one with traffic signals. 

 

The problem with many Thai drivers is that they never adopt the "If in doubt, approach with caution philosophy."  Its the easiest thing in the world to blame the roundabout, but when used correctly, they are statistically very safe, simply because everyone should slowdown in preparation for the possible need to stop, therefore no one should ever be going fast enough to have a major accident.

 

 

 

[NCC1701A]

when i get bored of watching the grass grow here in Hua Hin I just go to the exciting somewhat new roundabout on Soi 88.

 

take a look at how many roads converge in and around one place and throw in a train track and safety guard that block the intersection numerous times a day.   

 

great fun for the whole family when the train shows up during rush hour! better than the water park. 

 

 

 

 

[kotsak]

31 minutes ago, ezzra said:

traffic rules in Thailand are on take or leave bases, choose to obey or ignore at your peril...

Agreed, rules and regulations exist here for putting the blame after the event occured, not to prevent it from happening.

 

[edwinchester]

In my wife's home town a roundabout was recently built where 5 roads meet at the local market in the middle of town.

Market days are Monday and Thursday.

On most days traffic is a chaotic free for all with most people going whatever way they please but miraculously, on market days the traffic moves without a hitch in the correct direction.

These are the two days police are stationed to monitor traffic at the market.

[Justgrazing]

 Abandon hope all ye who enter .. 

 

Imagine the carnage if this was introduced 'ere ..  

[Daffy D]

Example as posted by Crossy previously:-

 

 

 

[MickGC]

1 hour ago, Justgrazing said:

 Abandon hope all ye who enter .. 

 

Imagine the carnage if this was introduced 'ere ..  

From a person who designs roads for a living, that is one of my favourites. I think the engineer who came up with that design was on psychedelic drugs at the time.

[Justgrazing]

3 minutes ago, MickGC said:

From a person who designs roads for a living, that is one of my favourites. I think the engineer who came up with that design was on psychedelic drugs at the time.

Fair to say he was on something .. 

[BoganInParasite]

In Nan there is a roundabout near the entrance to the airport. If anything, I find Thai drivers already on it are often uncertain of who has right of way and will stop and will wait for you to enter in front of them. You just waiting often results in both waiting. Mercifully I've encountered few instances of Thai drivers darting into it when I'm already on it. I've commented previously but here is Nan province we seem to be blessed by better than average roads, less traffic because of the lower population density and to be honest, less of the crazy Thai driving I and many others have encountered elsewhere in Thailand. I've probably driven around 10,000 kilometers in the province now and am yet to encounter a dangerous situation caused by another vehicle.

[FitnessHealthTravel]

"When in doubt, roundabout" - Australian Department of Main Roads.

[hotchilli]

It's not viewed as a roundabout with a function... it's an obstacle in the road!

[HHTel]

6 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

when i get bored of watching the grass grow here in Hua Hin I just go to the exciting somewhat new roundabout on Soi 88.

 

take a look at how many roads converge in and around one place and throw in a train track and safety guard that block the intersection numerous times a day.   

 

great fun for the whole family when the train shows up during rush hour! better than the water park. 

 

 

 

 

That particular roundabout has to be 'one of a kind'.  It's a roundabout and it's not a roundabout.  The signs say it is but when you get on it, it's only half a roundabout which a suppose makes it a semicircleabout!!  Totally crazy with no obvious or even sensible rights of way.  I'd love to know 'what were they thinking?' when they built this.

[Gandtee]

6 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

The point of a roundabout is to promote a continuous flow of traffic. Unlike at intersections controlled with traffic lights, drivers are not actually required to stop, only yield to those approaching from the right (or the left in country's where they drive on the left). Thus the intersection can handle considerably more traffic than one with traffic signals. 

 

The problem with many Thai drivers is that they never adopt the "If in doubt, approach with caution philosophy."  Its the easiest thing in the world to blame the roundabout, but when used correctly, they are statistically very safe, simply because everyone should slowdown in preparation for the possible need to stop, therefore no one should ever be going fast enough to have a major accident.

 

 

 

In countries where they drive on the left they give way to those on the  roundabout. This doesn't work here. The me first syndrome does not allow it. Even though the roundabout gets jammed up and no one can move.

[HHTel]

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Thaivisa notes that many drivers in Thailand are confused by the protocol at what the British call roundabouts.

The British invented them and are being used in many countries in the world.  They are multiplying at a fast rate in the US and are replacing traditional intersections.  They are being praised with many saying how it's reduced traffic congestion and cut journey times significantly.  Americans being Americans have found no problem adjusting so why the problem with Thais?  

The roundabout close to where I live in Hua Hin has roundabout signs both on the road and approaching signs.  There are also signs written in Thai instructing to give way to traffic on the roundabout as well as 'give way' signs.  So what do they do?  They stop on the roundabout to allow traffic to enter who in turn also stop for the same reason.  It takes around 2 mins for the roundabout to be gridlocked with everyone trying to manoever their way out of it.

 

Roundabouts are covered in the 1979 Traffic Act so not that much of a revelation.

 

Quote

Section 73. In the case where any roundabout has installed traffic signals or traffic signs, the driver must follow such traffic signals or traffic signs. If there is no traffic signal or traffic sign under paragraph one, when a driver arrives at the roundabout, he or she must give way to the driver driving on his or her right side in the roundabout to pass first.

 

[Lancashirelad]

Title 6 Sect. 73 gives the rules for roundabouts. thailaws.com/law/t_laws/tlaw0140_5.pdf

[chickenslegs]

2 hours ago, BoganInParasite said:

In Nan there is a roundabout near the entrance to the airport. If anything, I find Thai drivers already on it are often uncertain of who has right of way and will stop and will wait for you to enter in front of them.

I'm sure this is partly due to the general rule in Thailand being "give way to the left" (in the absence of signs or road markings). Roundabouts are the only places where drivers should always give way to the right.

[Russell17au]

In the area where I live there is a rather large roundabout that has only 3 exits and one evening when I was going to pick my wife up I entered the roundabout only to find a car coming around the wrong way and there was no room to get past and they were not going to move and go around the right way until another couple of cars came up behind me and the drivers got out and abused the driver of the car and made them reverse back and go around the correct way. Thais just do not understand and they do not care about the traffic laws

[Rally123]

19 hours ago, Daffy D said:

It's easy to blame the locals as being stupid but if no one has told them how are they to know?

They are taught to give way to traffic from the right. Apply the same rules in any situation and roundabouts are a doddle.

[Rally123]

12 hours ago, HHTel said:

Americans being Americans have found no problem adjusting so why the problem with Thais? 

Because when it comes to driving they have to be one of the world's worst for being selfish.