The Most Dangerous Road You Know

[Tony Clifton]

Riding my motorcycle yesterday, I slowed down (not a full stop) at a 3 way T shaped intersection with no stop or yield sign, an oncoming motorcycle to my right had right of way. I then heard "Oei, oei, oei!" behind me. A motorcycle following me way too close on a gravel road could not slow down in time as well (most likely was going to throw himself through the intersection). Slid on it's side and went by me missing me by inches. I spun around and asked the driver if he was ok, got up and said he was fine. I left. Had he not been following me so close and not directly in my path but to my right or left, he could have easily avoided his accident.

My wife later asked "Why did you stop and talk to him?" My answer was, I ride through there every day, buy at the shops there, get my flat tires fixed there. I would have been seen as an assh*le by the people who know me had I just kept on going. Why shouldn't I stop and see if he was ok?

[qualtrough]

Riding my motorcycle yesterday, I slowed down (not a full stop) at a 3 way T shaped intersection with no stop or yield sign, an oncoming motorcycle to my right had right of way. I then heard "Oei, oei, oei!" behind me. A motorcycle following me way too close on a gravel road could not slow down in time as well (most likely was going to throw himself through the intersection). Slid on it's side and went by me missing me by inches. I spun around and asked the driver if he was ok, got up and said he was fine. I left. Had he not been following me so close and not directly in my path but to my right or left, he could have easily avoided his accident.

My wife later asked "Why did you stop and talk to him?" My answer was, I ride through there every day, buy at the shops there, get my flat tires fixed there. I would have been seen as an assh*le by the people who know me had I just kept on going. Why shouldn't I stop and see if he was ok?

Thank your lucky stars that he wasn't driving a 10 wheeler behind you!

[cloudhopper]

It's risky business everywhere in LOS but the worst in Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. I live in rural MHS province and although the main highway has its moments, generally the slower pace of the countryside is reflected in the driving there too.

[baboon]

My vote goes to the Chumphon - Ranong erm, "Highway." For Gods sake friends, if you are thinking about using it please be very and I mean VERY careful. Steep hills and hairpin bends are not a good combination.

Feel free to use any side of the road you fancy, mind. Everyone else does.

[toptuan]

...oncoming motorcycle to my right had right of way.

When using this phrase, remember to translate this concept into Thai culture. Failure to do so could be fatal to naive farangs who think there really is a "western concept" right-of-way in this country.

Right of Way = the biggest and fastest vehicle, or boldest driver on the road. All others, give way!

[Donz]

When ever im angry or drunk walking down a road, then thats the most dangerous road in the world

[terry57]

attended a single vehicle road accident this morning, 5 young people coming home from a night club at 5.00am.

high powered vehicle, the driver showing off to the 3 girls they picked up at the night club.

very good road, no traffic , slight bend , the young dude, pedal to the metal doing high speed and lost it.

off the road , rolled 5 times, people thrown out and ugly end.

at the end of the day you can have a very good road, but add a bad driver and you have disaster.

on the other hand you can have a bad road, with good driver's and not a problem.

this is the problem in los, the thais are bad drivers with shocking driving habits and no fear of death.

this is my observation of thai drivers over many years.

thank you very much

[Richb2004v2]

There is something missing from this thread.

I feel sure that at any minute, one of the Thai wannabe defenders of all things Thai, will make a posting claiming that the Thais have a perfectly good system, and that they feel far safer driving here than in any developed western country.

Maybe they have all taken a weekend break.

[Tony Clifton]

A Tesco Express has opened right at our village's entrance, on a very secondary 2 lane road with no emergency lane. We drove by today and I showed my wife how little space they have left in front, barely enough for motorcycles, none for cars who park on the road, no other parking area, and partially block a lane. "An accident waiting to happen"

Drove by again tonight and there were 4 emergency rescue trucks picking up bodies and flip-flops all over the road. Will anything be done about it? Yes, Tesco will stock up on flip-flops...

[thaihome]

There is something missing from this thread.

I feel sure that at any minute, one of the Thai wannabe defenders of all things Thai, will make a posting claiming that the Thais have a perfectly good system, and that they feel far safer driving here than in any developed western country.

Maybe they have all taken a weekend break.

I just wonder how many other third world countries the posters saying thai's are the worst drivers in the world have driven in?

Dispite some serious safety issues, I will still take Thailand over China or India any day...

TH

[NaiGreg]

Baracoa to Santiago ... Dominican Republic.

[undercover]

Highway 36 leaving pattaya is dangerous at night for another reason, people have their motorbikes stolen by gangs,

[Tony Clifton]

There is something missing from this thread.

I feel sure that at any minute, one of the Thai wannabe defenders of all things Thai, will make a posting claiming that the Thais have a perfectly good system, and that they feel far safer driving here than in any developed western country.

Maybe they have all taken a weekend break.

I just wonder how many other third world countries the posters saying thai's are the worst drivers in the world have driven in?

Dispite some serious safety issues, I will still take Thailand over China or India any day...

TH

The problem is, my wife, relatives and friends and I live here, so do yours, their lives and our lives. I honestly don`t care how people drive in Zimbabwe, Panama or Liechtenstein. . Roads have to be used by most of us on a daily basis but unfortunately the carnage goes on because most drivers make up their own rules. A driving license is a permission to drive a vehicle according to road laws, not a right. Then again there is no demerit point system, practically no patrol cars on the roads, except for the odd policeman on the sidewalk or pulling cars over the side of the highway.

I can`t believe no transport Minister or anyone in their entourage has ever witnessed horrible accidents or stupid stunts going on around their vehicles, unless they drive the same way or simply couldn`t be bothered lifting their eyes from the newspaper while on the backseat while their chauffeur cuts YOU off. The road safety parades go on during holidays (still no cars patrolling the roads) and then nothing is heard of to improve road safety until the next holiday. Road blocks do next to nothing , accidents happen between road blocks.

Thai drivers are partially to blame but the biggest part of the problem has been a succession of politicians and police chiefs holding positions that allow them to make changes to improve road safety but don`t. They either are plain stupid, incompetent, lazy or don`t care.

Edited March 11, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[gusG]

Anywhere on Koh Samui's ring road. You just gotta love those cement trucks !

[old wanderer]

Riding my motorcycle yesterday, I slowed down (not a full stop) at a 3 way T shaped intersection with no stop or yield sign, an oncoming motorcycle to my right had right of way. I then heard "Oei, oei, oei!" behind me. A motorcycle following me way too close on a gravel road could not slow down in time as well (most likely was going to throw himself through the intersection). Slid on it's side and went by me missing me by inches. I spun around and asked the driver if he was ok, got up and said he was fine. I left. Had he not been following me so close and not directly in my path but to my right or left, he could have easily avoided his accident.

Right here in Los Angeles. Tuesday I had the delivery of a long awaited Aprilia Futura motorcycle. This bike was like from the showroom and had been sitting in a garage outside of Chicago for almost 2 years. If you do not know what this is google Aprilia Futura. Absolutly futuristic beautiful bikes. This one was in Italian red.

I called and had it added on my insurance policy. Wednesday (liability only). I rode it a bit, and just after dark, following some traffic, and allowing about 4 or 5 car lengths between me and a string of cars and putting along at 25 MPH, a woman that could not turn on her turn signal as her hand was holding her cell phone to her ear, and did not want to be rude by interrupting her string of prattle, decided I was invisible, and promptly turned right in front of me.

now I am sitting home here on my Birthday (Sunday) with a tweaked neck and sore knee, plus an ugly bike that I have not been able to locate the parts to rebuild yet because they are rare.

I hired a junk yard dog type attorney to settle the whole mess.

[leisurely]

I think it is difficult, if not impossible to pin point one single road. On Thursday I was in my friends car with her and her driver (ooh get us), as we came round the U turn bridge by BITEC, a taxi driver came screaming along behind us and cut in front of the car/van. We were facing the back of the vehicle and saw it happening. Not content with cuttingus up, the silly bugger then started ramming the car once we got onto the straight. He bumped us gently at first then one big one and sped off (as much as you can speed). The driver was shaken and so were we, goodness knows how the farang passenger in the taxi was feeling. I think he was on the way to the airport, so if you are reading this, it was not our fault. We took the numberof the taxi and asked the driver to report it, his answer was that there was no point, the police wouldn't do anything.

[mr_hippo]

The Taif-Riyadh Highway in the late 80's/early 90's (perhaps even to today) It's a nice, wide, well made road, in parts there are 3 lanes in both directions. The problem with it was the Otaibi tribe lived in the desert and made frequent raping and pillaging raids onto the highway. RSAF, Taif, frequently scrambled F-5's to discourage them but to no avail and alliance ground forces fared no better.

[jayjayjayjay]

Dude, awesome photo. Does a rental bike come with a base jumping parachute!!!

[mr_hippo]

Or if you want to take your mountain bike out -

[wilko]

I would have thought the M1 in the UK in frezing fog is hard to beat...

[Tony Clifton]

Went back to Paknam today and as I promised myself, took the alternate road from the Bang Phli exit from the elevated expressway.

Is it safer? Traffic is much slower, mostly gridlocked but then again...

This beast was sitting freely on a flatbed truck, no chains or any tie down device. A crew of 5 sat bravely in the cab upfront.

Rubber is so rare around these parts.

[mgjackson69]

Thai roads are tame compared to India.

You can't have been on the ChumPae Chaiyapum road.

Have been, several times...India is much worse

[wilko]

Went back to Paknam today and as I promised myself, took the alternate road from the Bang Phli exit from the elevated expressway.

Is it safer? Traffic is much slower, mostly gridlocked but then again...

This beast was sitting freely on a flatbed truck, no chains or any tie down device. A crew of 5 sat bravely in the cab upfront.

I've seen 2 such loads shed in Thailand on on and the near ther Dolphin rounabout, Pattaya. The formewr crushed a car.

Edited March 12, 2007 by wilko

[mgjackson69]

Tony's photos speak to another Thai road hazard....(lack of) vehicle maintenance. Notice in the last photo that half of the bolts which hold the axle shaft in are missing.

I have never driven a Thai vehicle, with the exception of nearly new rentals, that did not need front shock absorbers. The Thais seem to think that you can buy a new vehicle for 600,000 baht, drive it for 10-15 years, doing absolutely no maintenance other than putting some decals of some sort on it, giving it some dings and dents along the way, then it is still worth 400,000 baht.

[TukTukDodger]

I heartily agree with the posters who have mentioned India - especially the mountain roads in Himachal Pradesh. Of course, if the bus/taxi you are riding in has a Ganesh statue on the dashboard you are safe...

Even the roads in Tibet are smooth and safe compared to those in India.

[sungod]

I used to drive the green zone in Baghdad to the airport a few times a week a couple of years ago, that could get quite noisy at times!

[jackr]

This beast was sitting freely on a flatbed truck, no chains or any tie down device. A crew of 5 sat bravely in the cab upfront.

She ain't goin nowhere, unless of course the truck driver pulls a wheelie

Great pics btw

[wilko]

This beast was sitting freely on a flatbed truck, no chains or any tie down device. A crew of 5 sat bravely in the cab upfront.

She ain't goin nowhere, unless of course the truck driver pulls a wheelie

Great pics btw

This one came off!

[andook]

Roundabouts in Thailand are dangerous. There doesn't seem to be any knowledge or routine in using them. Just copied piecemeal from the UK. (Great pics btw, Tony Clifton).

India is probably the worst place for driving. Followed closely by a lot of E. European countries.

[ashacat]

Dubai roads are very dangerous. Extremely fast driving. Also Vietnam has some truely terrifying roads. Most roads in Thailand are pretty bad too. Rayong town has some bad areas.