SURVEY: Increasing the speed limit -- Good or Bad?

[Scott]

There have been some recent thread about increasing the maximum speed limit to 120 KPH on some 4 lane roads.   Which of the following best expresses your opinion about the proposed increase?

 

Please feel free to leave a comment.

[spidermike007]

The current speed limit on most highways is 90 kph. There is no correlation between that speed, and the speed most drivers go. Most go 120kph. Some faster. Make the speed 120kph. On four land divided highways. It is a safe speed, and will not necessarily encourage people to go faster. It cannot get any worse. It just makes driving at a reasonable speed legal. At this stage, the only reason the government is resisting this, is due to the new revenue stream form the ticket in the mail campaign. It is surly, and onerous. Get rid of it. 

[Black arab]

Ask any police officer in the uk usa europe they will all tell you speed kills, put together with poor driving standards and lack of enforcement,i dont think its a good idea for Thailand.

[quandow]

You forgot the option "This would only matter if the laws were actually implemented then adhered to."

[HHTel]

My belief is that it will make no difference whether the speed limit is increased or not.  Driving will remain the same.

 

That option needs added to your survey.

[Kurtf]

I think it is a bad idea in a country where the natives have no idea or concept of what a lane is for.A road in Thailand with two lanes is IMMEDIATELY turned into a three lane road or a one lane road with some <deleted> straddling the lane line.

[klauskunkel]

Definitely increase the speed limit, and while they're at it, how about a substantial tax rebate for your first Ducati.

[George Bowman]

I live in the peaceful countryside where a two-lane autobahn meanders through the middle of the village. The Thai government can raise or lower the speed limit all they want. It makes no difference...

 

[MadMuhammad]

32 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

Definitely increase the speed limit, and while they're at it, how about a substantial tax rebate for your first Ducati.

I second this motion! ????

[MadMuhammad]

It’ll make zero difference. Most Thais drive at whatever speed that like anyway. 

Mid anything it’ll bring the other traffic up to speed so maybe there’ll actually be less weaving and racing for position 

[kingstonkid]

There is no speed limit on road's as long as police do not monitor.  More tra in bed and better paid police for highway are needed.  R ight now unfortunately highways are the Thai version of population control

[marquis22]

5 hours ago, Black arab said:

Ask any police officer in the uk usa europe they will all tell you speed kills, put together with poor driving standards and lack of enforcement,i dont think its a good idea for Thailand.

But they need a study done here before such outlandish assumption can be believed!

Australia has cut the road toll dramatically using "speed kills" advertisements on tv for years.

[Artisi]

It will make absolutely no difference, Thai's will just keep killing themselves irrespective of laws - - - - you can't fix or regulate stupidity. 

 

[superal]

 I voted for increase the speed to 120km as 90 on main motorways is too slow .  If they try to copy the German autobahns now that could be a problem .Until Thailand gives driver education there will always be carnage . Simple info on main stream TV telling ,  1/ no outside lane hugging 2/ no undertaking at "U" turns 3/ be considerate to other road users , as  examples 

would be a start and to be enforced by skilled highway police . There is little interest shown by the powers that be to reduce the yearly road fatality figures and that should take precedence over increasing the speed limit  but apathy rules it seems . No doubt that most readers of this forum could suggest changes for the better that would mitigate many of the dangers on the roads of Thailand .

 

[Dap]

I didn't agree with any of the offerings so no vote but, it seems to me that a great many people on the highways are already doing 120 and a few even faster, especially the big bikes. Mostly the roads are well engineered and handle that speed sufficiently and as far as commercial vehicles are concerned, the ones that are capable pretty much travel as fast as possible to get the most money from their profession (that being the nature of the beast). I really don't see as how anything will change simply because someone makes 120 legal on the books except that there may be less fines applied. BTW, I generally keep my speed between 80 and 90 with rare exceptions to 100 just because it seems safer to me in that I am comfortable with my reaction time in that range and it's easier on my vehicles.

Edited August 4, 2019 by Dap

[mok199]

Why have any limits......Drive it like a rental !

[CNXexpat]

7 hours ago, Black arab said:

Ask any police officer in the uk usa europe they will all tell you speed kills, put together with poor driving standards and lack of enforcement,i dont think its a good idea for Thailand.

In Germany the safest roads (deaths per 1 million driven km) are the highways (Autobahnen), even if there is no speed limit at 70% of them. The number of deaths is much more less per 1 million driven km than in the US over all. In the UK it´s less than in Germany.

[Brayka]

I am sure that the stupidity of Thai people in traffic won’t change. By law they can overtake right and left, and they also make one surplus lane on every street. Red light,...witch red light! Even the police is not following the rules.

And as long as there are U turns and red lights on the highways...nothing will change...

[ramrod711]

It's the U turns that pose the biggest threat with increased speeds. A vehicle turning into the opposite overtaking lane is a hazard at highway speeds. Increasing the speed limit means less time for both drivers to react or match the speed that traffic is travelling in that lane. Having said that, I support an increased speed limit.

[Longcut]

Don't really care. Not my country. The Thai government has made that quite clear.

[daveAustin]

Favour this, since ultimately it'll hopefully take out the crazies... in the hedge preferably ; not good when take out others.

[daveAustin]

32 minutes ago, ramrod711 said:

It's the U turns that pose the biggest threat with increased speeds. 

Yes, as handy as they are, ueys contribute greatly to the tally. 

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, CNXexpat said:

In Germany the safest roads (deaths per 1 million driven km) are the highways (Autobahnen), even if there is no speed limit at 70% of them. The number of deaths is much more less per 1 million driven km than in the US over all. In the UK it´s less than in Germany.

If the German autobahn and UK motorways were like the Thai "high-speed" road, complete with U-turns, roads entering willy-nilly, motorbike short-cuts etc- their road deaths would increase. 

[Handsome Gardener]

49 minutes ago, Brayka said:

I am sure that the stupidity of Thai people in traffic won’t change. By law they can overtake right and left, and they also make one surplus lane on every street. Red light,...witch red light! Even the police is not following the rules.

And as long as there are U turns and red lights on the highways...nothing will change...

If someones overtaken you on the left - you're the problem

[Handsome Gardener]

If the road conditions allow I will drive at 90, 120, or 220kmh - up to me providing I accept the fines for exceeding speed limits which were set decades ago to take in shockingly crap unsafe cars. Safety measures/technology have improved immeasurably yet the limits remain purely as a fund raiser. 

 

Been driving quick cars all my life safely as I respect the scope for things going wrong and drive accordingly.

 

Speed doesn't kill, stupidity does.

 

btw the silly addendum to choice 3 re thai roads (note to survey person, leading the witness demeans the outcome) - the thai motorways are in a far superior state than the ones we are subjected to in the UK so I don't understand why that addition was necessary.

Edited August 4, 2019 by Handsome Gardener

[NanLaew]

I wish it was 120 already and it would have saved me 200 baht at midnight last night on the Mitrapharb north of Korat.

[digger70]

Why do anything about the speed limit, If the speed limid was enforced than it would make a difference.Now no one cares no one enforce the law so what's the difference  if one does 90/100/140/200Kph.they can say max speed limit 120 so what they do what they want Why? the Gutless don't enforce the Law. That's the problem not the limit of speed.

[sherwood]

Keep the local population to 90kms, for farangs with an actual ability to drive 120 kms would be fine. Then again if you want to reduce the road carnage, keep the Thais off the roads. No I am not joking.

And for the PC crowd, no I am not joking.

[Credo]

I tend to favor a rise in the speed limit, BUT I think it should be done a trial basis and if there is a significant increase in accidents, then return to the old speed limit.   

 

I also think that there has to be some control of vehicles allowed to be on the roads.  Slow moving commercial vehicles with questionably secure loads, trucks leaning drastically to one side or the other and vehicles that obviously moving quite slowly should not be permitted.   But then again, I tend to be a bit of a dreamer.   

 

[Assurancetourix]

14 hours ago, Brayka said:

and red lights on the highways

There are red lights on Nederland motorways but no U-Turn like in Thailand which are for me a nonsense and should be replaced by roundabouts;

and roundabouts made as they are in Great Britain, not like in France where they are dangerous, less than U turn but poorly manufactured.