Video: What happened to a tour bus at a U-turn in Nan

[rooster59]

Video: What happened to a tour bus at a U-turn in Nan

 

Image: Manager

 

Dash cam footage at a U-turn in Nan on Wednesday evening showed a white pick-up go into a tour bus that was trying to make a U-turn. 

 

The tour bus went over the central reservation, demolished a road sign and side swiped a black pick-up on the other side of the road before stopping about 100 meters down the road. 

 

The driver of the tour bus said that he had left the garage and was doing a U-turn to go and pick up passengers for the 7 pm service to Bangkok. 

 

He said he waited in the left most lane until he got the light in his favor then started the maneuver.

 

But the pick-up went into him causing him to lose control. 

 

 

The driver of the black pick-up said it all happened very quickly and he was lucky that the quick actions of the tour bus driver meant he did not suffer serious injury. 

 

Police are trying to get to the bottom of what happened and took alcohol readings of all concerned.

 

Source: Manager

 

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[NCC1701A]

why are accidents so different in Thailand? Where the hell is the bus driver going? He actually speeds up! 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2019 by NCC1701A

[brokenbone]

the bus driver was thinking: im bigger so they will give way

[Lungstib]

All looked pretty obvious. The long bus needs a lot of room to do a U-turn so had to stay left. It does look like he had his right indicator light flashing. The pick-up didn't see the turn signal, just pushed on through in the normal way thinking he was passing a slow bus and not understanding the situation. A common enough occurrence anywhere, with drivers thinking only for themselves.

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, Lungstib said:

All looked pretty obvious. The long bus needs a lot of room to do a U-turn so had to stay left. It does look like he had his right indicator light flashing. The pick-up didn't see the turn signal, just pushed on through in the normal way thinking he was passing a slow bus and not understanding the situation. A common enough occurrence anywhere, with drivers thinking only for themselves.

Pretty much the crux of it.... Along with the bus driver being a total moron pullout out regardless of the traffic expecting it to stop - But driver 100% at fault, but the pick-up could have avoided the accident with a little defensive driving.

 

As usual here in Thailand the majority of accidents cause by both parties disregarding safety, which makes me wonder exactly how many accidents are avoided when someone switched on is considerate of the idiotic actions of others... I know pretty much each and every time I drive in Thailand I manage to 'avoid' an accident with someone going through a red light etc or brake in time to avoid the motorcycle cutting me up etc... 

[jackdd]

6 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

why are accidents so different in Thailand? Where the hell is the bus driver going? He actually speeds up!

Are there any other countries which put U-turns in the middle of streets with three lanes for each direction without traffic light?

(And you could add: On roads which allow to drive 90? Allowing vehicles which need all 6 lanes to turn to make the U-turn?)

Edited August 24, 2019 by jackdd

[White Christmas13]

well I lived in Australia for 43 years and I never seen a U-turn anywhere yes the are small ones for

cars to turn but never on main roads

[Greer]

U-turns here are the bane of every driver, and are the point at which many accidents, quite as one would expect, do happen. I see loads of places where the design of the road allows for say traffic lights at an intersection, and where it would be easy enough to add turn control (there is such a system at one intersection not far from my home), but where the police have decided to block off the entire intersection, forcing drivers to travel along the main road, sometimes for a couple of kilometres, and do a U-turn in order to get to the side they wish to be on... it is insane, but this is done in so many places that it is just adding to the traffic along the main road for no reason at all.

[brokenbone]

i think i have to agree on the comment of U-turns,

its the <deleted> that scared me off sukumvit.

i cant handle the stress when they all of a sudden cut me off and cross all 3 lanes to get to the left side while still at low speed

[AhFarangJa]

I am having problems understanding this. Can someone please explain how the physics work here.....A big tour bus was just pulling away from the left kerb to do a u-turn when a much smaller, lighter pick up hits the bus. The bus then mounts the central reservation, crosses it, careers 100 metres down the road, and hits another vehicle......

[alien365]

I also struggle to see how the black Vios just sat there while a bus plowed into him. If I had that bus coming at me after seeing that crash I'd be straight into gear.

[Dexlowe]

20 minutes ago, alien365 said:

I also struggle to see how the black Vios just sat there while a bus plowed into him. If I had that bus coming at me after seeing that crash I'd be straight into gear.

He wanted to be on TV.

[30la]

Very strange indeed, tour busses drivers are never guilty!

[Redline]

Daily occurrence 

[Hank Gunn]

17 hours ago, Lungstib said:

All looked pretty obvious. The long bus needs a lot of room to do a U-turn so had to stay left. It does look like he had his right indicator light flashing. The pick-up didn't see the turn signal, just pushed on through in the normal way thinking he was passing a slow bus and not understanding the situation. A common enough occurrence anywhere, with drivers thinking only for themselves.

I definitely wouldn't say obvious at all.

 

The bus is stopped on the side of the road, left-hand side. Puts on his turn-signal and proceeds to cut across all lanes to attempt his U-turn. Approaching such a vehicle, most would assume that the bus is just signaling that he is entering traffic.

 

The real problem, as others have pointed out, is the moronic design of the U-turns here. Combine that with the poor driving standards here, and there's no mystery as to the resultant mayhem.

[nahkit]

The bus actually drives over a sign prohibiting u-turns but of course there is no way of knowing from the video if there was a similar sign on the other side of the lights. Would seem odd though to prohibit them in one direction and not the other.

[Bundooman]

34 minutes ago, 30la said:

Very strange indeed, tour busses drivers are never guilty!

This bus is clearly identifiable bearing the Nakhon-Chai-Air website address, clearly stencilled on the side of the bus in the picture. NCA is probably the safest service in the country. Quite impressively run and very rarely involved in accidents. (I'm sure someone will feel obliged to contradict me).

 

I have travelled with this company a number of times - in the past but not recently. I have also been happy with their safety service and in-journey arrangements. Polite, smart and helpful and a clean vehicle.

 

If the NCA driver is at fault, I imagine he has lost his job. A daughter runs the company successfully for her aging father as I understand it and high standards are important for her, (so I believe).

 

Incidentally, I don't think NCA operates as a touring company. It is a public service...…….. as far as I know.

 

 

 

 

 

[jany123]

14 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

well I lived in Australia for 43 years and I never seen a U-turn anywhere yes the are small ones for

cars to turn but never on main roads

Really? 

https://roadrules.rsc.wa.gov.au/road-rules/uturns

[Almer]

This is where pick ups come into there own you can throw all the accident debris in the back take it home and nail it all back together again

[NightSky]

The bus needed to use the left hand lane but should have been extra cautious in doing so, he should not have started the U turn maneuver until it was completely safe to do so and maybe ever better to chose another place to turn.

 

However at the same time the white pick up may have been speeding or not.

 

The road is also badly designed with that U turn on a fast moving carriageway.

 

Who is to blame, most likely everyone!

Edited August 25, 2019 by NightSky

[Dexlowe]

I don't think the pickup was speeding. However, it's likely he saw the green right-turn light and realised it was about to turn yellow, and became intent on getting through the intersection. The bus driver should have seen the pickup's lights and waited - his bad, I'm afraid.

[Classic Ray]

U turns are practical to use for motorcycles or small vehicles with decent turning circles like my Avanza.

 

But for large vehicles likes buses and trucks and even pickups which have large turning circles they often cause danger and are just a cheap way of creating a junction which should either have a roundabout or be traffic light controlled.

[Briggsy]

4 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

I am having problems understanding this. Can someone please explain how the physics work here.....A big tour bus was just pulling away from the left kerb to do a u-turn when a much smaller, lighter pick up hits the bus. The bus then mounts the central reservation, crosses it, careers 100 metres down the road, and hits another vehicle......

Yes, I can explain. 

 

At the time of the collision, the bus driver had his foot on the accelerator. The collision caused him to panic and make one of two similar decisions. 

1) Mindless panic (a rigid freeze) Right foot presses more firmly on accelerator. Arms rigid. Bus accelerates in the direction of travel at the time of the collision. He has no idea or control over his actions. This is complete panic.

2) Danger! Danger! Panic! Must get out of here! Reflexive action without critical thinking to exit the danger area. Right foot presses on the accelerator. Slight steering to avoid larger objects like black car but no concern over smaller objects like the post. This action is slightly more deliberate than action 1 but is still an example of poor decision-making once panic sets in.

[Nicknoodle]

The bus driver is 100% at fault. Was he considering doing a runner as he could have stopped much sooner after the first collision. 

[rwill]

perhaps the bus should have went around the block instead of doing a U turn where it really isn't able to.

[samsensam]

19 hours ago, jackdd said:

Are there any other countries which put U-turns in the middle of streets with three lanes for each direction without traffic light?

(And you could add: On roads which allow to drive 90? Allowing vehicles which need all 6 lanes to turn to make the U-turn?)

 

australia has some pretty scary U turns, takes a while to get used to them, but then most people there aren't driving like idiots.

[brokenbone]

in the entire educated world,

the guy making a U-turn keep tight at the closest

side he came from, until he has his speed up

and can change lanes if he so wish.

 

but in thailand, theres this theory that he should cross all

lanes and get to the slow moving lane asap.

 

i cant take this <deleted> any longer,

i no longer drive on sukumvit

[wavodavo]

On 8/25/2019 at 1:47 AM, jackdd said:

Are there any other countries which put U-turns in the middle of streets with three lanes for each direction without traffic light?

(And you could add: On roads which allow to drive 90? Allowing vehicles which need all 6 lanes to turn to make the U-turn?)

Yes Phillipines  ..Crazy!!!!

[hobobo]

On ‎8‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 4:46 PM, NCC1701A said:

why are accidents so different in Thailand? Where the hell is the bus driver going? He actually speeds up! 

 

 

 

 

And only recently I was telling a visiting friend that Nakhonchaiair Gold Class coaches have an almost perfect safety record, and that he shouldn't worry ????