some road rules clarification

[johng]

2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Without those signs (so on equal roads) blue car gives way. to the red car.

I wouldn't bet on that !!  more than half the time those stop signs and road marking are not readable/visible  I'll stick to giving way to the right at all times ???? 

 

14 minutes ago, vogie said:

If two vehicles enter a junction from different directions at the same time, the vehicle on the left side has a right of way,

  Something lost in translation ? ...but it would explain the  pulling out of side roads without looking or a care in the world..they think traffic from the right is going to stop for them..just crazy

[johng]

Also how would blue car know that red/orange car had a stop  sign or not  they would never make any progress on the road always slowing or giving way to vehicles emerging from the left..even if it is the law ( and it seems odd if it is)  in my experience drivers  in Thailand give way to the right...it makes sense.

Edited December 23, 2019 by johng

[vogie]

4 minutes ago, johng said:

Something lost in translation ? ...but it would explain the  pulling out of side roads without looking or a care in the world..they think traffic from the right is going to stop for them..just crazy

Trying to follow rules in Thailand is impossible because hardly anybody cares to learn them. 

25 minutes ago, vogie said:

 

 

Title 6: Driving through Junctions or Circles

Section 71 (500B)
[If, when entering a junction, there are other vehicles, the driver must let such vehicles go through first.

If two vehicles enter a junction from different directions at the same time, the vehicle on the left side has a right of way, except when there’s a designation of “principle roadway” in which case the vehicle on the principle roadway has a right of way.]

 

http://driving-in-thailand.com/land-traffic-act/

But if someone does enter from the left onto a principle highway (main road?) they are the ones at fault, so on a main road you do not have to give way to traffic on your left, unless in the unlikely event they are on a main road too, which the rule of 'who dares wins' would apply.

[stevenl]

18 minutes ago, johng said:

I wouldn't bet on that !!  more than half the time those stop signs and road marking are not readable/visible  I'll stick to giving way to the right at all times ???? 

 

  Something lost in translation ? ...but it would explain the  pulling out of side roads without looking or a care in the world..they think traffic from the right is going to stop for them..just crazy

If you think it is safe to drive here and make your own rules, up to you.

[stevenl]

7 minutes ago, vogie said:

Trying to follow rules in Thailand is impossible because hardly anybody cares to learn them. 

But if someone does enter from the left onto a principle highway (main road?) they are the ones at fault, so on a main road you do not have to give way to traffic on your left, unless in the unlikely event they are on a main road too, which the rule of 'who dares wins' would apply.

In that case, equal roads, traffic from the right has to give way.

 

Road importance is determined by numbers: 1 more important than 11, more important than 111, more important than 1111. No number means less important than other roads, unless also no number, in which case have to give way to traffic coming from the left.

[johng]

I just though of another scenario where you give way to the right..say you are parked on the road in a row of parked cars

(facing the correct direction) and wish to drive off do you.

 

A: drive straight out because you are on the left and  traffic has to give way to the left ?

B: wait until there is no traffic on your right before pulling out ?

 

13 minutes ago, stevenl said:

If you think it is safe to drive here and make your own rules, up to you.

Coincidently the only accident I've had here so far (touch wood) was from crashing into a stray dog that run out from behind a rubbish bin to my left...obviously I should have given way to the dog..but it left me only half a second reaction time. ????

[stevenl]

10 minutes ago, johng said:

I just though of another scenario where you give way to the right..say you are parked on the road in a row of parked cars

(facing the correct direction) and wish to drive off do you.

 

A: drive straight out because you are on the left and  traffic has to give way to the left ?

B: wait until there is no traffic on your right before pulling out ?

 

Coincidently the only accident I've had here so far (touch wood) was from crashing into a stray dog that run out from behind a rubbish bin to my left...obviously I should have given way to the dog..but it left me only half a second reaction time. ????

So you're saying 'no traffic can come from the left on an intersection unless driving against traffic', all based on 'it is not the first lane'. Sorry, does not make sense. And now you're saying 'if I drive away from a parking spot do I have right of way because I come from the left?'

 

Can't make it up. Well, obviously you can.

[johng]

23 minutes ago, stevenl said:

So you're saying 'no traffic can come from the left on an intersection unless driving against traffic', all based on 'it is not the first lane'.

The traffic coming from the left will be on the "other side of the road"  ie they would have to cross the dividing line to make a right hand turn, they will wait for the traffic on their right before crossing the dividing line..the person turning left does not wait for the person on the other side of the  road..and if you are turning right then you have to wait for traffic on the right firstly as that is the nearest traffic to you then yes you also have to wait for traffic coming from the left...but not before the traffic from the right ie give way to the right.

 

30 minutes ago, stevenl said:

now you're saying 'if I drive away from a parking spot do I have right of way because I come from the left?'

No that's what you are saying isn't it  ?   give way to the left..whereas I'm saying give way to the right.

[HHTel]

Oh my goodness!  Let's see if it can be made simpler.

The road traffic act says that when 2 vehicles arrive at a junction (crossroads) where there is no priority then the vehicle to the left of you has the right of way.  Very narrow rule and very specific for a particular scenario.

 

So......

Scenario 1.

You arrive at a junction at the same time as another vehicle arrives.  You will give way to the vehicle on your left.  Quite logical as that would put the vehicle on you left in front of you.

 

Scenario 2.  

You arrive at the junction after a vehicle on your left has entered the junction.  No problem as he's already ahead of you.

 

Scenario 3.

You arrive at the junction after a car to your right has entered the junction.  You'd better give way to him (i.e. the right) or he will run into you.

 

Roundabouts are much simpler but apparently seems a mystery to some. You arrive at the roundabout and you will give way to any traffic already on the roundabout.  i.e. give way to the right.  Many of the roundabouts I've seen even display the rules on signs ahead of the roundabout.  In Thai language but still doesn't sink in and people still stop on the roundabout to allow people to enter.  The roundabout nearby is often getting locked for that reason.  Stop to let someone enter, they in turn stop at the next exit to let someone in, who in turn stop at the next exit to let someone in.  You see where I'm going.  Very easy to 'lock' a roundabout in that case.  Basically, you should never ever stop on a roundabout.  They are designed to keep traffic moving when used correctly.

 

The confusion is not with the law but some who read it and, in their mind, translate it to mean something else.

 

 

[johng]

Here is a timely video in the news today  as to why you give way to the right

 

[HHTel]

In this video it's not about giving way to the right.  The road to the left has a STOP line which makes that road inferior to the main drag.  He should, by law, have stopped.

[nrasmussen]

In case someone still haven't understood the "give way to the left"-rule, here is an example from a Thai driving test.

 

According to Google Translate it says: "From the picture, which car has the right to drive through first", and the correct answer is "Car B".

[Lancashirelad]

That is correct but ONLY applies in this particular instance where both roads are of equal importance, there are no road markings and both vehicles arrive at the same time.

[Nanglon]

Seems to me the powers that be should use 2-3 minutes of the daily yellow screens around 20:27 each night on TV to run a year long public information spot, highlighting with animation and real clips, the consequences of not following the rules - start with the cause of most accidents: speed, visibility of motorcycles at night / at junctions, alcohol. Use the imagination of the Thai advertisers to make them sing / ring with the target audience.

[nrasmussen]

1 hour ago, Lancashirelad said:

That is correct but ONLY applies in this particular instance where both roads are of equal importance, there are no road markings and both vehicles arrive at the same time.

As I see it (and I may very well be wrong), it could as well be interpreted as a general rule that applies in the cases where you either don't have to yield to anyone or you have to yield to everyone.

 

Do you have any examples of where traffic coming from the right has the right of way? (Yes, I know roundabouts may be a special case.)

[HHTel]

2 hours ago, nrasmussen said:

As I see it (and I may very well be wrong), it could as well be interpreted as a general rule that applies in the cases where you either don't have to yield to anyone or you have to yield to everyone.

 

Do you have any examples of where traffic coming from the right has the right of way? (Yes, I know roundabouts may be a special case.)

You don't need examples.  The law is quite clear.  ONLY when 2  vehicles arrive at an equal priority junction at the SAME TIME does the guy to the left of the two vehicles goes first. Quite logical as it would put that driver in front of you.

In all other cases, you will give way to the right.  Vehicles that have already entered the junction has the right of way.  If it's a vehicle to the left then there's no problem.  He's already ahead of you.  A vehicle that has entered the junction from the right - you'd better give way, or he'll run into you.

It really is that simple.

Giving way to the left is a very narrow law and refers to a very specific scenario.  Other than that, you will give way to the right.

[Lancashirelad]

The video in post 190 is an excellent example.

[HHTel]

11 hours ago, Lancashirelad said:

The video in post 190 is an excellent example.

That video is not an example of giving way to the right.  It's an example of someone ignoring a stop sign.  The vehicle going straight on had right of way on the major road.

[johng]

45 minutes ago, HHTel said:

The vehicle going straight on had right of way

They where both going  straight on in their own perspectives...????

[HHTel]

58 minutes ago, HHTel said:

on the major road.

 

7 minutes ago, johng said:

They where both going  straight on in their own perspectives...????

You missed off the most important part of my quote.  

[johng]

Maybe they both thought they where on the major road ?..they look about the same width in the video

yes we can clearly see that one driver (pickup)  had a stop line..maybe there is a stop line for the other ( Fortuna) driver too we cant see that in the video so who's to say which is the major road.

[HHTel]

6 minutes ago, johng said:

Maybe they both thought they where on the major road ?..they look about the same width in the video

yes we can clearly see that one driver (pickup)  had a stop line..maybe there is a stop line for the other ( Fortuna) driver too we cant see that in the video so who's to say which is the major road.

You can see the main road and there is no 'stop line/sign' on that road before the junction whereas there is clearly one on the road to the left.

[johng]

16 hours ago, nrasmussen said:

Do you have any examples of where traffic coming from the right has the right of way? (Yes, I know roundabouts may be a special case.)

It makes perfect sense that traffic from your right has right of way ( or in other words you give way to it)  because that is the traffic that you will first encounter and be merging with..there should not ( but sometimes is in Thailand) be traffic  on your side of the road coming from the left...if you follow a give way to the left theory then anyone can just turn left ( pull out from side roads) without looking because the person to your right has to see you and stop.

[johng]

4 minutes ago, HHTel said:

You can see the main road and there is no 'stop line/sign' on that road before the junction

In my opinion the video doesn't show enough of the Fortuna drivers road  to say there is no stop sign or line.

[HHTel]

6 minutes ago, johng said:

In my opinion the video doesn't show enough of the Fortuna drivers road  to say there is no stop sign or line.

You don't have to see what's behind the Fortuner.  You can clearly see the road ahead and unmistakably there is no stop sign.  If there was then the Fortuner driver would have broken the law, but there isn't which puts the blame 100% on the driver coming out of the road to the left.

 

You are entitled to your opinion, but I'm not stating an opinion, just the evidence before my eyes! 

[johng]

4 minutes ago, HHTel said:

You can clearly see the road ahead and unmistakably there is no stop sign.

Well where is the stop sign for the pickup driver ?    we can see the line but no stop sign.

then again  if this is a T junction then of course you are correct ....its not clear to me from the video if its a T or + roads.

[HHTel]

You can't see enough of the road.  The 'stop sign', if there is one, would be on the approach.  It is a crossroads.  You can see the crash barrier fade into the opposite 'minor' road.  If it was a T-junction, signs, priorities or not, the pickup was doing one hell of a speed to either turn right or left.

Nope.  It's definitely a crossroads.

[stevenl]

On 12/24/2019 at 11:36 PM, HHTel said:

You don't need examples.  The law is quite clear.  ONLY when 2  vehicles arrive at an equal priority junction at the SAME TIME does the guy to the left of the two vehicles goes first. Quite logical as it would put that driver in front of you.

In all other cases, you will give way to the right.  Vehicles that have already entered the junction has the right of way.  If it's a vehicle to the left then there's no problem.  He's already ahead of you.  A vehicle that has entered the junction from the right - you'd better give way, or he'll run into you.

It really is that simple.

Giving way to the left is a very narrow law and refers to a very specific scenario.  Other than that, you will give way to the right.

"In all other cases, you will give way to the right. "

No, you made that up, that rule does not exist.

 

It is really easy: you give way to the left, unless the road on your left you're approaching is of less importance, like a roundabout. Road on a more important road has always right of way.

 

Why the fuss about this, this is no different from traffic rules anywhere. Traffic on the more important road (indicated by numbering, markings etc.) has right of way. If even it is in Thailand traffic from the left that has right of way.

Edited December 25, 2019 by stevenl

[HHTel]

I've already explained the narrow rule where the vehicle on your left goes first.  However, you say that I made up the rule of giving way to the right.  The law stipulates that anyone entering a junction must be given way to by anyone approaching that junction.  Also in the same manner traffic on a roundabout must be given way to also.  That is the law and in both those cases, if you don't give way to the right then you're in big trouble. The guy coming in from the right is going to hit you whereas the guy coming in from the left is already in front of you and no problem.

 

23 minutes ago, stevenl said:

It is really easy: you give way to the left, unless the road on your left you're approaching is of less importance, like a roundabout. Road on a more important road has always right of way.

Sorry, that sentence makes absolutely no sense.

 

This is about junctions or 'interchanges' as the say in the US and giving way to the left when you arrive at a junction with no priority AT THE SAME TIME then the car to your left goes first. 

 

For goodness sake.  It's so simple.  So logical.  No wonder there are accidents.  OMG

[nrasmussen]

On 12/25/2019 at 2:08 PM, johng said:

It makes perfect sense that traffic from your right has right of way ( or in other words you give way to it)  because that is the traffic that you will first encounter and be merging with..there should not ( but sometimes is in Thailand) be traffic  on your side of the road coming from the left...if you follow a give way to the left theory then anyone can just turn left ( pull out from side roads) without looking because the person to your right has to see you and stop.

No, they cannot just turn left without looking. Traffic entering a major road from a side road must yield to traffic coming from both directions.

Edited December 26, 2019 by nrasmussen
Typo.