Dangerous Street Blinkers

[NickyLouie]

These are unbelievably poorly designed and will knock you off your motorcycle if ridden over.

Seem to be around the end of 3rd road and also in parts of Jomtien Beach road.

 

  

[scubascuba3]

They are all over now, particularly dangerous on bicycles, just another hazard to avoid

[aussiexpat]

Why would you be riding a bike outside the road zone and so close to the barrier to hit one of those?

 

Edited October 2, 2022 by aussiexpat

[carlyai]

2 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Why would you be riding a bike outside the road zone and so close to the barrier to hit one of those?

 

Have you been to Thailand?

[aussiexpat]

12 minutes ago, carlyai said:

Have you been to Thailand?

Yep, 14 years of 6 months per year, ride a 1200 Harley at home, Honda Click in Thailand.

 

Makes no sense why anyone would ride so close to barrier to hit that, never mind have it throw them off their bike...must be a useless rider if so

 

Edited October 2, 2022 by aussiexpat

[ezzra]

 

5 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Yep, 14 years of 6 months per year, ride a Harley at home. Makes no sense why anyone would ride so close to barrier to hit that

Many things in this country don't make sense at all and some are down right stupid and mind boggling but somehow you get used to it and leave to live with it and we all keep bitching and moaning about them, kinda pass time activity for us farangs in Thailand...

[VocalNeal]

10 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Many things in this country don't make sense at all and some are down right stupid

Many things here are good ideas seen in other countries. They are just not well applied or well used here. 

Edited October 2, 2022 by VocalNeal

[aussiexpat]

8 minutes ago, ezzra said:

 

Many things in this country don't make sense at all and some are down right stupid and mind boggling but somehow you get used to it and leave to live with it and we all keep bitching and moaning about them, kinda pass time activity for us farangs in Thailand...

Yeah, rider with no experience in home country decides to ride in Thailand which is the death capital for bike riding. That's the only reason anyone would hit that and come off their bike.

 

Buy a car if you are that hopeless at riding a moped

 

Edited October 2, 2022 by aussiexpat

[richard_smith237]

16 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Makes no sense why anyone would ride so close to barrier to hit that, never mind have it throw them off their bike...must be a useless rider if so

I think some people think slow is safe...   so they ride slowly and stay as far to the left of their lane as possible. 

I’ve always considered this more dangerous, it encourages other vehicles to try and pass you thus squeezing you further left etc... 

 

IMO - its best to ride with the speed of the traffic in a real lane, command your position on the road, be seen - be a part of the traffic and not Somchai’s after thought to be squeezed out of the way.

- There’s also just less road junk on the main part of the road, the frontage parts of the road are riddled with litter and gravel. 

 

 

 

 

[bobbin]

I like them.  Nice little light-show at night.. Even more so after leaving one of those cannabis lounges

 

Haven't ridden over them yet..

[carlyai]

21 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Yep, 14 years of 6 months per year, ride a 1200 Harley at home, Honda Click in Thailand.

 

Makes no sense why anyone would ride so close to barrier to hit that, never mind have it throw them off their bike...must be a useless rider if so

 

Up country they all/most ride on the the side of the line nearest the shrub. Spose it's to stop getting run over by speeding pickups.

Yes you're right in the city, they just ride anywhere. 

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, carlyai said:

Up country they all/most ride on the the side of the line nearest the shrub. Spose it's to stop getting run over by speeding pickups.

Yes you're right in the city, they just ride anywhere. 

I think most people ‘up country’ ride this way because they simply copy everyone else without really thinking about it. 

 

Unless all the traffic is going 100-120kmh and your motorcycle can only travel at 80kmh then of course, its better being out of the way of the traffic. 

 

But... IF the traffic is going 80-100kmh and you are on a motorcycle that can easily reach 140kmh, that shoulder on the left is the most dangerous place to be IMO. 

 

 

In any stretch of road, the more vehicles passing you, the more risk you are at of getting hit... 

i.e. in a 10kmh stretch you are travelling at 50km on the shoulder, 50 cars pass you, the probability of one of them not paying attention and drifting off the road is present. 

But, if you are travelling at 90kmh with the speed of the traffic, the only vehicle you have to worry about hitting you is the car behind.

 

Obviously there is more to it than that, but thats the basic crux of it. 

 

Riding on the shoulder with the gravel, litter, dogs, a pop-up fruit stall, something fallen of a pickup the day before etc... is just far risker IMO.... 

 

These lights should not be a hazard because riding down that thin stretch of littered road is more dangerous. 

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, aussiexpat said:

Why would you be riding a bike outside the road zone and so close to the barrier to hit one of those?

 

They are mostly on the central line, so defining can hit them, maybe the photo is just to show them

[jacko45k]

58 minutes ago, bobbin said:

I like them.  Nice little light-show at night.. Even more so after leaving one of those cannabis lounges

 

Haven't ridden over them yet..

Oh dear, beware stoned up motorcyclists enjoying the pretty lights.

[NickyLouie]

1 hour ago, aussiexpat said:

Yep, 14 years of 6 months per year, ride a 1200 Harley at home, Honda Click in Thailand.

 

Makes no sense why anyone would ride so close to barrier to hit that, never mind have it throw them off their bike...must be a useless rider if so

 

Sorry to hear about your Harley Davidson purchase.

 

Those little rounded light nubbies are also along the center divider lines where many like myself end up riding over them, sure didn't mean to confuse you Sherm.

[richard_smith237]

38 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

They are mostly on the central line, so defining can hit them, maybe the photo is just to show them

In that case, they are lethal.....  The person who ok’d these must be a total and utter imbecile... 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, NickyLouie said:

Those little rounded light nubbies are also along the center divider lines where many like myself end up riding over them, sure didn't mean to confuse you Sherm.

It's only a matter of time before a motorcyclist hits one and falls under the wheels of a lorry and gets his head squashed.... 

 

... there will be outrage for a couple of days, criticism of how something so dangerous can be put in the roads. IF sufficient face is lost, a higher up will order their removal. 

 

But.. we can be sure, nothing will be done to make remove them and make the road safer until these lights first cost a few people their lives...

 

Thai’s...  reactionary very rarely proactive - foreigners complaining about this danger will simply be accused of ’thinking too much’.... 

 

 

[aussiexpat]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

In that case, they are lethal.....  The person who ok’d these must be a total and utter imbecile... 

 

 

I doubt any experienced rider would have a problem hitting one. Just the inexperienced, drunk or stoned rider would have a problem. Maybe a good thing, if you fall off hitting one of those maybe don't ride anymore lol

[VinnieK]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

I think most people ‘up country’ ride this way because they simply copy everyone else without really thinking about it. 

 

Unless all the traffic is going 100-120kmh and your motorcycle can only travel at 80kmh then of course, its better being out of the way of the traffic. 

 

But... IF the traffic is going 80-100kmh and you are on a motorcycle that can easily reach 140kmh, that shoulder on the left is the most dangerous place to be IMO. 

 

 

In any stretch of road, the more vehicles passing you, the more risk you are at of getting hit... 

i.e. in a 10kmh stretch you are travelling at 50km on the shoulder, 50 cars pass you, the probability of one of them not paying attention and drifting off the road is present. 

But, if you are travelling at 90kmh with the speed of the traffic, the only vehicle you have to worry about hitting you is the car behind.

 

Obviously there is more to it than that, but thats the basic crux of it. 

 

Riding on the shoulder with the gravel, litter, dogs, a pop-up fruit stall, something fallen of a pickup the day before etc... is just far risker IMO.... 

 

These lights should not be a hazard because riding down that thin stretch of littered road is more dangerous. 

Riding along with the traffic in the fast lanes had many drawbacks.

 

1 .Stressful..got to be on full alert.

2. Good helmet and other protective stuff.

3.Still in danger by these speeding/drunk mofos. 

 

Ambling along in the far left at 40 kms suits me just fine..obviously I keep an eye out for surprises 

Wherever I can I take back road routes...still ride slow though.

No important appointments await me ????

As an aside,I think traffic has become more dangerous over the years.

Anybody with a pulse is driving/riding.

At least, road surfaces are better today

 

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, VinnieK said:

Riding along with the traffic in the fast lanes had many drawbacks.

 

1 .Stressful..got to be on full alert.

2. Good helmet and other protective stuff.

3.Still in danger by these speeding/drunk mofos. 

1) Always on full alert when riding - never not on full alert. 

2) Always wear a top quality helmet

-  Minimum: Bell Custom 500 (open face) - trainers / gloves (& T-shirt & shorts) for local runs.

- Normal: Bell Bullit - trainers / gloves / Riding Jacket - trainers & shorts (for main roads).

- All Gear: Shoe Neotec or Bell Bullit - Boots / Gloves / Jacket / Riding pants or Riding Jeans for longer rides. 

3) Always a danger.... riding the same speed as other vehicles makes them less so of a danger, IMO.

 

 

12 minutes ago, VinnieK said:

Ambling along in the far left at 40 kms suits me just fine..obviously I keep an eye out for surprises

So you are still on full alert but more so for what is approaching from behind. 

 

12 minutes ago, VinnieK said:

wherever I can I take back road routes...still ride slow though.

No important appointments await me ????

Back roads are defo safer, but the risks are different, dogs etc... idiots pulling out into the road without looking etc. 

 

12 minutes ago, VinnieK said:

As an aside,I think traffic has become more dangerous over the years.

Anybody with a pulse is driving/riding.

At least, road surfaces are better today

 

Agreed....    

[Screaming]

Driving a motorbike in Thailand is inherently dangerous. Why temp fate and put yourself in harms way? Given time, you will be next no matter how well you ride in your Western country.

[richard_smith237]

47 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

54 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

In that case, they are lethal.....  The person who ok’d these must be a total and utter imbecile... 

 

 

I doubt any experienced rider would have a problem hitting one. Just the inexperienced, drunk or stoned rider would have a problem. Maybe a good thing, if you fall off hitting one of those maybe don't ride anymore lol

I disagree....   if lane splitting on a moped in heavy traffic, skinny tires....  this could cause a lot of people to come unstuck. 

 

We’re not all riding an ADV 1200 designed for unstable surfaces at speeds which ensure stability. 

 

 

But.. your point is also quite wrong in the fact that many many of Thailands motorcyclists are inexperienced, new riders, old people, families on scooters etc... and these lights present a hazard to them all.....    this hazard exists regardless of your riding ability or my riding ability....

 

..... There is no intelligent reason to place these lights in the muddle of the road.... IF they wanted lights, they should be flush with the road surface. 

 

The person who okay’d for lights in the middle of the road is an idiot when when lights like this (below) are available.

The lights they have used are for off the side of the road - they’ve installed the wrong type of light, in doing so, created a danger to motorcyclists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 2, 2022 by richard_smith237

[scubascuba3]

20 minutes ago, Screaming said:

Driving a motorbike in Thailand is inherently dangerous. Why temp fate and put yourself in harms way? Given time, you will be next no matter how well you ride in your Western country.

I'm guessing you don't ride so no real world experience 

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

In that case, they are lethal.....  The person who ok’d these must be a total and utter imbecile... 

 

 

They've installed them all over Pattaya area a few weeks ago, they need avoiding like the drains, similarly slippery on a bend 

[OneMoreFarang]

3 hours ago, NickyLouie said:

These are unbelievably poorly designed and will knock you off your motorcycle if ridden over.

Don't worry, they don't last long.

I saw them for a few weeks in sois near me. And then they disappeared one by one. I don't know if they were so bad installed that they came out by themselves or if anybody thought they look good and removed them. One way or another, they were gone in no time.

[Screaming]

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I'm guessing you don't ride so no real world experience 

Actually, I bought a Honda Phantom when I first came to Thailand about twenty years ago but soon sold it after I realized how dangerous it was to ride here. When I was younger, I raced Motocross for awhile which I feel is safer than riding in traffic in Thailand. 

[EdrigoSalvadore]

They're distracting and annoying, but no issue driving over them. Get thicker tires it should help.

[roger101]

I just found them distracting.

[jacko45k]

18 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

Yep, 14 years of 6 months per year, ride a 1200 Harley at home, Honda Click in Thailand.

 

Makes no sense why anyone would ride so close to barrier to hit that, never mind have it throw them off their bike...must be a useless rider if so

 

One might try to squeeze through on the bike if car traffic was tailed back at the lights. Haven't caught one on the bike yet as driving in the gutter isn't safe (baht busses cut across you without looking).....Don't really see the point of these things... just another item some official has purchased and had installed, and likely pocketed a commission. Biggest problem is not the roads themselves.