04 02 2023.  Up here in Buriram there are an alarming number of motor bikes, ridden by young men it seems, that have no rear view mirrors mounted.  These young riders are the same ones who pull into traffic without a glance or abruptly swerve off the shoulder onto the hwy proper to pass slower bikes travelling on the verge.  Mid afternoon when school is out is the most dangerous time around here.  Also, with all the new road construction that includes direction separators there are now many bikes travelling in the wrong direction on the shoulder.  That means a left right, right left, left right etc. etc. when turning right into a main road. Also worse after school hours.

 

I get it about riding contra flow on the shoulder (thank you road building profiteers) but how about the mirrors? These characters, often with modified (absent) exhaust swerve along the road without a thought to other users.  Yes, accidents are frequent but the lesson learned doesn't go far when the learnee is dead.  I don't complain If they managed to put themselves away on their own, but if they lurch into my car I could wind up broke and in prison for a very long time as a victim of careless/carefree riding.

 

How to encourage enforcing existing laws regards mirrors on bikes, even if they are not used?

Classic mirrors are not look cool + for getting trough traffic between cars. Usually however they install new ones that are under the handles.

 

If in Burriram, well, places like that they usually not have much brain and just do whatever.

Nothing surprises. When we lived in Sa Kaeo there was a brief craze of high school students fitting mirrors facing forward to reflect back at oncoming traffic.

Either the police or high school put a stop to it. Another not so clever idea.

 

1 hour ago, notrub said:

here in Buriram

The youth with motorbikes will associate theirselves with the area holding MotoGP and racebikes that don't have rearview mirrors.

The reason for this is that it makes the bike 0.0000001 kph faster. Less weight and drag.

The lady dude doth protest too much, methinks.

 

Move to Singapore.?

Mirrors? We don't need no mirrors!

 

26 minutes ago, Denim said:

The reason for this is that it makes the bike 0.0000001 kph faster. Less weight and drag.

and...................................................AND!!!!

 

you save petrol, d'uh!!!!   Add that up over 78 billion kms and that's like 100 baht!!!!!

 

Bald, no helmet, ride Superman style, head down, hand on horn....

 

if it works, you might save both time and money!!!!   if not, well, up to you.... up to you....

 

it's a fact the CIA has a chip in every gas tank in America, so I replace the engine immediately!!!!

 

clever.   very clever.  

When trying to comprehend the mentality towards driving / riding here it is often explained that the forward field of vision is the riders / divers responsibility, every other direction. Is someone else’s….

 

That would explain a lot of the blindly dumb maneuvers !
 

… and also an absence of mirrors ! 

Life is cheap in Thailand therefore no need for mirrors, head lights, helmets, brake lights or any other motorbike necessities. And another one of the millions of reasons never to get on a bike in Thailand.

I first noticed the trend when travelling in Cambodia, and then it eventually also started here in Buriram and Surin (close to Cambodian Border)

 

I asked the Son of my BIL why?

 

And he said and I quote

 

"It makes the bike go faster"

 

Edit: It's the same as asking why I have my lights on when driving, I say for better visibility to other Vehicles and they say "It will use more petrol"

Does it matter?

 

Most Thais don't use their mirrors except for checking themselves out.

 

Matter of fact, my experience tells me that most Thais don't look past the front of their noses when driving.

There is no point in having mirrors if you never ever use them.

They are just additional air drag and weight for nothing. ???? 

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

Mirrors? We don't need no mirrors!

 

I think it has to do with his L plate.

 

Maybe his instructor thought this would solve the problem for him not looking into the mirrors ????

35 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Maybe his instructor thought this would solve the problem for him not looking into the mirrors ????

When I took the required driver's training course (back in the early 70s) my instructor had a small traffic light with a suction cup attached to the rear window.

 

The instructor had a wired remote he held down to his side out of view and would change the light color of that small traffic light at various times. As a learning student you had to tell him when the light changed colors. If you were slow informing him then your score could be affected.

 

That there taught me at a young age to use the rearview mirror.

 

42 minutes ago, dingdongrb said:

When I took the required driver's training course (back in the early 70s) my instructor had a small traffic light with a suction cup attached to the rear window.

 

The instructor had a wired remote he held down to his side out of view and would change the light color of that small traffic light at various times. As a learning student you had to tell him when the light changed colors. If you were slow informing him then your score could be affected.

 

That there taught me at a young age to use the rearview mirror.

 

 

A couple of years ago we rented a Motorhome back in my Home Country, and OMG was it difficult (at first) to only use the outside mirrors as they don't come with a rear view mirror.

2 hours ago, Screaming said:

Life is cheap in Thailand therefore no need for mirrors, head lights, helmets, brake lights or any other motorbike necessities. And another one of the millions of reasons never to get on a bike in Thailand.

Another gratuitous Thai basher know nothing. The vast majority of motorcycles in Thailand have mirrors and working headlights and brake lights.

3 hours ago, ozimoron said:

Another gratuitous Thai basher know nothing. The vast majority of motorcycles in Thailand have mirrors and working headlights and brake lights.

And an outrageously elevated fatality rates of motorcyclists which highlights a massive gap in road safety...  its not a Thai-bash to identify and discuss the flaws. 

 

While the majority of motorcycles in Thailand do have mirrors, working headlights and working brake lights it is also very common see motorcycles without in such numbers its a very common observation to make... they even have a name for those riding without lights at night, ghost riders... compare that to many other nations we are familiar with and we see the reasons why there are so many deaths here. 

 

Discussing this issue and major flaw in attitudes towards safety is not a Thai-bash... its an observation. 

Where I live most Thai riders have mirrors but they do not know how to use them. There is also a lot of riders believe they can ride against the traffic. The other group are the ones that cannot interpret no entry signs and drive the wrong way in a one way street. 

8 hours ago, gomangosteen said:

Nothing surprises. When we lived in Sa Kaeo there was a brief craze of high school students fitting mirrors facing forward to reflect back at oncoming traffic.

Either the police or high school put a stop to it. Another not so clever idea.

 

Or we had a craze for a while left hand mirror on the right side,right side mirror on the left,both facing in ,reason, so they can see they face the mirror while driving.

This was 20 years ago,now they are all grown up and responsible people.

So, the answer is no, we cannot encourage people to use their mirrors as a safer driving device.  Whether they are riding a bike or driving a huge pickup. Or that person stuck in the right lane blissfully unaware that their cruise control is set to the exact same speed as their neighbor to their left.  These problems are not exclusive to Thailand and we expats could all look to our home countries b4 commenting too harshly.

i was once told "THEY ARE OPTIONAL EXTRAS" !!!!!!

8 minutes ago, blackshadow said:

i was once told "THEY ARE OPTIONAL EXTRAS" !!!!!!

I was once told take the mirror's off and take bulbs out back and front before I could race. ????????

12 hours ago, ripstanley said:

Where I live most Thai riders have mirrors but they do not know how to use them. There is also a lot of riders believe they can ride against the traffic. The other group are the ones that cannot interpret no entry signs and drive the wrong way in a one way street. 

1. Of course they know how to use them for checking their zits while waiting for the lights to change, can't do that while travelling.

2. The shorter distance between 2 points, why should use fuel to travel away from where I want to go, and anyway it's the same road on both sides.

3. Not only limited to motorcyclists and this sign means low flying motorcycles ahead, doesn't it. 

19 hours ago, MJCM said:

I think it has to do with his L plate.

 

Maybe his instructor thought this would solve the problem for him not looking into the mirrors ????

Reminded me. In 1963 I had a 200cc Ariel Colt. On the end of the handle bar next to the twist grip was a built in mirror. I went for my driving test and failed and was told on turning right I should look behind then if all clear move to the right, Saying I used my mirror was not good enough. Good little bike , cost me a fiver. Chap also had a 976cc V twin , I bought that off him , that was 10 bob.

20 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

When trying to comprehend the mentality towards driving / riding here it is often explained that the forward field of vision is the riders / divers responsibility, every other direction. Is someone else’s….

 

That would explain a lot of the blindly dumb maneuvers !
 

… and also an absence of mirrors ! 

Don't know the law in Thailand but I like mirrors on my bike anyway, also liked them on my motorbikes in UK where there is no law against not having mirrors on a bike. 

17 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

Reminded me. In 1963 I had a 200cc Ariel Colt. On the end of the handle bar next to the twist grip was a built in mirror. I went for my driving test and failed and was told on turning right I should look behind then if all clear move to the right, Saying I used my mirror was not good enough. Good little bike , cost me a fiver. Chap also had a 976cc V twin , I bought that off him , that was 10 bob.

Yes it's called using your neck. ????

23 hours ago, notrub said:

have no rear view mirrors mounted

Don't look back.  Something to think about...yet I do not drive, but when I had a bicycle here, it did not have mirrors and I was fine.  

 

38 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

I went for my driving test and failed and was told on turning right I should look behind then if all clear move to the right, Saying I used my mirror was not good enough.

I won't ever move to the right or turn right without turning my head to do a quick rear observation. Same when in car or on motorbike here in Thailand or the UK. I was trained to do this in the early 80's by a motorcycle instructor. There's a very good reason why they call it "the life saver".

    

I believe that this observation/question can be answered with my wife's universal response: "People Say"