In a distressing accident on a Thai motorway flyover, a 62-year-old Scottish man tragically lost his life after his quad bike skidded and collided with a concrete barrier. The incident took place in Lopburi during the early hours of March 1, captivating the attention of both the local and expatriate communities.

 

The man, a retired oil rig worker from Stirling, Scotland, had settled in Thailand over a decade ago and was well-regarded locally, notably as a member of the Rotary Club. His shocking death occurred when he was thrown from his vehicle, falling 30 feet to his demise on grassland below the elevated road.

 

 

Police Lieutenant Sirirat Darunikorn of Ban Mi District Police outlined the grim scene, describing skid marks and the wreckage that remained as chilling evidence of the event. Responding officers discovered the man's body after following the trail of destruction to where his life had ended abruptly.

 

The man resided in Thailand with his partner, maintaining connections with family in the UK, who have now been informed of the tragedy. The local Rotary Club expressed heartfelt condolences, recognising the man's contributions to social service efforts.

 

Pictures courtesy of Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress

 

This incident has reignited discussions about road safety in Thailand, a country notorious for alarming accident rates. With 32.7 traffic fatalities per 100,000 individuals—one of the highest globally—there is urgent government intervention underway to drastically reduce this figure by 2027.

 

Contributing to this issue are inadequate road safety education and lax enforcement of traffic laws, which pose significant risks, especially to tourists unfamiliar with local driving conditions. As discussions continue, this unfortunate event highlights the pressing need for improvements to prevent further loss of life on Thailand's roads, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-03-03

 

 

5 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

there is urgent government intervention underway to drastically reduce this figure by 2027.

 

Won't work. They aren't serious about this issue. Probably never will be. 

 

 

Standard answer , just keep changing the date at the end of the sentence.

Are ATV's even legal to drive on Thai roads? 

 

very sad, but a lesson to us all, don;t ride beyond your capabilities, will be interesting to see whether alcohol + speed played a part, or just a lack of ability to ride an ATV,  let's assume for now alcohol didn;t.

 

ATV's are notorious for accidents for inexperienced riders.

57 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

Are ATV's even legal to drive on Thai roads? 

would it matter either way?

3 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

would it matter either way?

It would help explain why the o/p news article doesn't even mention it.

1 hour ago, lordgrinz said:

Are ATV's even legal to drive on Thai roads? 

Yes, they are if registered, but this one is not. On the side of that, I think they have same rules like motorbikes in traffic.

Looks like the quad wasb't registered for use on pulic roads.

 

However the use of concrete barriers in place of armco is worrying. Whether either are suitable for that elevated piece of road will probably not be addressed.

RIP. But what in the name of the big Buddah was a quad bike doing on a overpass?

Likely rear-ended and forgotten. Only in Thailand.🙃🙃

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Lopburi Quad Bike Crash: Scottish Expat's Death Highlights Road Dangers 

I reckon it highlights if you aren't competent or have the skill set to ride a bike in Thailand, DON'T 

 

4 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Yes, they are if registered, but this one is not. On the side of that, I think they have same rules like motorbikes in traffic.

 

They cannot be legally registered for road use.

2 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

They cannot be legally registered for road use.

Ok, saw that now when checked. I thought it was possible, as one guy I new who owned a restaurant in Pattaya actually had a number plate on his, but probably just a fake then.

So this idiot was going too fast on an illegal bike ?  Lucky he did not hit anyone else

Bike is short for bicycle.  Which is the Latin for 2 wheels (that's tongue in cheek).  It was a quad, but it certainly wasn't a bike.

 

We refer to them as quad ATV's.

 

RIP bloke.

Those quad bikes in Oz cause quadriplegic injuries like nothing else.

My ATV came with a warning not to drive it on paved roads... especially not at high speeds.

No helmet?

The magic words are :- SLOW DOWN

Quad  bikes are very dangerous at the best of times but riding one on a motorway, that's just madness.

That's a lawn mower.

Maybe it was the fall that killed him. How many times do read of motor cyclists being thrown over the barriers to their deaths. Obviously not built high enough. But the. R.I.P.

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

This incident has reignited discussions about road safety in Thailand

 

How so? The road looks well built and in good condition - this appears to be entirely driver error that would have had the same unfortunate result in any country.

In this sad case the deceased appears to have lost control of his vehicle with no other road users involved. 

 

No sympathy, dickhead should not be riding a quad bike on the road !!! 

30 minutes ago, impulse said:

We refer to them as quad ATV's.

We, as in the collective group of don't know what they are talking about?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-terrain_vehicle

Very sad. Not a nice way to go. RIP.

 

It's incredibly dangerous to ride such a vehicle on a public road, especially in the early hours. They are not designed for cornering at high speeds and are known to flip very easily. Best to keep them on the farm where they are designed to be used.

 

Thankfully nobody else was injured.   

 

 

4 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

They cannot be legally registered for road use.

And that's why they have nothing to do on a public/busy road. 

Even up here where traffic discipline is at the low end I can't remember seeing one long distance on the highway.

 

Sad and avoidable.

Quad on road & skid marks. What was he doing there?

Play stupid games and win stupid prized.