9 Killed, 27 Injured In Bus Accident

[leebeeUK]

In my 9 months in Thailand, I've been in 2 coaches where the driver could be clearly seen shuffling endlessly and using 'props' like a duster to clean his steering wheel over and over and also messing endlessly with his dashboard switches... I got so scared the first time I saw this (and noticed the bus 'drifting') that I was actually looking for and mentally planning escape routes/procedures for use in the 'inevitable' crash and even how quick I might be able to get to the wheel if he suddenly slumped sideways!!! Never happened thank God, but the next time I went long-distance - by necessity - the driver started off equally ill-prepared and over-fatigued for the job, and after only a few minutes I was waiting simply for the next stop so that I could just get off and make my own way to my destination, at least in one piece. However, before this happened, the driver suddenly seemed to wake up, sat up straight and continued on now steady and unwavering. Don't know what the booster or pick-me-up he'd had but needless to say, he took 'something'. I've taken other buses, before and since, as I don't have other transport, usually with little apparent problems or worries, but this is scary stuff... condolensces to the families of everyone involved in any of these 'accidents'...