New 'headlights On At Daytime' Law

[The Gentleman Scamp]

And, in my opinion, anyone who doesn't see that helmets save lives, must be a complete fool.

Wearing a helmet restricts a drivers vision / hearing etc. Don't think so, try wearing a helmet while playing basketball.

This restriction, some believe causes more accidents. Deaths on a motorcycle aren't caused by not wearing a helmet, they are caused by having an accident at usually high speeds with high blood level acohol.

Given a choice, I wear a helmet on the highway at higher speeds, no helmet in town at lower speeds. And absolutely no alcohol. Not a drop.

Bottom line main factor, the governemt has no right to tell me to wear a helmet.

Even many of the Thai cops don't wear helmets, and they are the government. lol

For once I have to agree with Nemesis.

The helmet I currently have is blown to the back of my head as the wind gets under the visor, and this is sometimes only at 40kmh on a breezy day.

The only way to avoid this is wear a basebal cap underneath and do the strap up very tight so that my chin is crammed into the sweaty chin-cup and forcing my mouth shut.

The only purpose my helmet serves is to mess up my hair.

A friend of a bar owner I know on Samui used to say that only full head helmets were the ones to wear and nothing else.

On December 9th 2002 he came of his bike wearing one of these, admittedly, more expensive helmets and was run over by a cement truck on a corner just outside Lamai.

Most of his skeleton was broken into splinters, his guts and internal organs punctured and displaced; however, his head and skull remained intact - shame he isn't around to appreciate spending that extra bht 400 on a full header.

[phormio]

And, in my opinion, anyone who doesn't see that helmets save lives, must be a complete fool.

Wearing a helmet restricts a drivers vision / hearing etc. Don't think so, try wearing a helmet while playing basketball.

Try bouncing your head on the pavement not wearing one...

Stats showed an increase in motorcycle deaths after repealing the helmet laws..Here is one example

http://www.dot.gov/affairs/nhtsa4100.htm

As I said, I believe in personal choice, but I'm not stupid enough to ignore the fact that, in an accident, my chances of head injury are MUCH higher without a helmet, which I'm sure you agree with, otherwise, why would you wear one yourself.... 40 years of bike riding experience and seeing the after effects of many accidents tells me helmets do add a meaure of safety in an accident.

Perhaps govt does have a role to play here, since much of the time the medical and other costs are born by the taxpayer

[Ajarn]

And, in my opinion, anyone who doesn't see that helmets save lives, must be a complete fool.

Wearing a helmet restricts a drivers vision / hearing etc. Don't think so, try wearing a helmet while playing basketball.

Try bouncing your head on the pavement not wearing one...

Stats showed an increase in motorcycle deaths after repealing the helmet laws..Here is one example

http://www.dot.gov/affairs/nhtsa4100.htm

As I said, I believe in personal choice, but I'm not stupid enough to ignore the fact that, in an accident, my chances of head injury are MUCH higher without a helmet, which I'm sure you agree with, otherwise, why would you wear one yourself.... 40 years of bike riding experience and seeing the after effects of many accidents tells me helmets do add a meaure of safety in an accident.

Perhaps govt does have a role to play here, since much of the time the medical and other costs are born by the taxpayer

Therein lies the real issue, I think.

On one hand, I want the freedom, under law, to make my own choices about my own health, and that includes seatbelts and helmets.

On the other hand, there are the taxpayers who don't want to pay their tax money to someone injured under those circumstances. Even if they have their own insurance, their extra costs for treating the- possibly unnecessary- injuries in those claims will still have to be made up by other policy payers in the form of higher rates at some point...

[Coffee Dude]

Therein lies the real issue, I think.

On one hand, I want the freedom, under law, to make my own choices about my own health, and that includes seatbelts and helmets.

On the other hand, there are the taxpayers who don't want to pay their tax money to someone injured under those circumstances. Even if they have their own insurance, their extra costs for treating the- possibly unnecessary- injuries in those claims will still have to be made up by other policy payers in the form of higher rates at some point...

I'm not too sure the use of tax money part would apply here.?

Coffee!!!

[Limbo]

I would like the Royal Thai Police not only to check the lights of the motorbikes during the daytime, but also during the evening and nighttime.

After dark you see more motorbikes without light than during the daytime.

[Ajarn]

Therein lies the real issue, I think.

On one hand, I want the freedom, under law, to make my own choices about my own health, and that includes seatbelts and helmets.

On the other hand, there are the taxpayers who don't want to pay their tax money to someone injured under those circumstances. Even if they have their own insurance, their extra costs for treating the- possibly unnecessary- injuries in those claims will still have to be made up by other policy payers in the form of higher rates at some point...

I'm not too sure the use of tax money part would apply here.?

Coffee!!!

The topic seems to have expanded a bit beyond the original question about headlights....

But, Thais also pay taxes, and some of that money goes to help support Thai Social Security (yes, there is!) which includes free hospital care for legal Thai workers...Farangs, too...

The section about private insurance would also pertain to Thailand, too.

[PeaceBlondie]

And, in my opinion, anyone who doesn't see that helmets save lives, must be a complete fool.

Wearing a helmet restricts a drivers vision / hearing etc. Don't think so, try wearing a helmet while playing basketball.

This restriction, some believe causes more accidents. Deaths on a motorcycle aren't caused by not wearing a helmet, they are caused by having an accident at usually high speeds with high blood level acohol.

Given a choice, I wear a helmet on the highway at higher speeds, no helmet in town at lower speeds. And absolutely no alcohol. Not a drop.

Bottom line main factor, the governemt has no right to tell me to wear a helmet.

Even many of the Thai cops don't wear helmets, and they are the government. lol

Nemesis, could you give us a real citation for that first quote you had, prior to the "Goldstein Report" which wasn't about whether helmets save lives?

Wearing a helmet only restricts a drivers vision if you are "The Fly" as in Jeff Goldbaum. I have been wearing helmets for the last 150,000 MILES, with vision in only one eye, and I've had no problem with side vision, nor any accidents attributable to it, partly because I use both side mirrors and I turn my neck a lot. Helmets do not restrict vision, period.

Deaths on motorcycles are caused by not wearing a helmet, when you have injuries to the cranium. My best student died 15 february from brain injuries sustained from an accident at ZERO miles an hour; he wore no helmet. But that's just an anecdote to counter your all-inclusive exceptionless statement, which was fecal.

Crashes at unusually high speeds, and at high alcohol blood levels, are even more injurious than hitting the ground at zero miles per hour forward speed (adjusted for the speed of gravity, as your head rushes to the pavement). I fell to the ground in Chiapas, Mexico, with a full face helmet that sustained three serious blows, and had no head injuries.

You need to support your claim that helmets increase the likelihood of having an accident and sustaining a more serious injury. Give us a real, scientific, proper, relevant citation, Nemesis. Mine is called "The Hurt Report." Google that.

[ThePreacher]

Is this legit, the Thais dont have lights on at night let alone the day.

I ride a bike sometimes and would hate to get nicked.

[damnaam]

The only purpose my helmet serves is to mess up my hair...

... I've often thought this as I put on my super 'tupperware' strength helmet.

However, having seen the result of what happened to an ex-Phuket resident mate of mine's head and face, having stuck it through the windscreen of an oncoming tuk-tuk (not the tuk-tuk drivers fault, of course...) whilst not wearing a helmet, well, now I cannot see any excuse for not wearing one. I say ex-Phuket resident 'cos he's been back in Oz for a year now receiving ongoing specialist medical treatment

[damnaam]

Is this legit, the Thais dont have lights on at night let alone the day.

I ride a bike sometimes and would hate to get nicked.

This is for sure. If you ride a motorbike at any time you must have the headlight on dipped beam. I got pulled for not complying with this in Phuket earlier this year - took me a whole pack of Marlboro Lights to get the charge dropped

[siam]

The main problem i see in LOS is the heat,As to why not much protection is worn either helmet or clothing,Here in the UK,I always have my lights on when riding the bike,and always wear one piece leathers,Gloves and leather boots,But even this sometimes isn't enough,as 2 years ago i was doing 5 mph on a 170 mph bike,and slipped on diesel and broke my hip in 3 places,

As for those little scooter things in LOS,I bet the rates of death or serious injury are extremely high.

[Ajarn]

Is this legit, the Thais dont have lights on at night let alone the day.

I ride a bike sometimes and would hate to get nicked.

   

I'm sure if they have lights, they'll use them at night...

[Teach]

Not wishing to spoil the sparring now going on about an unrelated issue, there are other worrying things to concern ourselves regarding this latest copied idea of toxin.

The issue of using headlights during the day has implications in Thailand. Mainly the idiot factor.

All those unroadworthy vehicles excepted, does this not lend licence to all the pillocks who now with their new cars and their fancy hallogen lights both back and front that have to have them full on so as to attract the most look at me I've got a new car attention. How many will have enough (or any) savvy to dip them... and in the spirit of vain competition, how long will it be before their all using the fog lights as well to get oneupmanship.

This law ( for cars) if passed is potentially very dangerous in the hands of Thai's who have not yet experienced any formal road safety training.

And what happened to conserving energy??????

Teach

[Ajarn]

And what happened to conserving energy??????

Teach

I still have so much energy for this life- Why should I conserve it? Can't take it with me!

[siam]

The issue of using headlights during the day has implications in Thailand. Mainly the idiot factor.

All those unroadworthy vehicles excepted, does this not lend licence to all the pillocks who now with their new cars and their fancy hallogen lights both back and front that have to have them full on so as to attract the most look at me I've got a new car attention. How many will have enough (or any) savvy to dip them... and in the spirit of vain competition, how long will it be before their all using the fog lights as well to get oneupmanship.

This law ( for cars) if passed is potentially very dangerous in the hands of Thai's who have not yet experienced any formal road safety training.

And what happened to conserving energy??????

Teach

Teach,I think you are on about the new type lighting called HID,I have them on my car in the UK,and it's basically light driving in the daylight but at night as they are so bright and that is on dipped beam,

I don't know about the cars in Los but here in the UK,Lights that are HID,have to have a self levelling system fitted by law so not to blind anyone on dipped,But on High beam they can do what they want i suppose.

[Teach]

The issue of using headlights during the day has implications in Thailand. Mainly the idiot factor.

All those unroadworthy vehicles excepted, does this not lend licence to all the pillocks who now with their new cars and their fancy hallogen lights both back and front that have to have them full on so as to attract the most look at me I've got a new car attention. How many will have enough (or any) savvy to dip them... and in the spirit of vain competition, how long will it be before their all using the fog lights as well to get oneupmanship.

This law ( for cars) if passed is potentially very dangerous in the hands of Thai's who have not yet experienced any formal road safety training.

And what happened to conserving energy??????

Teach

Teach,I think you are on about the new type lighting called HID,I have them on my car in the UK,and it's basically light driving in the daylight but at night as they are so bright and that is on dipped beam,

I don't know about the cars in Los but here in the UK,Lights that are HID,have to have a self levelling system fitted by law so not to blind anyone on dipped,But on High beam they can do what they want i suppose.

I'm not fully aware of what new technology/rules apply in the UK, it's been so long since I was there. But I'm sure that it doesn't exist here which is where I was referring to.

Maybe if toxin does make it law then car manufacturers will have to conform but, I'm sure that is way off at this present time....and another observation brought up by another poster, Thai's don't use their rear view or side mirrors so who's to benefit...only the on coming traffic. I can see mayhem ahead.

teach

[RDN]

I nearly hit a motorcycle tonight as I came out of my local filling station, in my truck. I am a very careful driver and was coming out at about 5 mph, looked left and then right. I wanted to turn right so I looked right for a few extra seconds before looking left again. Then this bike shot across the front of me from the left, doing about 30 mph. He was on the wrong side of the road and wanted to enter the filling station. He looked at me as if I was in the wrong! I could've knocked his stupid head off. I don't mind if bikes ride on the wrong side of the road, but if they do, they should go dam.n slow.

As for bikes with no lights at night, I have seen many bikes with no lights driving very fast - some along the middle of the road, along the yellow line. They are stupid and will end up as a statistic one day.

I rarely look at oncoming trucks with bright lights. When they are within range, I give them a long flash of my head beam. Same goes for people who put on their fog lights when it is raining - the reflection from the road can be dazzling. I think it is against the law in England to use fog lights in the rain. Not sure about that. But here, anything goes.