0-60 In 30 Minutes?

[simonphuket]

Anyone has any idea why for so many drivers accelerate slower than a turtle with a physical handicap from the traffic lights? And then when they finally reach 80 km/hr, and you almost have a chance to overtake them (left, right, whatever), they take off? Afraid to use to much petrol? Stoned or drunk? Just cant drive? Really puzzles me.

[Soutpeel]

Stoned or drunk? Just cant drive?

All of the above me thinks...

[Hssl]

Or the delayed reaction to the lights turning green, saying that the 'reaction' test for a Thai DL you could only really fail if you were dead

[ignis]

They do the same when they pull out in front of you !! can't understand why?

[katabeachbum]

Or they overtake me when I only drive 60 in town, then stop and block the road to make a right turn 200 meters later.

[basjke]

Thai man to his daughter while driving the car:

Hey lek,I see a red light ahead.Any idea what that means.

Lek:I don't know dad but I will ask mom or somchai.

2 minutes later.

Lek: Dad,somchai says you have to stop for a red light.

Dad:ok,next time I will do.

While waiting at the next red light:

Dad: Lek,now the light changed to green so what does that mean.

Lek:Don't worry dad I ask somchai and tell you soon

[TVmonitor]

I think there is some of the answer in two factors -

one the cars are automatic.

two - it seems to be a national pastime to fill cars with bric-a-braq - cushions, lucky charms, alters and even cups of coffee - so moving off quickly with all this stuff would create an atmosphere in the car something akin to one of those snowstorm-in-a-bottle type souvenirs.

it might also account for the national phobia of bumps, potholes and level crossings.

[noahvail]

Or the delayed reaction to the lights turning green, saying that the 'reaction' test for a Thai DL you could only really fail if you were dead

Meh - when I got my D/L I was in back of 6 truck drivers doing the mandatory tests. At the reaction test, one guy failed. Then failed again. Then failed again. The rest of us were sent on, and lo and behold, two minutes later the guy comes back with a big grin and said he passed. [nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more, say no more]

[Plus]

I think there is some of the answer in two factors -

one the cars are automatic.

In heavy traffic the manuals are the worst. It takes them forever to shift into a gear and there's always at least one car that would cut in front of them while they are moving their arms and legs.

Off the green light autos shift earlier, that's true, but that's not a big deal as everyone's auto shifts at the same time. They just don't step on gas, that's all.

[snowflake]

Leaving a light where I have been standing still I seem to be the fastest one every time. I am not that heavy on the foot, the other people is just that slow...

[culicine]

Leaving a light where I have been standing still I seem to be the fastest one every time. I am not that heavy on the foot, the other people is just that slow...

Yeah, usually I use moderate acceleration and after 30 seconds they look like ants on my rear view mirror. But then they cathc you up and pass at 150 km/h. My wife said its just their driving style. I don't think they really much consider its effect on fuel consumption.

[Plus]

You are driving 2l civic and "they" some 1.6l corollas or worse. Pickups are naturally slow off the line, too.

[TVmonitor]

I think there is some of the answer in two factors -

one the cars are automatic.

In heavy traffic the manuals are the worst. It takes them forever to shift into a gear and there's always at least one car that would cut in front of them while they are moving their arms and legs.

Off the green light autos shift earlier, that's true, but that's not a big deal as everyone's auto shifts at the same time. They just don't step on gas, that's all.

To be honest I don't imagine that the avaege Thaui driver puts his car into neatral at the lights - at present there are NO sedans available with manual in Thailand so any manual gear changers would be a minority.

However I'm sure that many drivers will move off in a manual in 2nd or third gear!

[katabeachbum]

To be honest I don't imagine that the avaege Thaui driver puts his car into neatral at the lights - at present there are NO sedans available with manual in Thailand so any manual gear changers would be a minority.

However I'm sure that many drivers will move off in a manual in 2nd or third gear!

Available sedans with manual gear are

Honda City, Honda Civic, Toyota Vios, Toyota Corolla/Altis. Hatchbacks are Yaris and Jazz.

Proton, and then I dont remember more manual gear sedans.

[ignis]

All makes have a manual gear option, as they are cheaper so there are a few about.

Even all makes brand new have manual gear or some have the CVT or electric clutch option

[TVmonitor]

Manuals - in Thailand????

[Texpat]

Usually all the motos are gone before the light turns green.

The cars in front have to wait for the motos to race away.

This is a two-thought process. The second thought may not occur until the first is complete.

And perhaps they've been told jackrabbit starts increase fuel consumption dramatically.

[Plus]

I think there is some of the answer in two factors -

one the cars are automatic.

In heavy traffic the manuals are the worst. It takes them forever to shift into a gear and there's always at least one car that would cut in front of them while they are moving their arms and legs.

Off the green light autos shift earlier, that's true, but that's not a big deal as everyone's auto shifts at the same time. They just don't step on gas, that's all.

To be honest I don't imagine that the avaege Thaui driver puts his car into neatral at the lights - at present there are NO sedans available with manual in Thailand so any manual gear changers would be a minority.

However I'm sure that many drivers will move off in a manual in 2nd or third gear!

There are plenty of manual pickups, perhaps the majority, and they don't take off in 2nd gear.

Sedans have manual option but only for the lowest trim models. I don't see them very often.

Manuals for sedans were still popular ten years ago, so older cars are often manual, and they don't take off in 2nd, too.

You can easily spot manuals in bumper to bumper traffic. From traffic lights there are other factors at play that level out manual vs auto reaction.

[Kimera]

Or the delayed reaction to the lights turning green, saying that the 'reaction' test for a Thai DL you could only really fail if you were dead

Good point !! but I took the test in Phuket a few years ago, the first man in failed completely, 3 times and was asked to sit on the side, he was far from dead but he will be driving now, I MEET HIM EVERY DAY Im sure

[nullx8]

i guess that is a general thing about Manual gear and some missing informations about physical truth like gravity, speed and time.

about manual gear ..... you are not forced to learn to drive a vehicle with manual gear ... so the feeling, handling and understanding about the force of the engine is missing (just guess)

Physical truth .. well that is simple ..

example ... Taxi driver make full stop to fetch a customer ... but not thinking half a second about the 25tons heavy bus right behind them (gravity helps to need time in order to do the same full stop plus driver reaction times)

or peoples sitting on pickups always on the back, the event that the driver may have to break hard and all passengers will fly 2 meters until they hit the cabine seems not a thought passengers have.

well you can see this behavior almost everywhere ... as another example peoples in the skytrain leaning against driving direction .. in order successfully hit somethings every time the train stops .. and so on and so on ...

there seems no learning curve ... things just happen because they happen ... not because of gravity brain-lag or not existing survival instinct ;-)