Truck Crashed Into Light Poles On The Hill Between Chalong And Kata

[wtk]

just drove home in the rain and i guess the accident happened just a few seconds before I drove past since there were only couple of cars waiting. only one lane was in use and only partly

[chiang mai]

That corner gets them everytime, even when it's not raining.

[wtk]

yea i know but i haven't seen them knock down a light pole before.

i wanted to add that the scene looks much more dramatic when coming from kata. the concrete pole blocks like 75% of the 2 lanes and there were some wires blocking 100% of the road at some parts

[madmitch]

I suppose it's better to knock down the light pole than go through the barrier and down the hill like happened a couple of years ago at this corner.

[LivinginKata]

Aaah, so that's why our electric went off about 16.15 today. At least they had it back on by 17.30.

[wtk]

the traffic is still being rerouted through nai harn/rawai if you want to get from kata to chalong

police is only letting people who live on the hill through coming from kata

[ScubaBuddha]

Hmm..missed this topic and a bunch of others. I don't seem to be getting all the email notifications of new topics.

Thanks for the photo WTK.

That stretch of road over the hill, from Green Man to Koktanod road, seems to have a tremendous amount of accidents. Everyone drives way too fast and now that it's widened, everyone drives even faster. And we all know the Thais don't slow down in the rain. Saw a pick-up in the drainage ditch just 200m further up only a couple hours ago. It had just started raining. A few months ago, right about where the photographer is in the picture, a car went into the ditch there. I think that one had a fatality. Few years ago saw a car flipped on it's roof near the top of the pass. Few months ago saw a Tuk tuk on it's side right where the truck in the picture is. Seen several motorbikes go down on that stretch too, including me. That truck is sitting pretty much on the spot where my GF and I came off the Honda Wave and hit the ground hard late one night after a water truck had spilled water on the dry road. I was covered in blood and permanently injured my right knee. Gf got a run in her nylon. (<deleted>?) It would seam the water truck operators are too lazy to close the hatch on top and so the water sloshes out. I wasn't even speeding. It hadn't rained for 2 weeks prior. The ground was so slick you couldn't stand on it.

So why don't the BIB or Highway Patrol enforce speed limits in Phuket? Answer: Every Thai in Phuket that owns a car either is or has connections to "someone influential".

Edited November 10, 2009 by Scubabuddha

[KarenBravo]

So why don't the BIB or Highway Patrol enforce speed limits in Phuket? Answer: Every Thai in Phuket that owns a car either is or has connections to "someone influential".

Don't think that is the reason, otherwise tourists would be stopped and "fined".

It would also mean having a BiB on site to see it.

Nope....speeding just isn't a priority. License, helmets and tax discs are.

[Valentine]

So why don't the BIB or Highway Patrol enforce speed limits in Phuket? Answer: Every Thai in Phuket that owns a car either is or has connections to "someone influential".

Don't think that is the reason, otherwise tourists would be stopped and "fined".

It would also mean having a BiB on site to see it.

Nope....speeding just isn't a priority. License, helmets and tax discs are.

I agree. They either don't have the manpower or the will to go after speeding &/or dangerous drivers. Standing on the side of the road & flagging down motorbikes & the occasional car is a much easier way to get fines.

The Chalong Kata road is dangerous as are many others but usually the cause of accidents is the inept, callous, rude, dangerous, drivers who traverse our roads, & there are plenty of them. Also the many unsafe vehicles.

Edited November 11, 2009 by Valentine