Motors Motors Motors

[terdsak_12]

The buggers need to be shot, anyone know how to install rocket launchers into one of these?

[Neeranam]

QUOTE(Plus+ @ 2005-06-13 22:29:35)

Breaking hard with the idea that people behind you will be at fault for the collision is sick. And what if a bus or a truck that weighs ten times more than you simply sweep you off the road? Or a pissed off Somchai will come out with his gun and shoot you?

Of course it's not the smartest thing to do and certainly not worth risking your life.

I just don't want those drivers to take it that they can get what they want by harassing people.

Long distance bus and truck drivers carry gun with them when driving??

They used to drive me crazy these guys. I have found the answer now. I realise that I can not educate all the drivers in Thailand and have accepted this, albeit against my nature. I had a revalation that pride, self-pity and self-centredness tended to underlie all of my resentments. I have to forget myself and when I manage to do this, I can drive with freedom and happiness . When one of these guys are up my arse now I try to pull over into the inside lane and help the guy(who may have a pregnant woman in the back). As someone else said, these guys may have a gun. Is it worth the risk to satisfy my ego and pride, of course not. Taken me a long time to learn though.

[jayenram]

I guess I just shouldn't drive on the fast lane.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe the Brits had it right when they attempted to encourage drivers to stop calling the right lane the "fast lane" but to call it the "overtaking lane".

[wilko]

May be true, but statistics show that you are up to 6 times more likely to be killed if you are in a saloon which crashes into a pick up or suv depending on weight ratios.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Firstly these ideas of mass and weight...

For the purposes of this Thailand forum we are largely talking, are we not, of Toyota, Mitsubishi and Isuzu pickups etc? Well they weigh about 1800 to 1900 kg., and your average family saloon like a Camry or Accord? Well just a little more 1900+ kg.

If your stats are correct and I suspect they refer to USA, then you are not only more likely to sustain injury yourself but also more likely to kill someone else with your pickup.

[Nordlys]

I believe the Brits had it right when they attempted to encourage drivers to stop calling the right lane the "fast lane" but to call it the "overtaking lane".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's what the fast lane is called where I'm from too (in my language, of course).

But that doesn't mean the fast lane should be left open for overtaking vehicles only, does it? Especially when many drive on shoulders in this country.

[Nordlys]

They used to drive me crazy these guys. I have found the answer now. I realise that I can not educate all the drivers in Thailand and have accepted this, albeit against my nature. I had a revalation that pride, self-pity and self-centredness tended to underlie all of my resentments. I have to forget myself and when I manage to do this, I can drive with freedom and happiness . When one of these guys are up my arse now I try to pull over into the inside lane and help the guy(who may have a pregnant woman in the back). As someone else said, these guys may have a gun. Is it worth the risk to satisfy my ego and pride, of course not. Taken me a long time to learn though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How did you manage to adopt that attitude?

I know that's what I need, but I haven't been able to "dtam jai" yet.

Maybe I need some meditation course?

I guess part of me don't want to change.

I often find myself looking like this when I reach home (BKK) after long drive from work in Ayutthaya and I'm tired of it.

[Neeranam]

QUOTE(Neeranam @ 2005-06-17 09:25:22)

They used to drive me crazy these guys. I have found the answer now. I realise that I can not educate all the drivers in Thailand and have accepted this, albeit against my nature. I had a revalation that pride, self-pity and self-centredness tended to underlie all of my resentments. I have to forget myself and when I manage to do this, I can drive with freedom and happiness  . When one of these guys are up my arse now I try to pull over into the inside lane and help the guy(who may have a pregnant woman in the back). As someone else said, these guys may have a gun. Is it worth the risk to satisfy my ego and pride, of course not. Taken me a long time to learn though.

How did you manage to adopt that attitude?

I know that's what I need, but I haven't been able to "dtam jai" yet.

Maybe I need some meditation course?

I guess part of me don't want to change.

I often find myself looking like this  when I reach home (BKK) after long drive from work in Ayutthaya and I'm tired of it.

It has taken me years of practise!!

I had to change my attitude as it could have killed me, really!

Meditation surely helps me.

[Bilko]

The most aggressive drivers I have seen in Thailand have been farang drivers.

Edited June 18, 2005 by Bilko

[Plus+]

Pickup vs. Camry - they weigh nearly the same, and it's not 1900kg, it's about 1,300-1,400. Camry size cars are not the most popular though. The best selling car is Vios at 960kg, next are Civic/Altis category at about 1100kg - a lot less than any pickup.

Terdsak, do you need to shoot the speeding drivers because they are slowing you down? That's what the rocket launcher would be good for - clearing up the road ahead. I mean machine gun for motorcyclists, and a rocket launcher for everything else. Wouldn't that be great!?!

I admire Neeranam's attitude, if not for an idea that a speeding bastard behind me has a wife in labour. That is too much credit given. People have far more mundane reasons to speed but to them they are not less compelling in the slightest.

[wilko]

Pickup vs. Camry - they weigh nearly the same, and it's not 1900kg, it's about 1,300-1,400. Camry size cars are not the most popular though. The best selling car is Vios at 960kg, next are Civic/Altis category at about 1100kg - a lot less than any pickup.

Terdsak, do you need to shoot the speeding drivers because they are slowing you down? That's what the rocket launcher would be good for - clearing up the road ahead.  I mean machine gun for motorcyclists, and a rocket launcher for everything else. Wouldn't that be great!?!

I admire Neeranam's attitude, if not for an idea that a speeding bastard behind me has a wife in labour. That is too much credit given. People have far more mundane reasons to speed but to them they are not less compelling in the slightest.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Weight quoted is for a 4WD 4dr pickup

Which would you rather be hit by, a 3 ton rock or a 3 ton marsh mallow?

When you jump out of a high building you are colliding with a very large rock - it's called planet earth! However if you are a cunning stuntman, you can cushion your fall and survive by landing on a large shock absorbing layer. I don't know what earth's mass is but it includes any pickup that may be rolling around on it!

[EVO]

Back to the OP's question, i drive a Tiger 4x4 and i certainly 'feel' a lot safer in that than i do driving around in the Soluna.

I think the perfect car for Thailand is something like a Ford Escape.

[Totster]

I think the perfect car for Thailand is something like a Ford Escape.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A Challenger II wouldn't be bad either.... can't imagine what the paperwork would be like when importing one of them..

totster

Edited June 20, 2005 by Totster

[Nordlys]

Back to the OP's question, i drive a Tiger 4x4 and i certainly 'feel' a lot safer in that than i do driving around in the Soluna.

I think the perfect car for Thailand is something like a Ford Escape.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why?

And is 4X4 really safer than a small sedan like Soluna or does it just make you feel safer, I wonder.

[Neeranam]

QUOTE(EVO @ 2005-06-20 10:34:47)

Back to the OP's question, i drive a Tiger 4x4 and i certainly 'feel' a lot safer in that than i do driving around in the Soluna.

I think the perfect car for Thailand is something like a Ford Escape.

Why?

And is 4X4 really safer than a small sedan like Soluna or does it just make you feel safer, I wonder.

I'd feel safer in a 14 wheeled articulated lorry(plenty of room in the back) or a sherman tank, but I ain't going to buy one of them.

If everyone had this attitude, the roads would be an ugly site.

Edited June 20, 2005 by Neeranam

[wilko]

QUOTE(EVO @ 2005-06-20 10:34:47)

Back to the OP's question, i drive a Tiger 4x4 and i certainly 'feel' a lot safer in that than i do driving around in the Soluna.

I think the perfect car for Thailand is something like a Ford Escape.

Why?

And is 4X4 really safer than a small sedan like Soluna or does it just make you feel safer, I wonder.

I'd feel safer in a 14 wheeled articulated lorry(plenty of room in the back) or a sherman tank, but I ain't going to buy one of them.

If everyone had this attitude, the roads would be an ugly site.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you want to get an idea of what happens when any vehicle, regardless of weight or size comes to an abrupt halt and the occupants aren't wearing saftey belts etc do the following: put an egg in an egg carton and shake it; then remove the egg and place in a shoe box, now shake the shoe box....you will find the experiment can't be done in reverse order using the same egg.

[Plus+]

What's this obsession with pickup trucks safety?

Millions of Thais drive them and it never has been an issue. Reminds me of that guy who regularly writes to The Nation about stickers on the windshield.

[Nordlys]

This is what you get for a car with non-monocoque consturction upon impact.

[Bilko]

Mercedes Benz Crash Pics

The Benz did not fare to well here.

Edited June 21, 2005 by Bilko

[Plus+]

The US and Thailand don't share a single pickup model, and most popular Thai cars aren't sold in the US either.

If you think there's a safety issue with Thai cars/pickups, find some RELEVANT statistics to show. Until then it's just a made up problem.

Posting pictures here is misleading - look at Thai newspapers and you'll find lots of smashed Hondas or Benzes.

[maerim]

I believe the Brits had it right when they attempted to encourage drivers to stop calling the right lane the "fast lane" but to call it the "overtaking lane".

This is true, but only on motorways where there are three lanes slow,fast and overtaking.

The only problem is now with everyone having a car (or three) the roads are so congested that on a good day on the M6 motorway you can overtake in the outside lane at speeds approaching 15 mph.

[terdsak_12]

Take a look around the service centre on the Bangkok-Chonburi Motorway for the smashed up cars the cops leave at the side of the road, amazing what speed+Monkeys=

[wilko]

What's this obsession with pickup trucks safety?

Millions of Thais drive them and it never has been an issue. Reminds me of that guy who regularly writes to The Nation about stickers on the windshield.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...and thousands of people are killed and injured because they are still unaware of the fallibility of theses vehicles. This is not only a waste of life, it is an economic disaster. Accidents cost money...hospital bills, insurance premiums, road repairs, loss of income to those permenantly injured, lost income/breadwinner to bereaved families not to mention the human cost.

[wilko]

The US and Thailand don't share a single pickup model, and most popular Thai cars aren't sold in the US either.

If you think there's a safety issue with Thai cars/pickups, find some RELEVANT statistics to show. Until then it's just a made up problem. 

Posting pictures here is misleading - look at Thai newspapers and you'll find lots of smashed Hondas or Benzes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

as a starter these figures from Oct 2004....

Top fifteen road deaths per 10,000;

Thailand is seventh in the world!

El Salvador 41.7

Dominican Republic 41.1

Brazil 25.6

Colombia 24.2

Venezuela 23.1

South Korea 21.9

Thailand 21.0

Nicaragua 20.1

Costa Rica 20.1

Kuwait 23.7

Latvia 22.7

Russia 19.4

Lithuania 19.3

China 19.0 (new WHO statistics)

Greece 19.0

[charles]

What's this obsession with pickup trucks safety?

Millions of Thais drive them and it never has been an issue.

You are right of course, safety is not an issue for millions of Thais.

Fortunately, for people for whom safety IS an issue, I think some posters are just trying to highlight a possible misconception that because a pick-up is bigger it is safer. Certainly a good point for discussion as many farangs may buy a pick-up in Thailand at least partly due to this (possible) misconception.

I think it could be said that a pick-up is:

1. Slower to brake than your average saloon car.

2. Less nimble to manouveur.

3. Much more likely to roll over.

Also, although it is heavier it seems a pick up may not absorb the impact so well in certain types of collision, i.e. the passengers have to absorb more of the impact instead.

On the other hand, a pick-up should give you better visibility (in front of you at least) and might be better in certain collisions. Certainly I'd have thought better than a saloon if you were hit from the side (assuming no side airbags which I don't think any sub 1 million saloon cars have in Thailand).

[Bilko]

Take a look around the service centre on the Bangkok-Chonburi Motorway for the smashed up cars the cops leave at the side of the road, amazing what speed+Monkeys=

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Reminds me of the wrecks that I used to see before major roads in UK.

monkeys?

[Bilko]

In a crash involving 2 cars, the heavier car or Truck will usually fare better than the lighter smaller one .

If you doubt this , get into your Soluna and hit a 10 wheel truck, see who is worst off.

Pick up safety is an issue as most accidents are single car accidents involving rollovers after going off the road, hitting trees etc. These type of accidents are in most cases avoidable, and occur by driver error, drunk driving, fatigue, speeding etc. Many reports on Pick up accident fatality rates come out of America, most are single car accidents, most of the drivers are young. Young drivers tend to take a lot more chances with high speed driving than more experienced drivers.

In the case of a Honda Jazz crashing into a 4x4 Toyota Vigo, I would rather be in the High riding Toyota any day of the week.

[Plus+]

Yeah, lots of Thais die on the roads every year. But where does it show that local pickups fare worse than local cars in all these accidents?

About half of total vehicles here are pickups. Do they make unproportionally large share of all serious accidents?

Accidents statistics are collected regularly and analised, unlike crash tests that are virtually unheard of. I think if pickups showed to be a lot less safe than cars the media would have made headlines out of it.

The only regulation related to pickups lately was speed limit for those carrying people in pickup beds.

I'm not denying the issue - I just don't see the evidence of its existence. Mere speculations.

[wilko]

Yeah, lots of Thais die on the roads every year. But where does it show that local pickups fare worse than local cars in all these accidents?

About half of total vehicles here are pickups. Do they make unproportionally large share of all serious accidents?

Accidents statistics are collected regularly and analised, unlike crash tests that are virtually unheard of. I think if pickups showed to be a lot less safe than cars the media would have made headlines out of it.

The only regulation related to pickups lately was speed limit for those carrying people in pickup beds.

I'm not denying the issue - I just don't see the evidence of its existence. Mere speculations.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It has made headlines several times throughout the world, most recently in the states. There are also crash test stats available and recently from the states and Europe. All vehicles are crash tested by EU and USA.

There are lies ###### lies and statistics, but the overwhelming evidence is that the cheaper constructed and more basic pickup is not as safe as a normal saloon car. This has been a well documented debate for a couple of decades.

Again in single car accidents the pickup fares worse than the saloon being more likely to roll over and having less manageable handling characteristics.

The “feeling” of safety has also been documented as contributory to accidents.

PS in Thailand the obvious source of most fatalities is motorcyclists

[Plus+]

Please read this again:

Thailand and the US do not share a single pick up model and most popular Thai cars are not sold in the US either. Quoting US statistics is irrelevant.

If you can show that Isuzu D-max fares worse in a collision than Soluna Vios or Honda Jazz then we'll have something to discuss.

From what I remember even Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla are not the safest cars either, and there's no point in comparing pickups with Camry or Volvo - they are in different price brakets here.

[wilko]

I believe the Brits had it right when they attempted to encourage drivers to stop calling the right lane the "fast lane" but to call it the "overtaking lane".

This is true, but only on motorways where there are three lanes slow,fast and overtaking.

The only problem is now with everyone having a car (or three) the roads are so congested that on a good day on the M6 motorway you can overtake in the outside lane at speeds approaching 15 mph.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The rule on Brit roads is you keep to the left hand lane unless overtaking; there is no slow, fast or middle lane you can remain in unless you are overtaking. There is also no law that prohibits "undertaking" in UK. However you may get done for dangerous, careless or due care and attention if you try this.

Before anything like this could be effective in Thailand you would have to have clearly defined lanes and edges to the roads and get rid of all the U-turns...