Phuket Island View: Sidecars Extremely Dangerous, But Not To Worry

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Phuket Island View: Sidecars extremely dangerous, but not to worry

Overloaded and on his way, but at least he's wearing a helmet.

PHUKET: -- The crackdown on motorbike passengers having to wear helmets has been excellent, though it hasn’t stopped parents from carrying babies, talking on a mobile phone, or smoking (or all three) while driving.

I understand the trusty Honda Dream is the sole mode of transport for many families on Phuket, and that if they could afford something with four wheels they would probably buy it.

But the problem with dangerous sidecars still plagues us. Years ago, a policeman with exceptional common sense came right out and said the police tolerate sidecars because poor people need to make a living. But he added that police would also pull over the ones they thought were unsafe. Good man.

The only problems are: Would the police really do that? And, which ones are unsafe?

This week I saw two beautiful examples of (very) 'unsafe'. One man was driving along the notoriously dangerous Thepkrasattri Road overloaded with recyclables. Now, obviously a collector of such materials cannot afford a pick-up, and the driver was wearing his helmet – but he was clearly putting his life at exceptional risk.

The other example was a mobile food vendor who had his sidecar fitted with two steel cages: one for his gas bottle and another for a tub of ice. The problems? The gas bottle was in the perfect place to be struck by a vehicle from behind, and the ice bucket blocked the taillight completely.

Perhaps the Transportation Office could have a range of sidecar designs deemed 'reasonably safe'. (A higher rating than that would not be possible.)

And who could we get to design the drivers?

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-03-25

[ScubaBuddha]

When grandma selling somtam from her 1984 Honda Dream with max 40kph has to share the roads with Chinese Thai property developer in his BMW or any number of airport-racer "limousine" taxi's traveling at 140+kph, you know carnage will ensue.

Thai's being allowed to drive bikes with illegal sidecars due to economic hardship is one thing. But now farang driving motorbikes with illegal sidecars seems to be getting more popular. Like the guy that drives the pink Walls Ice Cream bike or the couple in Rawaii that have fashioned an illegal sidecar with Highway Police stickers on it. Get some self respect people.

[grumpyoldman]

When grandma selling somtam from her 1984 Honda Dream with max 40kph has to share the roads with Chinese Thai property developer in his BMW or any number of airport-racer "limousine" taxi's traveling at 140+kph, you know carnage will ensue.

Thai's being allowed to drive bikes with illegal sidecars due to economic hardship is one thing. But now farang driving motorbikes with illegal sidecars seems to be getting more popular. Like the guy that drives the pink Walls Ice Cream bike or the couple in Rawaii that have fashioned an illegal sidecar with Highway Police stickers on it. Get some self respect people.

I'm with you SB, these side car things are a nightmare, as you say massive carnage just waiting to happen.

There is a farang family in Rawai Nai Harn that I see, the blonde wife and a couple little toehead kids in the sidecar, the wife actually sits on the edge, Dad the driver getting so close to things on the sidecar side that I just cringe everytime I see these people.

Not so sure it's about self-respect or if they are just too stupid to understand the danger.

[KarenBravo]

The side-car's tail-light MUST work, otherwise, at night, people think they only have to leave enough clearance for a two wheel motorcycle when over-taking.

[sanuk21]

The side-car's tail-light MUST work, otherwise, at night, people think they only have to leave enough clearance for a two wheel motorcycle when over-taking.

Do you overtake on the left-hand side of a sidecar?

Sanuk