Had An Accident

[Jitar]

It could also mean that most motorcyclists drive very dangerously, as was the case in this accident.

I drive cars, pickups, as well as small and large bikes here.

In general, the masses,bikes drive too slow. 60 kph on the highways were 80 - 100 would be better and safer

In general I think cars and trucks drive too fast with an attitude they have more right on the road than bikers do

My guess if you eleminated all cars and truck and just used bikes, accidents would be greatly reduced and deaths almost non exsistant.

Comments on speed are correct but might have to eliminate anything solid close to roads as well for the drunks who cannot ride straight.

The high injury and death rate of motorcyclists is also due to their vulnerability when things go wrong. Many do not wear helmets and even with appropriate protection, a motor cycle riders chances of injury are still high when thrown off in the typical conditions here.

Many of the people using the roads as pedestrians, on motor cycles, cars, trucks, tractors and god know what else do not take any notice of common sense, drink driving and road laws, so things go wrong often. There is no point debating which group is worse because they are all bad.

Changing the inconsistent, lax enforcement of laws, little lone improving them as Marshbags suggested, has little chance because the Thai Government and Police really do not care.

Edited September 1, 2012 by Jitar

[Fgis]

He passed the red light ? Why do you care ? Ah yes, if he would die it would be cheaper !

In Thailand think like a Thai...

[TommoPhysicist]

I saw some interesting statistics on the wall of the hospital in Pattaya I went to see him:

In august (until now):

873 injured motorcycle drivers or passengers

13 injured car drivers or passenger

26 injured pedestrians

576 drunken drivers.

So, it's about 67 times more dangerous to drive a motorcycle than it is to drive a car.

The majority of people involved in accident was drunk.

It's 2 times more dangerous to walk than it is to drive a car.

I know this is not all 100% mathematically correct, because there are more motorcycles than cars. Still, these numbers are pretty shocking.

It more or less means you've to be mad to ride a motorcycle around here.

It means that drunk driving is a very big problem in Thailand.

I also means that you better watch out very good on the Thai roads, even if you just walk.

Alternatively you could conclude that 67x more people ride m/cs than travel in cars.

Or it's safer to drive a m/c when drunk (873 not drunk Vs 576 drunk)

(Or indeed the moon is made from cheese)

Edited September 2, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[NoshowJones]

I am sorry for you, but pasing a junction with traffic lights in 80kms per hour.... Maybe you should consider to drive little bit more carefully.

I've driven from Nakhon Sawan to Bangkok 3 times in the last 2 months and never went more than 70 KMS per hour mostly in the middle lane (the inside lane most of the time is damaged because of overweight trucks) I agree that 80 KMS is too fast to be going through traffic lights at an intersection even though the speed limilt is not being broken. The OP needs to learn to slow down approaching a green light. This country is full of lunatic drivers.

[NoshowJones]

I think it's always partly our fault ...by simply being here...if the OP hasn't been there,there would be no accident...TIT...BTW,you should know what I mean...

This is such a bad way of thinking. It is not your fault just for being a foreigner, and if you keep thinking that way, then you will always be taken advantage of, like so many TV'ers and other foreigners I meet here are.

I guess I've phrased if wrong (English is my second language)...what I've meant is that,if there is farang around,he will be probably blamed for things gone wrong and tried to be taken advantage of...

My car got hit ones by drunken motorcyclists while PARKED!...when one of those guys finally crawled out of the ditch and the BIB asked him what happened,he said that the car hit them (!!)...even the BIB laughed...Next day,at the police station the father of the driver asked if we can help him because the bike is damaged and there is 5k bill for the hospital as well...hmmm

I hope you were not stupid enough to give him any money. I hope that anywhere in the world, a drunken driver gets killed, as long as there are no innocent casualties, simply because they are better dead before they kill some innocent person.

[Tywais]

Inflammatory post removed. Keep it civil and leave out the name calling.

I went through nearly the same scenario a couple of years ago and the insurance agent said it was important for me to go to the hospital to see how he was doing. Also, everyone I talked to at the office where I work said the same thing - it's called naam jai and show of concern is not an admission of guilt but a show of caring.

[thaicruze]

#1 rule of driving in Thailand:

Always assume that everyone will brake the rules.

• You have a green light? STOP and look both ways. Thais don't understand red means stop.
  
• One way road? Yea right. LOOK BOTH WAYS. There is someone coming at you the wrong way at full speed.
  
• On the road driving minding your own business? Don't drive next to anyone. They will turn right into your car because they turn first and THEN look. They also have no idea that cars have blind spots.
  

Edited September 2, 2012 by thaicruze

[simple1]

He passed the red light ? Why do you care ? Ah yes, if he would die it would be cheaper !

In Thailand think like a Thai...

Not necessarily correct, if a Thai dies in a vehicle accident the police still negotiate, in conjunction with the deceased family, for funeral expenses etc even though he may have been at fault. Funeral expenses are sometimes not cheap. Just the Thai culture.

[siampreggers]

#1 rule of driving in Thailand:

Always assume that everyone will brake the rules.

• You have a green light? STOP and look both ways. Thais don't understand red means stop.
  

I fins stopping when the light is red is a risky business. Stopping when the light is green is likely to get you shot should a Thai be behind you.

[thaicruze]

well, if the traffic is going, then follow, but if you're stopped at a red light and your light turns green, for god's sake do NOT go. LOOK first. Lift your foot off the brake slightly and when you SEE everyone stop, THEN you go. Red doesn't mean stop here, it means go really fast and follow the guy in front of you.

actually if it's bumper to bumper traffic you have to use your car to stop the flow of traffic. otherwise they will never stop.

When I sell my Cruze I'm getting one of these

Edited September 2, 2012 by thaicruze

[Tanaka]

I think it's always partly our fault ...by simply being here...if the OP hasn't been there,there would be no accident...TIT...BTW,you should know what I mean...

<deleted>!

[thaicruze]

i know its abit harsh but you need no to feel bad or feel pity about the dude, especially when this dude obviously show no sense of basic society responsibilities. one of my personal friend was killed due to a scooterist running a red light. those red light runners are just playing with their luck and one day they will get involved with other innocent parties. ignore and leave no sympathies for the ignorant prick. i know many kind hearted people will get pissed with my comment but if had you seen a innocent friend suffering due to these society thrash, you would understand

I,d like to add to this without sounding uncompassionate towards the red light runner.

He,s probably run the lights many times ( as is the Thai way we are all to familar with and not excluding farang either. ) and while he finally paid for it, he was lucky he is still alive.

You were lucky it wasn,t something more substancial you collided with and.....

More importantly thank god you didn,t end up in hospital... or the morgue as yet another dead foreigner.

If there was or is any remote chance he could point some of the blame on you in the light of day, he might rethink his position and he most likely wouldn,t care a satang about your circumstances if he does.

It is by the way not unknown for them to change there version of events, especially when some unscruplous lawyer or police officer may offer to help him and advise him to deny blame, followed with their version of events to favour him and themselves of course.

Good luck with sorting it out and keep us updated on what happens, we can al learn from it I,m sure

marshbags

what,s up with your apostrophes? It,s next to enter.

I guess everyone changes their version of events after an accident with no witnesses. The best way to avoid this is just to know that everyone here breaks the fundamental rules of driving. Like red means stop. and they do it all the time. like it's normal. If you are approaching an intersection and you aren't behind a bunch of cars and it's just you crossing it, the best thing to do is to slow down a LOT and look in every single direction. even if it's the wrong way. They'll come that way too at full speed. Or pass you on the right as you are turning right in those dam_n scooters. they don't give a crap.

The family will blame the OP of course. Thais will NEVER admit they are wrong or did something wrong. They'll die before they admit they did something wrong.

Best way to deal with this is let the insurance take care of this and his car. Never ever meet the family. Just leave it alone. He knows in his heart what he did.

If you have a car here, just plan on getting 1st class insurance every year.

I've been driving here since 2005. So far many close calls from idiots who don't look and just turn into the other lane and stuff like that, but never an accident. But I have seen many accidents. Many more than in the USA and they are almost always bad. Cars facing the other way, upside down, upside down the other way, half a motorcycle and the guy half a mile from the motorcycle in a pool of blood, etc. Last time on my way to work it was a Volvo under a truck (one of those big trucks with trailers) and before that again on my way to work, a motorcycle dead guy. Bright and early at 6am.

Edited September 2, 2012 by thaicruze

[transam]

i know its abit harsh but you need no to feel bad or feel pity about the dude, especially when this dude obviously show no sense of basic society responsibilities. one of my personal friend was killed due to a scooterist running a red light. those red light runners are just playing with their luck and one day they will get involved with other innocent parties. ignore and leave no sympathies for the ignorant prick. i know many kind hearted people will get pissed with my comment but if had you seen a innocent friend suffering due to these society thrash, you would understand

I,d like to add to this without sounding uncompassionate towards the red light runner.

He,s probably run the lights many times ( as is the Thai way we are all to familar with and not excluding farang either. ) and while he finally paid for it, he was lucky he is still alive.

You were lucky it wasn,t something more substancial you collided with and.....

More importantly thank god you didn,t end up in hospital... or the morgue as yet another dead foreigner.

If there was or is any remote chance he could point some of the blame on you in the light of day, he might rethink his position and he most likely wouldn,t care a satang about your circumstances if he does.

It is by the way not unknown for them to change there version of events, especially when some unscruplous lawyer or police officer may offer to help him and advise him to deny blame, followed with their version of events to favour him and themselves of course.

Good luck with sorting it out and keep us updated on what happens, we can al learn from it I,m sure

marshbags

what,s up with your apostrophes? It,s next to enter.

So is yours.

[funcat]

I think it's always partly our fault ...by simply being here...if the OP hasn't been there,there would be no accident...TIT...BTW,you should know what I mean...

<deleted>!

...and another one bites the dust...

[anon210]

well, if the traffic is going, then follow, but if you're stopped at a red light and your light turns green, for god's sake do NOT go. LOOK first. Lift your foot off the brake slightly and when you SEE everyone stop, THEN you go. Red doesn't mean stop here, it means go really fast and follow the guy in front of you.

actually if it's bumper to bumper traffic you have to use your car to stop the flow of traffic. otherwise they will never stop.

When I sell my Cruze I'm getting one of these

Actually, it seems weird, but it is also safe driving, Thaicruze.

If you are at the red light, and a car is following you too closely at speed, slowing down at the signal might get you rear-ended and catapulted in middle of the "racers" starting off at the green light. My driving instructor warned us thus to always adapt to circumstances. Orange light = prepare to slow down and stop, but only if you have nobody tailgating you at speed. In those cases, the best conduct, safety-wise is to keep speed and get through the signal even if it becomes red in the meantime. Just be careful of the bikes that tend to zoom ahead at green light.

The lesson at green light is indeed to start off smoothly and not accelerate madly at once. Keep eyes open, because occasionally, I've seen a biker run through the red light at speed just in front of my car. Had I accelerated any faster, I would have been t-boned, or hit the biker.

Other simple lesson: always put the gear on P (or "N" for manual), and handbrakes at red lights. Should avoid you being pushed too far ahead in case of rear-ending collision.

And generally: slow down wherever you see u-turns or intersections and WATCH OUT!

Re. the blind spots, I now have the reflex to look by the windows for the position of any car before attempting any lane change or direction change. I also try always to keep track of the position of the various cars and/or motorcycles relative to my own, and try to predict their intentions...

For further safe driving learning, here are some resources:

http://www.liikenneturva.fi/www/en/liitetiedostot/Pidapelivaraa_engl.pdf

http://www.2pass.co.uk/awareness.htm#Anticipate

[steveromagnino]

For what it is worth, I have had a drugged and drunk twit drive into the back of my car (parked); been wiped off my bicycle twice (once a guy u turned directly into me with no indication and with no gap between the front of his car and the cars parked along the side of the road at about 30km while I was down on the aerobars doing around 40km/hr; once when a woman saw me coming down a hill in the wet (I had right of way) and drove into the middle of the intersection, realised I was doing about 30km/hr and stopped right in the middle of the road leaving me no where to go); had someone drive past me and wipe my side mirror off (they were that close) while I was stationary waiting for a left turn; and lastly had someone reverse into the front of my car while at an intersection (they didn't look behind and decided they wanted to change lanes).

Only the last one happened here, the rest overseas in a supposedly 'safe road' country.

In general driving here is pretty chaotic, especially in places like Banglamung area (I can almost guess which intersection this happened) and the standard of education regarding drunk driving and road rules is poorly followed and poorly enforced, so people continue to do things quite stupidly like no helmets, drunk driving, etc etc.

I think you handled the situation the best way for your long term piece of mind, and the police no doubt respected your 'truthiness'; sometimes the idea of being right needs to be balanced with other aspects of life, not all of which are pleasant (as anyone who has had to go to court to prosecute or defend themselves against someone else well knows), so showing some 'nam jai' as the party who suffered less (and as the more senior person in the incident by virtue of car vs. bike) is a good thing.

[marshbags]

Thaicruze if I may quote the following from your post :-

" what,s up with your apostrophes? It,s next to enter."

What has religion got to do with our posts

When you say next to enter does does this relate to heaven...hmmmmm

marshbags

P.S.

On a serious note there has been yet another accident involving one of the so called elite driving an expensive high powered car and sadly ending with the fatality of a policeman on a motorbike and what looks like a cover up to protect the former.

I,m sure it will already be on the Thai News Thread by Web, but I haven,t had time to visit it yet to look for it.

Please go there for further information ect.

[Tywais]

On a serious note there has been yet another accident involving one of the so called elite driving an expensive high powered car and sadly ending with the fatality of a policeman on a motorbike and what looks like a cover up to protect the former.

I,m sure it will already be on the Thai News Thread by Web, but I haven,t had time to visit it yet to look for it.

Please go there for further information ect.

Son of Red-Bull executive

[siampreggers]

On a serious note there has been yet another accident involving one of the so called elite driving an expensive high powered car and sadly ending with the fatality of a policeman on a motorbike and what looks like a cover up to protect the former.

People may note the different methods in which the OP moved the injured party, and the way the Thai moved the injured party.

One moving him to the side of the road to help him.

One moving him for 200 yards by dragging him under his car until the body came out and he could drive away.

[Fgis]

What is the cheapest that we would have to pay for killing a poor guy on his motorcycle ?

- If HE IS responible ?

- If I AM reponsible ?

- Is it the same if we have insurance (standard or first class) or not ?

It's good to have a start to negotiate, because I am sure that sooner or later one will kill himself in my car ! (even if I keep trying to avoid them as in a video game :-) )

[jbrain]

What is the cheapest that we would have to pay for killing a poor guy on his motorcycle ?

- If HE IS responible ?

- If I AM reponsible ?

- Is it the same if we have insurance (standard or first class) or not ?

It's good to have a start to negotiate, because I am sure that sooner or later one will kill himself in my car ! (even if I keep trying to avoid them as in a video game :-) )

All I can tell you is that if you're in the fault, and you don't have first class insurance, it's cheaper if he's dead then when alive.

If you have first class insurance, they will take care of it.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

I've driven from Nakhon Sawan to Bangkok 3 times in the last 2 months and never went more than 70 KMS per hour mostly in the middle lane (the inside lane most of the time is damaged because of overweight trucks) I agree that 80 KMS is too fast to be going through traffic lights at an intersection even though the speed limilt is not being broken. The OP needs to learn to slow down approaching a green light. This country is full of lunatic drivers.

And you yourself are a big danger going in the middle lane only 70 when the speed limit is 120 in areas and the flow of traffic is 100 - 110

[stevenl]

What is the cheapest that we would have to pay for killing a poor guy on his motorcycle ?

- If HE IS responible ?

- If I AM reponsible ?

- Is it the same if we have insurance (standard or first class) or not ?

It's good to have a start to negotiate, because I am sure that sooner or later one will kill himself in my car ! (even if I keep trying to avoid them as in a video game :-) )

Most important: with first class insurance they will take care of it, no matter who is at fault. Just make sure you don't get personally involved, leave it all to the insurance people.

[NoshowJones]

I've driven from Nakhon Sawan to Bangkok 3 times in the last 2 months and never went more than 70 KMS per hour mostly in the middle lane (the inside lane most of the time is damaged because of overweight trucks) I agree that 80 KMS is too fast to be going through traffic lights at an intersection even though the speed limilt is not being broken. The OP needs to learn to slow down approaching a green light. This country is full of lunatic drivers.

And you yourself are a big danger going in the middle lane only 70 when the speed limit is 120 in areas and the flow of traffic is 100 - 110

I don't agree with you, the state of the inside lane is so bad at times that to travel on it will be damaging for your car,there are so many overweight trucks on the inside lane that when you signal to overtake, no one, and I mean no one will allow you to pull out. It is also dangerous to drive at 110-110 because of the large majority of lunatic Thai drivers cutting you up. Driving at 70 KMS, is putting me in a lot less danger, and I come first, and if people don't like it, then too bad.

[naboo]

Possum, driving too slowly and in the wrong lane is very dangerous, someone will hit you. You may die. Keep up with the flow of traffic, you're driving 45mph in the middle of a motorway!

[transam]

I've driven from Nakhon Sawan to Bangkok 3 times in the last 2 months and never went more than 70 KMS per hour mostly in the middle lane (the inside lane most of the time is damaged because of overweight trucks) I agree that 80 KMS is too fast to be going through traffic lights at an intersection even though the speed limilt is not being broken. The OP needs to learn to slow down approaching a green light. This country is full of lunatic drivers.

And you yourself are a big danger going in the middle lane only 70 when the speed limit is 120 in areas and the flow of traffic is 100 - 110

I don't agree with you, the state of the inside lane is so bad at times that to travel on it will be damaging for your car,there are so many overweight trucks on the inside lane that when you signal to overtake, no one, and I mean no one will allow you to pull out. It is also dangerous to drive at 110-110 because of the large majority of lunatic Thai drivers cutting you up. Driving at 70 KMS, is putting me in a lot less danger, and I come first, and if people don't like it, then too bad.

So it's you l had to overtake on the inside eh, tut tut.

[NoshowJones]

I've driven from Nakhon Sawan to Bangkok 3 times in the last 2 months and never went more than 70 KMS per hour mostly in the middle lane (the inside lane most of the time is damaged because of overweight trucks) I agree that 80 KMS is too fast to be going through traffic lights at an intersection even though the speed limilt is not being broken. The OP needs to learn to slow down approaching a green light. This country is full of lunatic drivers.

And you yourself are a big danger going in the middle lane only 70 when the speed limit is 120 in areas and the flow of traffic is 100 - 110

I don't agree with you, the state of the inside lane is so bad at times that to travel on it will be damaging for your car,there are so many overweight trucks on the inside lane that when you signal to overtake, no one, and I mean no one will allow you to pull out. It is also dangerous to drive at 110-110 because of the large majority of lunatic Thai drivers cutting you up. Driving at 70 KMS, is putting me in a lot less danger, and I come first, and if people don't like it, then too bad.

So it's you l had to overtake on the inside eh, tut tut.

Transam, didn't you read my post? A lot of the inside lanes are badly rutted, well they were when I travelled on that highway. If you want to ruin your vehicle. that's up to you. If the inside lane was in the same condition as the other two, and the trucks weren't overweight and can only do about 40 kms, I would be very pleased to stay in the inside lane. My personal safety comes before anyone else's, and if people don't like it then that's just TOO BAD.

[stevenl]

I've driven from Nakhon Sawan to Bangkok 3 times in the last 2 months and never went more than 70 KMS per hour mostly in the middle lane (the inside lane most of the time is damaged because of overweight trucks) I agree that 80 KMS is too fast to be going through traffic lights at an intersection even though the speed limilt is not being broken. The OP needs to learn to slow down approaching a green light. This country is full of lunatic drivers.

And you yourself are a big danger going in the middle lane only 70 when the speed limit is 120 in areas and the flow of traffic is 100 - 110

I don't agree with you, the state of the inside lane is so bad at times that to travel on it will be damaging for your car,there are so many overweight trucks on the inside lane that when you signal to overtake, no one, and I mean no one will allow you to pull out. It is also dangerous to drive at 110-110 because of the large majority of lunatic Thai drivers cutting you up. Driving at 70 KMS, is putting me in a lot less danger, and I come first, and if people don't like it, then too bad.

So it's you l had to overtake on the inside eh, tut tut.

Driving long distance here a lot of the overtaking is done on the inside. Nothing special about that.

[anon210]

Furthermore, the thai highway code allows to overtake on the inside in two occurrences: road with more than two lanes in the same direction and if a car is about to turn right.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect App

[transam]

Thats why i have a 4x4 truck, deals with any road condition, though can be tossed about a bit.