U-Turns, A Man Made Disaster Zone.

[Tywais]

Was going home after a quick stop at BigC and the below happened right in front of me. This is the ring road Global House and BigC are on and the 1st U-Turn you can make after leaving BigC. I hate U-turns and this one especially. Two problems with it, 1st the traffic heading from Global House direction to Hang Dong road are flying, often 80-120 kph. 2nd, that U-Turn is a blind spot when there are vehicles trying to U-Turn from the other direction.

The white pickup pulled out and due to the blind spot couldn't see the fast mover coming and his front end was nailed, spinning him about 100 degrees. Another split second he would have been broadsided or the car would have gotten the concrete light pole and that would have been even more disastrous. Fortunately nobody was injured. The pickup was driven by a farang and the car had a Thai family in it. I will give kudos to the farang though as it was only seconds when he got out of the pickup and actually ran over to the car to check if everyone was ok.

I avoid u-turns as much as possible and even go out of my way some to avoid them. Of course that depends on which ones.

Google Maps (an unusual light traffic day)

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

It's so true about U turns. The solution of having less U turns often results in drivers using the wrong side of the road to get there quicker. Damned if you do. Damned if you don't.

Bring on the Google driverless cars as soon as possible.

Asian countries would really benefit from a computer making the decisions and communicating with other road users.

Will be some years before that is adopted unfortunately.

[gmac]

It's so true about U turns. The solution of having less U turns often results in drivers using the wrong side of the road to get there quicker. Damned if you do. Damned if you don't.

Bring on the Google driverless cars as soon as possible.

Asian countries would really benefit from a computer making the decisions and communicating with other road users.

Will be some years before that is adopted unfortunately.

Less U-turns is no solution to the problem of U-turns. The real solution is to allow the right turns that are currently unavailable and which make U-turns necessary to reach them. On busier roads this needs to be done by the construction of roundabouts. I would never recommend the installation of additional traffic lights in this country, which would be an alternative solution, as the authorities have no idea how to use them. Except, that is, to cause excessive traffic jams which in turn encourage drivers to jump red lights to avoid overly long waits for the next light.

[Tywais]

Seems another way to improve them is not to stack two u-turns at one spot but stagger them. If you have one u-turn for one direction and maybe 50-100 meters for the next one in the opposite direction the blind spots would be eliminated.

[rene123]

Ah cummon, Tywais, it just adds a little excitement into every day riding.

There are certain times of the day when I won't venture out if I know I have to make one of those crazy U-turns. Other than that I'm quite happy riding in heavy traffic.

[MESmith]

Roundabouts is the solution, but, for some reason, Thais love their u-turns - traffic in the fast lane slows down to u-turn into opposing fast lane

Edited March 8, 2013 by MESmith

[mania]

The U Turn are also the bane of motorcyclist.

For what ever reason if the cars are even looking before they swing their U turn

they seem to only be looking for cars. They think nothing of bikes coming.

Even if your in the left lane they will sweep into your lane in front of you.

They make their wide swing turn sweeping all oncoming lanes.

So your left with hard braking or trying to decide if your going right of them.

But if you go right you have to be sure there is not a 2nd or 3rd car because here

it seems if one goes they all feel it is ok to follow.

Then there is also the other originating side of the U turn.

Those waiting to turn. Many times the traffic backs up

(because the U turn dedicated lane is only long enough for 2-3 cars)

into the main lane which of course is the higher speed right lane.

You even have those famous Silver vans that feel it is beneath them to get into the

U turn line so they pull up left of the line causing even more danger on the originating

side of the U turn.

Yeah scary out there so be careful!

Edited March 8, 2013 by mania

[Sparkles]

That particular u turn is a nightmare,the alternative coming out of Big C,on Hang Dong Rd at least,sometimes, had a security/police guy controlling the situation. What adds to the danger is the number of motor cycles that weave their way through and join in at the front of the queue.With Chill Park, opp Big C now open, expect more problems..to be avoided if possible. CM is rapidly becoming a traffic free for all and expect more

of the same.

[eyecatcher]

I have lost count the number of times I say to my girl "what does it say on that u-turn sign" the reply usually "cars cannot u turn"

But it seems I say much more often "w----r" when i see the truck then trying the u-turn with a 3 point turn, creating havoc in all directions.

Judging speed at the super highway u-turns takes years of driving experience, but depsite the farangs involvement in the OPs incident I can imagine not many of us would be involved in a u-turn pile up- we are quite highway and safety savvy.

A 2m length of police "stinger" at the u-turn will stop 'em on the illegal u turns.

[Payboy]

U turns, U takes your chances.

[MESmith]

Motorbikes are hard to see at u-turns, especially if slow moving. Often hidden by windscreen pillar left side. Car driver needs to look at least twice to give them a chance to move into vision. Motorbikers, be sure to have your headlight on & expect the driver not to have seen you. I ALWAYS take a second look before turning for this reason.

[Greenside]

That stretch of highway, from Big C to where it joins the Lamphun road has three two way U-Turns all of which are very dodgy. The one you were at is made worse by the long queue that's often there and more so by the impatient drivers who double up to avoid the wait. Also, cars headed east have to move over into the two nearside lanes by the new(ish) futsal club where you can be sure to come up behind a guy towing a noodle cart or somesuch.

On occasion, I've seen people floor it and go against the traffic to make it across the road to the "Relax" short time emporium. The sign of a desperate man, I'd say.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Greenside

[haybilly]

Kudos, maybe, to the 'farang' for stopping--but, I'm sorry to say that, too many years in this Land Of Crazy Drivers, or LOS to some, has made me join the crowd who 'keep on trucking' away from the 'incident', without a backwards glance.

EDIT--Nice pics, BTW, Tywais.

Edited March 8, 2013 by haybilly

[transam]

Don't you just hate it at a U-turn and some <deleted> jumps your queue, pulls in front so you can't now see oncoming traffic ? One of the few times l really get angry and want to.............

[MESmith]

Don't you just hate it at a U-turn and some <deleted> jumps your queue, pulls in front so you can't now see oncoming traffic ? One of the few times l really get angry and want to.............

Sorry

Just kidding

[kaptainrob]

Don't you just hate it at a U-turn and some <deleted> jumps your queue, pulls in front so you can't now see oncoming traffic ? One of the few times l really get angry and want to.............

Ubon drivers are more polite

@OP ... I avoid peak times at BigC/HomePro because ingress/egress is so poor and bloody dangerous. If necessary I park opposite in Chill, Post Office or Makro ... a short walk saves agro and is usually quicker.

[oldgent]

Roundabouts is the solution, but, for some reason, Thais love their u-turns - traffic in the fast lane slows down to u-turn into opposing fast lane

roundabouts are ok if they are used properly. cant see the I have to get in front of you thai using it properly. what I have experienced on many thai roads is

a little thing called good manners. which the thais don't have. in Guernsey they have where if the roundabout has say 4 lanes coming into it

they take it in turns to go on the roundabout and it does work

[MESmith]

Roundabouts is the solution, but, for some reason, Thais love their u-turns - traffic in the fast lane slows down to u-turn into opposing fast lane

roundabouts are ok if they are used properly. cant see the I have to get in front of you thai using it properly. what I have experienced on many thai roads is

a little thing called good manners. which the thais don't have. in Guernsey they have where if the roundabout has say 4 lanes coming into it

they take it in turns to go on the roundabout and it does work

Improperly used roundabouts should be safer than improperly used u-turns.

[MrBrad]

Another option, and one that is rarely used here (maybe because of the expense), would be to construct a bridges to maneuver the U-turns.

A tunnel would also work, but I'd hate to see more like the one at the southern Big-C on Highway 11; it's so poorly lit, and one is driving in almost total darkness before you even know it.

[Tywais]

and more so by the impatient drivers who double up to avoid the wait.

That was the next thing I was going to mention. The queue was long and out onto the main road and a car goes to the left of everyone to make the u-turn, doubling up at that spot. When he pulled out so did the proper positioned car on the right. Considering you need nearly all lanes to get the u-turn in, the 'jumper' forced him out into traffic as he had to make the turn even tighter.

[Tywais]

EDIT--Nice pics, BTW, Tywais.

Funny thing is that probably for the first time I forgot to take my camera phone with me. Sitting in my car and looked over and remembered I had my tablet computer with me. Felt a bit silly though putting that 10" 'camera' up to the windows to snap the shot.

[tingtongfarang]

I used to live on a road that had 3 roundabouts....50% of the traffic traversed them in the wrong direction.

[Joop50]

Pass that U-turn almost every day, have seen some accidents there. Also today over there was a stupid truck driver who couldn't make the turn at once, then his back gear seemed to be blocked, hilarious. By the way, many drivers use the underpass of the mae Ping to turn. At the Big C intersection while I went right to the city, two cars and a motorcycle were involved in a collision. I cannot understand why so many motorcyclists prepare at the right side of the cars while they must go to the left after the corner.
Than on my way home on hang dong road the drivers licence playground needed to use one lane of the road. The gardeners blocked the left lane for their job on the central reservation, so only one line available for quite a while, a big traffic jam occured. Every day many critical moments occur, we have to stay alert each moment.
I also prefer roundabouts but in Thailand no system seems to be safe.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Joop50

[MESmith]

I used to live on a road that had 3 roundabouts....50% of the traffic traversed them in the wrong direction.

So 50% got it right

[rene123]

Round-abouts are okay on small, secondary roads, but they wouldn't work on highways. The Hangdong road IS a highway and needs to be treated as such. People just need to use better prior planning when having to use a U turn and go at off hours. Unfortunately, Thais are notorious for not thinking ahead. Even on a motorbike I won't use the U turn during heavy traffic hours. There is no break in the traffic to make a safe U turn. At off peak regular hours you can expect a light to slow the traffic, but not at rush hour.

[Fishenough]

Just over a year ago I saw the results of an accident at that u turn, of which the image is hard to shake.

An elderly couple where laying in the middle of the u turn, near the center of the road, on the hang dong road side. He was being held in a sitting position with massive amounts of blood on his face, head, and shirt. She was prone on the road, and very unresponsive to the people stopped at the scene. The older red Honda Dream was far away on the south side of the road, and ahead of that some distance was the silver Toyota with a badly indented right front corner. Given that there appeared to be no helmets I could draw 2 conclusions; the Toyota, and the distance it required to park and the victims locations, was driving very fast in the right lane, and secondly, it is sadly apparent that someone died that day.

Take care

[2020]

Imagine if they had the famous Melbourne 'hook turns' here!!!

[trainman34014]

The only roundabout I've seen of any size hereabouts is close to the Royal Garden. I was riding in a Thai relatives car as a passenger to the gardens and when he approached the roundabout he didn't even look right for oncoming traffic, let alone give way to it. Later as we ate I tried to explain the proper rules concerning the use of roundabouts and his answer was 'they are stupid and we shouldn't have them, who wants to go all the way round to get off it again when it's quicker to turn'. He later said that he had never seen any instructions for using roundabouts and nobody knows about any rules. Upon returning to the family home we had a chat with a Policeman in the family and his response was 'What's a roundabout' !!

I have no desire whatsoever to own any kind of business in Thailand but if I did I would surely start up an accident repair workshop; it's got to be a job for life !