Thailand: Reckless Drivers Endanger Lives As A Matter Of Course

[PaulHamon]

Every single vehicle in Thailand should be speed limited to 90kmph until the whole country actually have driving training / testings that provide some leave of responsibility and training.

[thhMan]

The minute Thailand realizes their Police force is incompetent and puts in Place a privately run traffic system that gets paid on a % of fines it collects, then Individuals who choose to go the opposit way of traffic, run red lights, squeeze a second lane in a one lane road and so forth, will get fined day in day out until their thick heads understand it costs THEM money to be idiots....

% of profits go back to the enforcement officers (more fines, more pay)... those that scam the system are just sacked with no compensation and a tarnish on their record...

The collection of fines will also go back to the Govt. coffer, but then its up to them to decide to improve roads, lights and whatnot...

Just get the idiots thinking first with a hit to their wallet.... Make the roads safer first... then argue where profits go later!

Nuff Sed!

EDIT: Unpaid fines over a period of time get the vehicle impounded and then sold at auction if not paid...
Proceeds go back into "Driving Awareness" programs for the public.... And those idiots are OFF the road... HOOOOZAH!

Edited April 12, 2013 by thhMan

[chooka]

Me first ! Me first !

pigs arse, I already flashed my lights whilst doing 120kph down the wrong side of the road so get out of my way scum. Don't you realise a Merc trumps a vios?

But, but, I've a child-in-car sticker !

and a very nice sticker it is, helps to prevent glass shatter.

Edited April 12, 2013 by chooka

[PaulHamon]

Its relatively easy to do speeds upwards of 120 K

a) if you know what your doing

consider the conditions and

c) repect other drivers.

What Thai's Drivers do is.... let me think.... NONE OF THE ABOVE

Until a front tire blows (yours or someone elses) out and you kill have a dozen people.

[Tywais]

Pay them more for being late. That should slow them down.

[emanphoto]

#5 should be #1, but agreed.

On a trip between BKK and Ubon Ratchatani and back this week I didn't see ONE radar cop. I saw maybe 2 police cars the whole time we were on the highways.

If Thailand was serious about stopping the carnage on these vehicles they only need to apply the law by the lame RTP and Road Transport Authority.

1. Mandatory engine speed governing on any vehicle of 5 tonnes GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass)

2. Deregister and impound any vehicle modified outside manufacturers spec

3. Cancel licences for any bus driver who overrides or tampers with engine speed governing

4. Make fines harsh enough to deter speeding - and add a points system

5. Driver education and severe testing procedures (use the British PSV testing - brutal) - PSV - Passenger Service Vehicle

Watching pickups loaded to the hilts with say pineapples with modified suspension, paying off cops is common. Over height buses are also ridiculous and way past safety spec and easily tipped over on the slightest curve with any form of speed. Vans who modify for gas should remove the back seat (to make way for the cylinder) thus dropping the load capacity of three adults in weight to compensate, bringing it back in line with manufacturers spec.

But of course bleating from Thai 'experts' and 'authorities' never does anything other than grab headlines from a desperate Nation newspaper - little is ever done to address and handle the issue by stating the obvious.

[NoshowJones]

The way to correct all these problems is start a proper system of learning to drive and then passing proper tests, both written and driving and don't give anyone a licence until everything is satisfactorily completed as it would be in the West. Drivers of Public Bus's and Heavy Goods should be subject to a higher level of testing before they can receive the appropriate license to drive those classes of vehicles. Tachograph systems should also be used on Heavy Goods and Public Service Vehicles to prevent bad driving and longer working hours than the law would define.

Sadly; and it is sad for a so called 'developing country', we all know such sensibility here will not occur in our lifetime unless 'sensible' people start running the country. Can't see that anywhere on the horizon at the present time as all parties are just not interested in the least about such matters as there is 'no profit in it'. You know the old saying...'If things don't change...they will stay the same' !

Very sensible post Trainman, but in this country it could never happen, all the corruption and bribery would see to that.

[Preman]

Easy to pull motors over for not wearing a helmut, and the occasional speedster.

It gives them some "tea money". The problem on the roads in Thailand is very serious. But, no one is taking it seriously.

There is a road. Forget lanes, - right or left. Just go. Go round blind corners, - play russian roulette with your life and the life of others.. It is all ego. Idiots in cars who think that they are racing car drivers..... and then they kill people.

Where are the police? They are the same. It is totally acceptable here. No one cares.

It is not going to change. People drive without the slightest education in road rules. Why? Because there are no road rules. Just pretending road rules.

I have traveled the earth and lived in many countries. Thailand wins, - hands down with total driving inability and chaos.

This is a subject that the Government should really pay attention to. It won't, - I know that. But it is a shame.

[erenkara]

"Driving over the speed limit results in a higher risk of a crash or severe accident. As the speed of the vehicle increases, the driver tends to have less control over the vehicle, and the chances of taking evasive action decreases as well. The effect of a collision that a vehicle travelling at higher speed incurs is much higher than the effect of collision at a lower speed. The severity of injury greatly increases as the impact of the collision increases."

NEVER!!!

On a serious point. A small step in the right direction would be to have chevrons painted on the road, showing approximately how far away you need to be from the car in front, in case of an emergency braking incident. I know not many people would use them ( & if people did then someone would pull in front of them), but I don't believe people have a clue about safe braking distances & may make a few people think!

Definetly, they don't know "SAFE BRAKING DISTANCE". Reminds me a couple of years ago, I was at Buriram and we were talking about, how bad tail riders in Thailand and told them that there is a law in where I come from, that you should have at least lenght of your car from vehicle in front of you for every 30 km per hour your speed, so to say if your speed is 90 km per hour, you should have at least, minimum 15 to 20 meter from the car in front of you. All the guys were laughing at me.

[HOOD Robin]

Funnily enough they are often enabled in this pursuit by police escort, filling up the outside lane in convoy.

So true !! They are "flying" with speeds much over 100 km/hour... in front some speeding police cars and the same in the back.... If a playing child would cross the road, it wouldn't have any change.... anybody cares for that ?? NO WAY

And those <deleted> should be an example for the youths ?? or for "safe" driving ?? my ass ! Banana republic !!!

[meatboy]

2013 safe driving campaign over songkran latest road deaths up 30% on last yr.and they want zero.

[Martstar]

hmmmm... living in the most dangerous place to drive in Thailand.... Chiang Rai, here is my research results:

• too many licenses have been bought;
• too many drink drivers... including the police;
• too many over loaded cars and trucks;
• too many of those badges (some I am sure are fake) on the front of cars indicating that this person might be important and can therefore drive however the like so that they are first always....
• too many people driving on the wrong side of the road
• no one uses mirrors for the intended purpose... however they are used for nose/pimple picking and make-up/hair whilst driving...
• a culture of sleeping through the instruction video, easy theory test and officials who do nothing....

and thats about it... many people dying up here every day due to the stupidity....

[Fullstop]

53 per cent of vans and at least 67 per cent of buses regularly drive over the speed limit on highways and motorways in Thailand.

From my own observations riding a motorbike all over Thailand it's more like 99.9% of vans (rot tu's) and 30% buses.

[lucjoker]

this is a boring topic,

nothing new

many sugestions (but all the same as last time)

no use talking about it ,it will not change only worsen .

manny more will die ,be injured ..................

bla bla bla

[Fullstop]

^ Until aliens actually land, I guess you could say that about everything.

[jbrain]

It's the spume that appears in the mouth corners of those bus drivers as soon as they are behind the wheel that makes them unfit to be near other humans on the road.

[HOOD Robin]

Funnily enough they are often enabled in this pursuit by police escort, filling up the outside lane in convoy.

So true !! They are "flying" with speeds much over 100 km/hour... in front some speeding police cars and the same in the back.... If a playing child would cross the road, it wouldn't have any change.... anybody cares for that ?? NO WAY

And those <deleted> should be an example for the youths ?? or for "safe" driving ?? my ass ! Banana republic !!!

typo..... "change" must of course be "chance"...

[tragickingdom]

But how much pressure is applied on the drivers by the companies they work for? Either they have to make a certain number of trips as is the case on Bangkok Pattaya routes or they get faulty equipment or they have to reach a destination within a certain time limit or get fined.

The firsts step should be a yearly certification for any automobile, bus or truck over the age of three years. Directors of companies that can certificate or directors of companies that refuse to certificate should go to jail. Or better even, the shareholders. Maybe we get rid of dirty dangerous buses and trucks that way too. Two drivers and instruments to check the hours and rests that drivers take should be made mandatory for professional chauffeurs.

But than, people who travel by bus are either afraid of flying or are a little poorer than the elite and thus is their lives significantly less of value than that of the ruling classes. It is too easy and too cheap to point fingers to drivers alone. Most companies are as reckless as the drivers causing the deadly accidents

[Fullstop]

I always felt a little worried when bus drivers did a little prayer to Buddha before departing on the journey. To help out, I usually just crossed my fingers.

[thequietman]

Funnily enough they are often enabled in this pursuit by police escort, filling up the outside lane in convoy.

This has happened to me twice. On both occasions I held my line, put my full beams on (daytime) and didn't move. They turned around and pulled me in on both occasions. And then that's when the wife gets stuck into them. She asks why they are on OUR side of the road, are the people in the minibus sick or have been in an accident ? The answer is always "they are VIP's. My wife then dares them to give us a ticket for this crap. They just shake their heads and walk away. Bloody <deleted>.

[Fullstop]

On both occasions I held my line, put my full beams on (daytime) and didn't move.

"Reckless Vs Road Rage", coming soon to a theatre near you!

Edited April 12, 2013 by Fullstop

[sangfroid]

It has to be recognised that in almost every aspect of life here, Thailand is a "mak ngaai" country <Thai language removed>

<Thai language removed>.....careless; shoddy; sloppy, negligent

This is a fact often acknowledged by Thai people themselves.

I'm not Thai bashing I have been here for 20 years now and love the Kingdom. I'm just stating the facts.

Add to the mix the "Mai pen rai" factor and it often has deadly consequences.

Edited April 12, 2013 by metisdead
Thai language removed, this is the English language side of the forum, English is the only acceptable language when posting.

[Fullstop]

I'm not Thai bashing I have been here for 20 years now and love the Kingdom. I'm just stating the facts.

Facts make better bludgeoning tools than bullxxxx, but I agree with you.

Edited April 12, 2013 by metisdead

[outre99]

And what of Somchai in his overloaded pickup truck, or the rich kid in his sports car, barrel assing down the highway and lane changing like there is no tomorrow? And let's not forget all the wanna be Sterling Moss's on the road too.

Are these also not serious road hazzards? Not only to themselves, but to all those around them too.

All of this could be solved by a) having a good public service campain that runs 24/7/365 educating people about the rules of the road and road safety, and b: just having the police actually do their job.

I have but one rule during any Thai holiday. And that is, I stay OFF the roads.

I'm all for a public education campaign of how not to stay in the passing lane driving under the speed limit, or how trucks should stay in the left 2 lanes, or how to use rear view mirros when contemplating a lane change. I drive regularly from Rayong to Bangkok and back and i have to be one of those drivers who are "changing lanes like thre's no tomorrow" because it seems that the concept of the rightmost lane being just for passing is lost on a large portion of drivers. These halfwits just love sitting in the right lane going 10km/h below the speed limit. Come to think of it, what i see on the highways is not too much speed, it is too little speed where it's required and a lot of boneheaded unpredictable behavior. I can't tell you how many times i would set cruise control to 120 (which is the speed limit on 7) and would be passing cars like they were standing still even in the right 2 lanes. I think it's the face thing, they probably think that it would be unseamly to drive in the "slow" lane in their late model sedan so they go 100 in the right lane ignoring the dozen or so cars that are backed up behind them. After living here for the last 7 years i've been forced by reality to recognize that overall Thais are shortsighted and selfish. The concept of being courtious to others, including other drivers, seems to be as unknown as the concept of speeding up down the entrance ramp in order to merge with the flow of traffic instead of trying that from the dead stop.

As others pointed out the enforcement of any rules is non-existent. The only police presense i've seen are the occasional speed trap on 7 and a lot of road blocks shaking down motorcycles for tea money. Cars double and tripple parked, trucks blocking all lanes of traffic going 30, boneheads doing a u-turn across 4 lanes of traffic, Somchai's delapidated pickup doing 50 in the right "fast" lane, that's all no problem. I think the solution here is to officially incent cops with a % of the ticket revenues, but the focus can be finetuned by varying the amount according to the type of offense. That way the actual enforcement can be streamlined for certain offences that have the most consequences.

[chrisrazz]

I think it a little unfair to lay responsibility for all this on the police. It's not like they have the resources to do much other than the occasional checkpoint. Most on here would claim the police in their home countries should have real crimes to investigate rather than trawl the roads for revenue raising purposes, couple that with red light cameras and the like governments are often accused of stealth tax through road traffic offences.

The responsibility for vehicle compliance is with the motor registry, then with the police to enforce the law. Ie. if your vehicle does not comply, your vehicle is not registered, then if your vehicle is on the road and your are caught, the vehicle is impounded and you are fined. There is no mention of the actual conditions of the roads and how poor road maintenance impacts on accident numbers.

Nobody can argue that license testing here is laughable, or that attitudes generally are selfish and greedy. These last two are a societal issue laid down by decades of elitism whereby the attitude of superiority of those with vehicles has filtered down to everyone with a vehicle, the difference being that many more are able to own one now.

Most of the problems concerning law enforcement, vehicle compliance and road maintenance would be eliminated if there was no corruption, and, police and public servants were paid a decent wage and were employed on merit.

[VocalNeal]

On a serious point. A small step in the right direction would be to have chevrons painted on the road, showing approximately how far away you need to be from the car in front, in case of an emergency braking incident. I know not many people would use them ( & if people did then someone would pull in front of them), but I don't believe people have a clue about safe braking distances & may make a few people think!

On a serious point are really expecting anyone to paint lines on all the roads. Where exactly. Ok they have those stupid dots on the Chonburi motorway that everyone ignores but... seriously.

Simplest way, and this assumes anyone is interested in this, is to add the two-second rule to the safety video everyone has to watch when they renew their licence. You don't need paint or brushes or a machine or workers or huge budget. Oh wait then that's what will, probably happen if anyone from the Land Transport Office reads this post.

​Two second rule is much easier and it adaptable because fixed points only work at one speed. Two second rule automatically increases the distance as the speed increases.

[Fullstop]

^ Give it up. Thai driving overall is not going to change anytime soon. Just concentrate on defensive driving and assume you are surrounded by retards at all times.

Edited April 12, 2013 by Fullstop

[starkey_rich]

Yesterday morning I left the diesel polluted haze of Phuket for a leisurely drive back to Chumphon via Ranong .It only took me one hour 25 mins to drive 50 klms from Rawai to the bridge.Not too bad it has taken me over two hours.

Then they started as soon as the road turned to a single lane they seemed to come out of nowhere at great speed.

The dreaded retarded Visa Run mini bus drivers.Not one but convoys of 4 or 5 vans all sitting inches off my tail.Then their tiny brains must get confused as they all start to overtake on a blind bend forcing anything coming the other way into the side of the road and me on a couple of occasions as they swerved back in to avoid big trucks .

They are nothing more than brain dead morons risking so many peoples lives everyday.And for what? So they can get there 5 mins early and sit around picking their spots in the mirrors.

I feel really sorry for the people on these buses whose lives are put in so much danger and un-comfort of being thrown around the back of a these mini buses with a retard as a driver.

Whoever sanctioned such a waste of money on a report only has to drive this route or most any road in Thailand to see these retards at work everyday of the week.

[nattydread]

why arent the tv channels showing public safety info clips to educate the masses on all sorts of things from driving safety to food hygeine/hand washing.....oh sorry i forgot it would leave less time to advertise skin whitening products and all those unhealthy snack foods

[HaleySabai]

Just came back(in one piece) from another hair-raising highway trip up to MaeSai border - witnessing the usual mind-blowing stunts such as overtaking on curves and hills ..... driving 30km/per hr (on the highway) while talking on a mobile and watching overhead TV.... driving 130kms per.hr while talking on a mobile and watching overhead tv

Too be sure, their is a whole lot of 'Magic'in the minds of these people..... evolution may be the only way out of this predicament