Phuket teen swerves to avoid car making u-turn, dies in crash

[webfact]

Phuket teen swerves to avoid car making u-turn, dies in crash
Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- A 16-year-old speeding south on Thepkrasattri Road last night died after he swerved to avoid a car and hit a metal pole instead.

Witnesses told police that Sakarat Muaenparn was riding his motorbike at high speed in the motorbike lane when a car made a u-turn south of the PTT station, said Thalang Police officer Chatree Chuwichian.

The car turned in a wide arc, and Mr Sakarat, trying to avoid it, lost control of his motorbike and collided with the pole.

Mr Sakarat received a serious head injury, and the force of the crash totalled his motorbike.

Kusoldharm Rescue Workers and police were called to the scene at 8:30pm and found Mr Sakarat lying on the grass by the side of the road, not far from his motorbike.

“The medical staff at Thalang hospital tried their best to resuscitate him for about an hour, but he was pronounced dead at 9:45pm," said Lt Chatree.

Witnesses could not remember the type or license number of the car that made the u-turn. Police said they are not searching for the vehicle or its driver.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-teen-swerves-to-avoid-car-making-u-turn-dies-in-crash-22024.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-08-21

[robblok]

Strange that they are not searching for the car as the car obviously is part to blame. Unless of course the bike has no front lights. The car did a U turn without considering the bike.

[byjohnlafond]

"Not searching" or "NOW searching" for the vehicle?

[robblok]

"Not searching" or "NOW searching" for the vehicle?

Yes that could be it a typo.. .but to be honest nothing surprises me with the Thai police anymore.

[theblether]

They're probably just going to blame the boy for everything.

Gawd forbid that they would have to do any real police work.

Too much effort that is.

[steelepulse]

>>Police said they are not searching for the vehicle or its driver.

Freudian slip.

[Jimi007]

Sorry for the young man's family, but I've seen these kid's driving motorbikes around here for years acting they they are invincible! It's rather hard to see some motorbike doing over a 100 KPH coming from behind, when you are stopped with your turn indicator on and looking at the oncoming traffic! Would you expect an idiot to over take you on your right? I guess you have to here...

Edited August 21, 2013 by Jimi007

[robblok]

Sorry for the young man's family, but I've seen these kid's driving motorbikes around here for years acting they they are invincible! It's rather hard to see some motorbike doing over a 100 KPH coming from behind.

If your doing a U turn you should see and are responsible. Most of the time car owners doing U turns don't look at a thing. They are doing a special move and therefore are responsible especially if you go onto the lane of the bike.

Unless of course the bike driver does not have a working headlight then he is an idiot.. same goes for tail lights.

Edited August 21, 2013 by robblok

[Jimi007]

Sorry for the young man's family, but I've seen these kid's driving motorbikes around here for years acting they they are invincible! It's rather hard to see some motorbike doing over a 100 KPH coming from behind.

If your doing a U turn you should see and are responsible. Most of the time car owners doing U turns don't look at a thing. They are doing a special move and therefore are responsible especially if you go onto the lane of the bike.

Unless of course the bike driver does not have a working headlight then he is an idiot.. same goes for tail lights.

I've seen kids with a red headlight and a white tail light here as well. Go figure.

[robblok]

Sorry for the young man's family, but I've seen these kid's driving motorbikes around here for years acting they they are invincible! It's rather hard to see some motorbike doing over a 100 KPH coming from behind.

If your doing a U turn you should see and are responsible. Most of the time car owners doing U turns don't look at a thing. They are doing a special move and therefore are responsible especially if you go onto the lane of the bike.

Unless of course the bike driver does not have a working headlight then he is an idiot.. same goes for tail lights.

I've seen kids with a red headlight and a white tail light here as well. Go figure.

Seen the too.. total idiots, but that is not sure that was the case here. If your doing a U turn your responsible unless .. no headlight excessive speed (even then you can see a lot during a U turn if they have a headlight)

[MaxLee]

Strange that they are not searching for the car as the car obviously is part to blame. Unless of course the bike has no front lights. The car did a U turn without considering the bike.

U-turners are the worst ignorant trash people there EVER are in Thailand, without regards to Human life. If you drive the inner lane and show too much mercy,... you live in fear to put the foot on the gas, while right behind you millions of accumulating cars horning like crazy at you, for not moving forward...

[steelepulse]

Most drivers making a u-turn here in Phuket do not wait until it is safe to negotiate a u-turn at a reasonable speed, which usually means they just make a u-turn in front of oncoming traffic and force said traffic to stop for them. It's the rare exception to see a safe u-turn made on a busy road in which there is no immediate oncoming traffic. Just as in the other accident thread in Phuket news section, this was both drivers at fault due to speeding and carelessness ( unless it's the 1 out of 1000 exception).

[DualSportBiker]

Sorry for the young man's family, but I've seen these kid's driving motorbikes around here for years acting they they are invincible! It's rather hard to see some motorbike doing over a 100 KPH coming from behind.

If your doing a U turn you should see and are responsible. Most of the time car owners doing U turns don't look at a thing. They are doing a special move and therefore are responsible especially if you go onto the lane of the bike.

Unless of course the bike driver does not have a working headlight then he is an idiot.. same goes for tail lights.

I've seen kids with a red headlight and a white tail light here as well. Go figure.

Seen the too.. total idiots, but that is not sure that was the case here. If your doing a U turn your responsible unless .. no headlight excessive speed (even then you can see a lot during a U turn if they have a headlight)

Unless my avatar is not clear - I ride a bike here...

Approaching a u-turn on a bike at speed requires preparation; be visible, state your intentions, prepare for someone pulling across you regardless. Many local bikes turn off their headlights, even at night. Those that ride with their full-beams (badly adjusted) on, don't appreciate that it makes it harder for on-coming vehicles to estimate distance and speed. I ride with over 3,000 lumens up-front, but they are all directed so I am visible for miles, but don't blind the people I want to see me. I flash to bring their attention to me in the hope they will recognise I am not going slowly. I usually pick the middle lane or am on the left of the right lane - this gives me room to swerve left if they go late, or stay right if they go early. Sometimes I wave early to say thanks as this confuses, which can in turn cause a delay while they work out what I am up to...

Anyhow, I've tried explaining this technique or other kinds of safety tips like this to kids I've talked to all over Thailand. It is generally a wasted effort. Safety is the last thing on their minds, and here's the thing; once they survive months/years driving a bike badly and dangerously and eventually upgrade to a cage, they have even less incentive to think about safety. Not only are they protected by a cage, but they've proven to themselves that they have skills/are protected/are lucky/safety is not an issue - whatever excuse they need to not have to think about it and therefore prevent getting a headache...

The irony of it is that the Singapore government require all riders to do a very detailed and good training course that was copied from courses observed in Thailand! Here this remains optional, despite the fact that there have been excellent sources of rider training in country for years. The number of lives that could have been saved...

[Patje]

What happened to his helmet ???

[Jimi007]

What happened to his helmet ???

I'm sure that no helmet would have saved him doing about 100 KMPH into a steel pole. You think?

[Jimi007]

Sorry for the young man's family, but I've seen these kid's driving motorbikes around here for years acting they they are invincible! It's rather hard to see some motorbike doing over a 100 KPH coming from behind.

If your doing a U turn you should see and are responsible. Most of the time car owners doing U turns don't look at a thing.

I've seen kids with a red headlight and a white tail light here as well. Go figure.

Seen the too.. total idiots, but that is not sure that was the case here. If your doing a U turn your responsible unless .. no headlight excessive speed (even then you can see a lot during a U turn if they have a headlight)

Unless my avatar is not clear - I ride a bike here...

Approaching a u-turn on a bike at speed requires preparation; be visible, state your intentions, prepare for someone pulling across you regardless. Many local bikes turn off their headlights, even at night. Those that ride with their full-beams (badly adjusted) on, don't appreciate that it makes it harder for on-coming vehicles to estimate distance and speed. I ride with over 3,000 lumens up-front, but they are all directed so I am visible for miles, but don't blind the people I want to see me. I flash to bring their attention to me in the hope they will recognise I am not going slowly. I usually pick the middle lane or am on the left of the right lane - this gives me room to swerve left if they go late, or stay right if they go early. Sometimes I wave early to say thanks as this confuses, which can in turn cause a delay while they work out what I am up to...

Anyhow, I've tried explaining this technique or other kinds of safety tips like this to kids I've talked to all over Thailand. It is generally a wasted effort. Safety is the last thing on their minds, and here's the thing; once they survive months/years driving a bike badly and dangerously and eventually upgrade to a cage, they have even less incentive to think about safety. Not only are they protected by a cage, but they've proven to themselves that they have skills/are protected/are lucky/safety is not an issue - whatever excuse they need to not have to think about it and therefore prevent getting a headache...

The irony of it is that the Singapore government require all riders to do a very detailed and good training course that was copied from courses observed in Thailand! Here this remains optional, despite the fact that there have been excellent sources of rider training in country for years. The number of lives that could have been saved...

It is the law in Thailand to have your headlight on when your are riding your motorbike day or night. It is common sense that you should see every other vehicle on the road as someone who will do something stupid right on front or behind you that can kill or maim you. It's called defensive driving. You should practice it, or become another statistic!

[seabear]

What is a motorbike lane?

I saw the film, when I was renewing my driving license.

But I cannot remember.

Alzheimer?

[dudu]

I was riding to Mae sai once on my Phantom, and a pick up did a wide u turn, cut right in front of me as if he didn't care, i was doing around 90 kms, i also had no chance, i hit the breaks and the bike started snake tailing, as i was about to come off, i hit the back of the pick up side on, this stopped me from falling, amazingly enough i regained control, the pick up took off, so i gave chase, as he turned off on the frontage road at the new plaza in Chiang Rai, he got stuck in traffic, i parked the bike in front of him and took photos of the number plates then proceeded to the drivers dark tinted window and gave a hard knock, only then i thought,shit, i hope theres no gun, by this time cars were everywhere so i had lots of witnesses, anyway, he opened and i said to him,what the hell,you nearly killed me and then you just drive off, i call the Police now, looking in the car, i saw granma, granpa,five little kids, wife ,sister etc... every body hands together,sorry mister,sorry mister, then he says, i look in mirror, see you ok, so i not stop, you ok , no problem, by this time cars were honking and driving around us, i just got on my bike and continued, ... after all, it was my own stupid fault for thinking he would not u turn in front of me, another lesson learned in this country, no one gives a shit on the roads,....

Edited August 22, 2013 by dudu

[monkey4u]

What happened to his helmet ???

He probably left it at home along with both head light and tail light globes and his brain.

16 riding at high speed at night = dead at an early age

[eezergood]

Sorry for the young man's family, but I've seen these kid's driving motorbikes around here for years acting they they are invincible! It's rather hard to see some motorbike doing over a 100 KPH coming from behind, when you are stopped with your turn indicator on and looking at the oncoming traffic! Would you expect an idiot to over take you on your right? I guess you have to here...

Death seems to be the only sure for stupidity here!

[longstebe]

Always expect the worst. People pulling out from the left is a classic.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[DualSportBiker]

It is the law in Thailand to have your headlight on when your are riding your motorbike day or night. It is common sense that you should see every other vehicle on the road as someone who will do something stupid right on front or behind you that can kill or maim you. It's called defensive driving. You should practice it, or become another statistic!

I can't quite tell if you are trying to inform me of things you think I don't know, or just making general comments; it is really not clear to me.. If you are trying to advise me, thanks, that is very 'sweet', but wholly redundant. Most trained riders do what you write, and more. The people who need training are school kids who start riding after nothing but being a passenger with another poorly schooled rider...

FYI, I am already a statistic, we all are...

[Sayonarax]

What happened to his helmet ???

I'm sure that no helmet would have saved him doing about 100 KMPH into a steel pole. You think?

You tell us doctor..

Edited September 1, 2013 by Sayonarax

[Jimi007]

What happened to his helmet ???

I'm sure that no helmet would have saved him doing about 100 KMPH into a steel pole. You think?

You tell us doctor..

You think so?