Seat belt saves Phuket chief judge in auto wreck
Phuket Gazette


Chief Judge Parinya walked away from his overturned car, which landed in a ditch near Krabi Airport. Photo: Parinya Chaowalittawin

KRABI: -- Phuket Court Chief Judge Parinya Chaowalittawin became a traffic-accident statistic over the weekend when he survived an accident en route to Krabi.

“I was on my way to see my parents in Trang, and had left Phuket at about 4:30am on Saturday,” Mr Parinya told the Phuket Gazette.

“It was about 6am and I was some two kilometers past Krabi Airport when it happened, on a part of the road that was slippery because of the rain, and sharply curved.

“I was not driving particularly fast but I did lose control of the vehicle. I gritted my teeth, pulled the handbrake up and tried to keep my head down. I expected the worst but at the same time felt calm and resigned to my fate,” he said.

The judge’s car struck a bridge and flipped into a ditch. But the judge kept his cool.

“I got out the car, went to a nearby house and asked to use a phone. The kind fellow who opened the door obliged, and told me that two other drivers had had similar accidents on the same curve earlier that morning.

“If I hadn’t been wearing a seat belt, I would probably have died,” he said.

“I felt alright, and intended to continue on to Trang, but the friend who collected me sensibly advised we should return to Phuket,” he said.

Mr Parinya went to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a checkup and was found to have no major injuries. His doctor advised he take a rest followed by a week of physical therapy.

However, Mr Parinya went to work.

“I went back to work as I have plenty of work to do,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Seat-belt-saves-Phuket-chief-judge-in-auto-wreck-22390.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-10-02

“I was not driving particularly fast but I did lose control of the vehicle. I gritted my teeth, pulled the handbrake up and tried to keep my head down. I expected the worst but at the same time felt calm and resigned to my fate,” he said.

Pulling the handbrake on is not going to help. Driving lessons would be helpful. I understand most Thai people don't have money to spare for luxuries that can save their lives. Even group classroom theory lesson with videos which would cost very little would be an improvement.

'Pulling the handbrake on is not going to help'

You don't know that do you? Or where you an witness to the accident? He could very well have been trying to turn the car around to avoid a head on impact.

The headline should not even mention seat belts IF they had the sense to wear them as a matter of course. But no, "I don't like that law so I will ignore it....'

The headline should not even mention seat belts IF they had the sense to wear them as a matter of course. But no, "I don't like that law so I will ignore it....'

My Thai friends wear seatbelts. Besides, the ones that don't are only endagering their own lives if they got into an accident without wearing one. What's it to you?

'Pulling the handbrake on is not going to help'

You don't know that do you? Or where you an witness to the accident? He could very well have been trying to turn the car around to avoid a head on impact.

Read the report again please. There is no mention of another vehicle or anybody going to his assistance.

The worse thing that you can do if aquaplaning or have lost traction is to apply the brakes. That only exacerbates your problems.

Full marks for wearing his seat belt - saved serious injury or possibly his life. No marks for driving too fast for the road conditions - sharp curve, wet road. He did say “I was not driving particularly fast but I did lose control of the vehicle" - yes not particularly fast but still too fast. At the proper speed for the conditions you wont leave the road. I agree that once it starts happening all you can do is try to steer out of it and use the brakes very sparingly.

You mess with Pian, you have 'accidents'.

It's a refreshing change to hear a Thai give credit to a safety feature such as seatbelts, rather than giving thanks to a lucky charm.

Once you have lost control of a vehicle, especially on a wet surface applying the handbrake in not a clever option, as you will lock up the rear wheels causing the vehicle to spin violently, Too many Hollywood movies.

The OP should of said ''Do not pull on the Hand Brake'', look what happens.

Speeding was the first cause of the accident, as there is no sharp curve you cannot clear with normal speed on this route. In case of heavy rain and much water on the road, you have to adapt your speed. Indeed, on this route there are many water holes when it rains. In case of aquaplaning just get your foot of the accelerator and don't apply the brakes. Pulling the hand brake will aggravate it, as it applies to the rear wheels only and makes your car to spin.

He left Phuket at 4.30am and was near Krabi Airport at 6am.....and wasn't going particularly fast????!???!

He was !!!! It takes minimum 2 hours from Phuket Airport to Krabi.

Typically Thai, he was doing nothing wrong. Road's fault.

Driving at a reasonable speed around a corner doesn't cause a car to slide out and flip, unless he pulled up the handbrake or slammed on the brakes while negotiating the curve, he wouldn't have slid out like that. I reckon he took the curve with too much speed.

EDIT: never mind, just re-read the article and noticed he did pull the hand brake - what an idiot!

Edited October 21, 201312 yr by wprime

He left Phuket at 4.30am and was near Krabi Airport at 6am.....and wasn't going particularly fast????!???!

He was !!!! It takes minimum 2 hours from Phuket Airport to Krabi.

Typically Thai, he was doing nothing wrong. Road's fault.

And it does not say he had left Phuket airport at 4:30 am.

Maybe Phuket town....

Speeding, tired, out of control....... (we won't go into just calling on his mobile to say he was in Krabi)

Wanted to carry on driving????

Duh, maybe he didn't realise his wheels were pointed at the sky?

("kind fellow"???? Who translates this? Next time how about "Kind chap"?)

Edited October 23, 201312 yr by 12DrinkMore