Tough traffic law enforcement in Thailand

[IsaanUSA]

Anybody live in Bangkok? How did it go today?

Too many threads to keep track of. The conversation continues here : http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/743598-traffic-goes-smooth-on-first-day-of-the-d-day-against-traffic-violation/

[uptheos]

and not a single word about CRASH HELMETS ...... dont get me started ......

Crash helmets are not THE CAUSE of road traffic accidents, although lack of them increase fatalities.

[montereyjp]

I have mentioned this before on one of the many threads concerning the poor driving habits of Thais and how dangerous driving can be in Thailand.. And that is the lack of police in patrol cars... How do expect them to chase down a speeding motorist on a Honda scooter or even one of those Tiger 250's? Now I have seen the newer big bikes around the motorways in Bkk but most appear to have issues just driving them normally let alone chasing someone down.. So they really do not have much of a choice but to monitor choke points or create one as in blocking all lanes except one to do any traffic reinforcement at all.. Now I am used to driving here and for the most part can avoid a lot of problems by becoming familiar with Thai driving habits.. for example blocking a through lane by jumping the turning lane while waiting for the green turn arrow.. The fact most Thais do not look before turning into traffic and of course the wrong way drivers, and the double triple park drivers.. And I would be remiss if I did not mention all the motorbikes with no working tail lights.. I drive defensively all the time the way I was taught in my motorcycle driving course.. And of course stay alert at all times even at a red light.. This was driven home to me by a traffic accident I read about here on Thai Visa where an overloaded truck ploughed into three motorcycles at an intersection.. Two of the riders were alert enough to abandon their bikes.. The third unfortunately was not...

I will sum this up by stating it would require thousands of patrol cars with highly trained drivers to make Thailand as safe as the US or the UK for driving.. This would drive cost up tremendously which in turn would drive up the fines for violators, road tax, and tolls. Making more like the countries we fled to escape from amongst other reason.. the high cost of traffic fines, road tax, and over zealous traffic police..

[Seastallion]

I didn't read through the thread. The headline struck me; Tough?

Not tough, just what it should be. Is stopping at a red light so tough? Is having a drivers licence so tough? Is not driving the wrong way down a road tough? Is registering your vehicle tough?

Get real.

[indothai]

Anybody live in Bangkok? How did it go today?

Today, just traffic gridlock at 5pm at Sathorn and Silom as usual.

Narathiwas road toward Rama 3 is as usual, many traffic violations.

[Local Drunk]

Anybody live in Bangkok? How did it go today?

Much smoother than usual... Police were out in force along a number of bottleneck areas. I left home in Saphan Mai to go to Mo Chit BTS about forty-five minuted later than I normally do... 6:30 rather than a quarter to six, and all went well in the morning. The evening commute from Ayrun Amarin to Rachetewi BTS was also much better than I expected, and I was quite surprised that the final leg of my commute from Mo Chit Back to Saphan Mai only took forty-five minutes.

Very happy camper here... as long as it continues.

[chrissables]

and not a single word about CRASH HELMETS ...... dont get me started ......

The wearing or not of helmets has no affect on the cause accidents at all. Or maybe if wearing a full face helmet for hours on end in Bangkok traffic it would addle the brain...........by any chance have you been doing that? It would answer why you write rubbish!

[Tim207]

Will lining up behind the white line at traffic lights also apply to motorbikes. - the worst offenders!

It annoys me when I am in "pole position" at the lights, only to have up to a dozen motorbikes come in front of me, and either go very slowly away when the lights change to green or worse and frequently, STALL!

Hopefully with the attention being given to the 5 Joms, those that are apprehended will be meaningfully fined (1000baht+) and not just given a slap on the wrist or relieved of 100baht!

Well, I am one of those motorbike riders that cuts to the front and for your information it isn't about cutting in line, it is for safety. I have seen quite a few cars pile into a line of cars waiting at a light and I am not about to risk being sandwiched between two cars for no reason. Usually the motorbikes are far quicker off the line than cars anyway in my experience, although I will grant you that it only takes one bike left behind to hold you up. Pragmatism tops blind obedience to rules in Thailand and I like it that way.

[indothai]

Will lining up behind the white line at traffic lights also apply to motorbikes. - the worst offenders!

It annoys me when I am in "pole position" at the lights, only to have up to a dozen motorbikes come in front of me, and either go very slowly away when the lights change to green or worse and frequently, STALL!

Hopefully with the attention being given to the 5 Joms, those that are apprehended will be meaningfully fined (1000baht+) and not just given a slap on the wrist or relieved of 100baht!

Well, I am one of those motorbike riders that cuts to the front and for your information it isn't about cutting in line, it is for safety. I have seen quite a few cars pile into a line of cars waiting at a light and I am not about to risk being sandwiched between two cars for no reason. Usually the motorbikes are far quicker off the line than cars anyway in my experience, although I will grant you that it only takes one bike left behind to hold you up. Pragmatism tops blind obedience to rules in Thailand and I like it that way.

I think the worse are the ones that ignore red lights. I loose about 10 seconds waiting for those that jump red lights. Most offenders that jump red lights are cars... some motorcycles but most are cars.

[BngkkB]

If the police are out catching bad drivers who is going to push the buttons to control the lights??? The simplest and easiest fix for Bangkok traffic would to be take the police off the buttons and put them on a timer for pulse traffic instead of convoy traffic. Yes the original setting of the timers for correct traffic flowbwould be a bit of a challenge but a large percentage of cities around the world were able to do it.

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