Reckless driving: Bus overturns in Korat province, injures 15, three seriously

[webfact]

Bus overturns, injures 15



KORAT: -- A sleeper bus from Chiang Mai to Nakhon Ratchasima flipped over on the Si Kiew-Chaiyaphum highway in Si Kiew district of Nakhon Ratchasima province yesterday , injuring 15 passengers, three seriously.

The shuttle bus of Nakhonchai Tour carrying 21 passengers apparently lost control after passing a slippery road surface after the rain while it was about 50 kilometres before arriving at the destination in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Fifteen passengers on board were injured when the bus skidded off the road, overturned and rested upside down on the side on roadside.

Of the 15 injured passengers, 11 are men, and four women. All were rushed to Si Kiew and Maharaja hospitals, three seriously.

Si Kiew police said the driver drove all the way on a 800 kilometre distance to Korat from Chiang Mai. As the bus was arriving at Si Kiew in the morning and is just 50 kilometres off Korat town, there was rain. The bus slipped and overturned, the police said.

Most of the passengers have left the bus along the way, remaining only about 20 to Korat.

The driver was booked for reckless driving, the police said.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bus-overturns-injures-15/

-- Thai PBS 2014-07-21

[ratcatcher]

The bus slipped and overturned.

Oops! Clumsy old bus. Must have been tired.

[laolover88]

Be too much, I suppose, to hope for, one day, the introduction, particularly on 'Public Service' vehicles of Tachometers and Speed Retarders?

Edited July 21, 2014 by laolover88

[Mackstask]

Another mindless Thai driver. No foresight for change in weather and road conditions.

[robertthebruce]

And another one bites the dust....

Most folks know, that when it's been raining the roads are mega slippery, but no, not here in Thailand , let's just speed along as usual...

Sad ........

No doubt I am wasting my breath....

[ratcatcher]

Also bear in mind, the driver had almost completed 800 kms of the drive from Chiang Mai to Korat at an average speed of 80kms/hr that is 10hrs non stop behind the wheel. 80kms/hr average speed, does that sound right?

[Confuscious]

Another mindless Thai driver. No foresight for change in weather and road conditions.

Maybe driving 800 kms during the night, from Chiang Mai to Korat, was too much for 1 driver?

On a sidenote, most of these bus accidents seems to happen in Korat.

Why?

[Zeegator]

Be too much, I suppose, to hope for, one day, the introduction, particularly on 'Public Service' vehicles of Tachometers and Speed Retarders?

How would a tachometer help in these circumstances?

[ratcatcher]

Be too much, I suppose, to hope for, one day, the introduction, particularly on 'Public Service' vehicles of Tachometers and Speed Retarders?

How would a tachometer help in these circumstances?

He probably meant tachograph.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachograph

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachometer

[surinderek]

Another mindless Thai driver. No foresight for change in weather and road conditions.

If this was anywhere ice appeared on the road surface I hate to think of the carnage

[ginjag]

The bus slipped and overturned.

Oops! Clumsy old bus. Must have been tired.

Must have been on slicks, Practice for Thai formula 1

[ginjag]

Also bear in mind, the driver had almost completed 800 kms of the drive from Chiang Mai to Korat at an average speed of 80kms/hr that is 10hrs non stop behind the wheel. 80kms/hr average speed, does that sound right?

Think it could be over 12 hours as it was not a direct service, it has drop off points reason only 20 or so left on board.

[jaltsc]

"The bus slipped and overturned...The driver was booked for reckless driving..."

Deja vu all over again.

Edited July 21, 2014 by jaltsc

[Thai at Heart]

"The bus slipped and overturned...The driver was booked for reckless driving..."

Deja vu all over again.

Hardly. Normally the driver has scattered.

[boomerangutang]

Also bear in mind, the driver had almost completed 800 kms of the drive from Chiang Mai to Korat at an average speed of 80kms/hr that is 10hrs non stop behind the wheel. 80kms/hr average speed, does that sound right?

If any passenger, particularly a farang, had tried telling the driver, prior to the accident, 'could you please slow down.' ....for sure the driver would have gotten annoyed and/or offended and defensive. At the least he would have said 'Mai pen rai. Don't worry.' similar to taxi drivers, whenever you're in a Thai taxi or van and you start to put on a seatbelt, the driver will wink and say, "no problem. You don't need a seatbelt. I'm a safe driver, ha ha ha." with a grin and a wink.

[davidike]

Driver education would be a start!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Thai at Heart]

Don't NCA normally use two drivers anyway?

[UbonRatch]

1. At least, for once, the police said "reckless driving!"

2. On another note, did they check the condition of the most likely 'bald tyres'? Thus, the company holds some responsibility.

3. Sleeper bus? Maybe the driver thought he could sleep and the bus drove itself; therefore the bus slipped as it also fell asleep.

4. Let's not confuse this bus or its company name with Nakhonchai Air, which does indeed change its drivers through long journeys.

[jonclark]

Also bear in mind, the driver had almost completed 800 kms of the drive from Chiang Mai to Korat at an average speed of 80kms/hr that is 10hrs non stop behind the wheel. 80kms/hr average speed, does that sound right?

If any passenger, particularly a farang, had tried telling the driver, prior to the accident, 'could you please slow down.' ....for sure the driver would have gotten annoyed and/or offended and defensive. At the least he would have said 'Mai pen rai. Don't worry.' similar to taxi drivers, whenever you're in a Thai taxi or van and you start to put on a seatbelt, the driver will wink and say, "no problem. You don't need a seatbelt. I'm a safe driver, ha ha ha." with a grin and a wink.

Odd in 14 years I've never had a driver make that type of comment when i put a seatbelt on or asked them to slow down

[tomyummer]

I bet it was the tires in this case. Racing in the rain on tires with no threads. Bus slicks.

[Eddy B]

I actually feel that it should be the company itself that is at fault. How do they expect a driver to be at peak performance skills over a distance of 800 km with no breaks. This kind of journey should have had 2 drivers to take turn driving so the other can rest. I can usually only drive about 2-3 hours before I need to stop, stretch my legs and wash my face to wake myself up before I head onto the road again. At the end of the day the companies are being tight with their money and would rather put everyone who uses their service at risk than rather pay for two drivers to cover the bus driving position. Would not be allowed back in the western world but is common place here.............very sad!

[monkey4u]

The bus slipped and overturned.

Oops! Clumsy old bus. Must have been tired.

Well it was a sleeper bus

[pitrevie]

And another one bites the dust....

Most folks know, that when it's been raining the roads are mega slippery, but no, not here in Thailand , let's just speed along as usual...

Sad ........

No doubt I am wasting my breath....

In all fairness I have to admit that I was once associated with a major traffic control room in the UK. After several dry days followed by rain the traffic control guys knew that the day was going to be busy with people not taking account of the change in the road surface, sadly it's the same the world over.

[monkey4u]

Be too much, I suppose, to hope for, one day, the introduction, particularly on 'Public Service' vehicles of Tachometers and Speed Retarders?

The buses do have retarders sorry retards

[ginjag]

The bus slipped and overturned.

Oops! Clumsy old bus. Must have been tired.

Well it was a sleeper bus

Maybe Noddy was driving

[kimamey]

Don't NCA normally use two drivers anyway?

I've only used them 2 or 3 times but they do change drivers however this wasn't a NCA as far as I know and certainly doesn't look like one.

[boomerangutang]

Driver education would be a start!!!

Driver education may help a bit, but you can't change basic character traits, even with heaps of education.

[cooked]

Don't NCA normally use two drivers anyway?

In the OP it is stated 'Nakhon Tour '. I don't know what that is. Nakhon Chai Air don't have drop off points like that and this is not NCA livery.

[robertthebruce]

Driver education would be a start!!!

Driver education may help a bit, but you can't change basic character traits, even with heaps of education.

Very very true....

[Johnnie99]

Be too much, I suppose, to hope for, one day, the introduction, particularly on 'Public Service' vehicles of Tachometers and Speed Retarders?

How would a tachometer help in these circumstances?

He probably meant tachograph.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachograph

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachometer

Can't help but think you missed the point of the two posts you quote.

It is not about whether or not the OP has the correct terminology.