Thai Transport minister pledges to install sensors to warn motorists of incoming trains

[Ceruhe]

I'm far more entertained that the picture provided in the OP is a...uh crossing.

Wish money wouldn't get wasted in every country for trivial stuff....natural selection and so forth,it's a thing...or should be more of a thing.

[wringo]

Possibly blowing the whistle, before the railway crossing, like normal trains all over the world do, might help (a little). Obviously a small toot doesn't cut it!

[razer]

Maybe they need to hire more guys with the flags at the crossings. Very modern approach.

[namdocmai]

While my parents visited us they had so much "fun".

They were in a taxi at Viphawadee road (Bangkok) and had to stop for the red stoplight right on the traintrack. Then a man came to the taxidriver and asked him to drive reverse for some metres so he could close the boom because a train was approaching. He wanted to close the boom but couldn't do so because the taxi was standing right under it.

My parents are real quality tourists and now are telling that story to all their friends in Europe.

Thailand only.

[Keesters]

install sensors to warn motorists

Not required to warn motorists. I live not so far from many railway crossings and it is impossible NOT to know that a train is approaching. Well for it to be impossible you'd have to be both deaf and blind and I think with those disabilities even a Thai would not drive. As a train approaches they make a huge amount of noise with horn blasting loudly at decibels reaching that of a jet engine. Any motorist that enters the path of a train under these conditions has to be nothing less than suicidal. I will not enter a crossing unless my exit is clear. When traffic is backed up I see many cars trucks etc stopped bumper to bumper over the crossing ignoring the possibility that they may still be stuck there when next a train approaches. Many times I've been honked and shouted at to move 3 meters forward and position myself onto the tracks. I of course refuse until my exit is clear. It seems that many drivers here have no better idea of how to negotiate a railway crossing than they have a roundabout (traffic circle).

When there is an railway crossing accident not always does the offending vehicles driver get injured or killed. They often escape unscathed. Other, innocent, parties however do suffer as we have seen in recent events and it is for them that measures need to be taken. No amount of additional sensors will make a driver NOT enter a crossing at the approach of a train as they are sensors only and not barriers. Sufficient sensors are already in place, your eyes and ears. What is needed to protect the innocent from the idiots is barriers or bridges so that motorists can never enter a crossing at the approach of a train. The transport minister is throwing money at a problem hoping to make it go away which it won't because the money is being spent on something that is already in place. The human body has sufficient sensors to detect an approaching train.

When it comes to barriers I don't think those half barriers are sufficient either. When I have seen them I've noticed suicidal motorists as well as pedestrians zig zag their way through them right up to the last moment. Barriers need to be full road width. Perhaps those spikes that raise up out of the road surface and burst your tires could also be used.

Let me make it clear, I am not trying to stop those idiots who place themselves in danger. If they want to commit suicide then OK. It is the innocent people that they are injuring and killing are the ones in need of protection.

[meatboy]

Possibly blowing the whistle, before the railway crossing, like normal trains all over the world do, might help (a little). Obviously a small toot doesn't cut it!

blowing a whistle you cant be serious,we have a railway track[korat-bkk] about half a mile away from us yet you can hear the train sounding the alarm for 5minutes before it reaches 2 level crossings about 500mtrs.apart yet i know of 3 being killed this yr.

no different to running a red light,but you do have a chance of survival.

[dominique355]

The State Railway and its officers should be sued both in criminal and civil charges for gross negligence. To operate a railway system without proper protection of the people is criminal. In most countries the state railway system has an enhanced responsibility and liability because of the enhanced dangers emanating from trains.

Only this year 127 fatal incidents! How many more does it take until these people wake up?

[wabothai]

A typical representation of Thailand's problems.

[scorecard]

There are 3 such crossings not too far from my house:

1. Car trucks motorcycles etc., cross many times every day. It has all the automatic up and down barrier equipment. It's been broken for years. Along both sides of the tracks for about 100 metres there is dense tall grass so high it would hide a train, never been cut for years.

2. Car trucks motorcycles etc., cross many times every day. Thre is no equipment at all. Along the side of the tacks, both sides weeds, tall grass is so high it would hide trains, never been cut for years.

3. Car trucks motorcycles etc., cross many times every day. There are manually operate gates (on wheels so the gates can be manually wheeled across the road to stop vehicles ) and there is a little hut for the operator. Most times when you approach this crossing there is no operator in attendance.

Another example of the disgraceful state of SRT management.

[ratcatcher]

Possibly blowing the whistle, before the railway crossing, like normal trains all over the world do, might help (a little). Obviously a small toot doesn't cut it!

wringo, you've been here long enough to know by now that Thais prefer small toots.

[wirat69]

Look left, look right, all clear? Go! Look left, look right, train approaching? Stop!

Ummmm.... don't you have to put your ear to the track to ascertain if a locomotive is in the neighbourhood???

[wirat69]

Ummm.... most of us here can remember our childhood... when a man with a red flag was required to walk in front of the train.....

[jcisco]

Ummm.... most of us here can remember our childhood... when a man with a red flag was required to walk in front of the train.....

speak for yourself, you may of out lived a life sentence, some of us are of a generation where porn was never playboy and just the internet :

[MediaWatcher]

RustBucket, on 31 Oct 2014 - 07:59, said:RustBucket, on 31 Oct 2014 - 07:59, said:

Typical reaction of the unintelligent in positions of power...... Just throw money at the problem and hope it goes away.

Well it won't go away.

The best thing to do is sack these idiots making up the remedies and replace them with someone who has a smattering of an education.

Many times the money isn't "thrown" it's either pocketed or the only thing "thrown" is words.. besides, no amount of money will change the mindset of a dumb member of the public....

Edited October 31, 2014 by MediaWatcher

[Jonmarleesco]

I approach a level crossing, barrier or no barrier, I trust neither a glance nor my hearing. I look before I cross. Obviously too much effort for some drivers.