Be careful out there

[Shurup]

Let's not this into my wiener is longer than yours...

[Badrabbit]

Let's not this into my wiener is longer than yours...

Yes agreed, sorry but I think something like this needs to be discussed fully so that others might learn from what has happened, if that is me being on my soapbox so be it, I have huge respect for a life lost, I'm not a post and runner I like to discuss a thread to it's fullest extent! Edited December 13, 2014 by Badrabbit

[cornishcarlos]

Whilst having more choice of bikes these days is great for us all, not sure if the general population here in Thailand can adapt as fast as the manufacturer's are releasing them.

Lots of people have progressed from a scooter to a litre bike very quickly here, maybe too quickly ? Plus the average car driver in Thailand has yet to adapt to the fact that a single headlight coming at them might be doing 160kph plus ! Put all factors together and it's a recipe for accidents like this.

Edited December 13, 2014 by cornishcarlos

[brfsa2]

I wonder if the driver will be prosecuted at all for causing the death of another person.

RIP for the driver, too bad of a tragedy. I hope this becomes more main stream news and drivers start to be more concerned.

[Badrabbit]

Whilst having more choice of bikes these days is great for us all, not sure if the general population here in Thailand can adapt as fast as the manufacturer's are releasing them.

Lots of people have progressed from a scooter to a litre bike very quickly here, maybe too quickly ? Plus the average car driver in Thailand has yet to adapt to the fact that a single headlight coming at them might be doing 160kph.. ! Put all factors together and it's a recipe for accidents like this.

If you drive at high speed on public roads you need to be a very special person with a high level of perception and awareness, the problem with driving at high speed on public roads is that you have to be aware of poor road conditions which include big holes and ruts, there is also other road users who probably will not be as experienced as you to contend with, at high speed you are not able to re-act quick enough to avoid the U turning pick-up or poor road conditions etc, recipe is the right word but add for disaster to that and it's an even better description!

[Badrabbit]

I wonder if the driver will be prosecuted at all for causing the death of another person.

RIP for the driver, too bad of a tragedy. I hope this becomes more main stream news and drivers start to be more concerned.

Why would anyone take any notice of this, they haven't up to now so it will just continue, too many it would seem speed is excitement, speed is fun, speed means you could die which too one poster means excitement, excitement to me is just being on a bike, driving and being able to look at the passing scenery, the sound of the engine, the look, that's excitement! My soap box continues. Edited December 13, 2014 by Badrabbit

[Shurup]

^ sell z1k and get a scooter, plenty of time to watch scenary....

[Badrabbit]

^ sell z1k and get a scooter, plenty of time to watch scenary....

I can see the scenery on the Z1, just because it's a powerful bike it does not mean you have to drive at Mach 1 I love my 125cc click as much as the powerful bike! Edited December 13, 2014 by Badrabbit

[laolover88]

You don't even need to be driving.My mate was sitting on a bike in the so called 'bike'lane of a 4 lane highway. 15 year old crashes into him, trying!!! to pass on\the inside. Mate's leg broken. Police: Not have indicator turned on.Mate How can indicator be turned on when bike/engine stopped? Police: Not stop on highway. You wrong. Boy underage, no licence..no problem

[Badrabbit]

It's been a good discussion, hopefully some will see the picture and do everything in there power to avoid a similar situation, it's not nice seeing the wreckage and knowing a life has been lost, we all need to become more considerate and think about the consequences of our actions, I'll say it again, RIP and condolences to the family and friends! stay safe everyone.

[vijer]

Sad but then if you ride a motorcycle like most of these people you are the only one to blame if you get killed.

You are talking total rubbish and are obviously NOT a motorcyclist.

By the way I am one of "these" people too as are most of the guys who responded.

Not in Thailand, but I have ridden super bikes and Harleys for years. Riders in Thailand are morons. Even some of the farangs I have seen riding. I Could spend a few hundred words describing all the idiocy I have seen while I have put a 100,000 km on my car in the last 3 years but in your heart you know I speak the truth. Obviously not 100 percent of riders are dumb farts but the majority are. Maybe you're an exception.

[garryjohns]

My OP wasnt intending to lay the blame on either car driver or bike rider, it was just a reminder to be careful when you are out there.

I think we can all deduce that the driver turned illegally and the bike was going pretty fast.

Wear your kit, keep your senses on high alert but try and have fun.

Wear your kit, keep your senses on high alert but try and have fun.

And then you're up against absolute unexpected crap like this..

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783602-child-7-badly-hurt-as-bike-and-pick-up-crash-into-huge-phuket-hole/

[Shurup]

^ WOW!!!

But if you go at the Mach 1 speed, you should just fly across...

[Gweiloman]

Sad but then if you ride a motorcycle like most of these people you are the only one to blame if you get killed.

I read comments every day from some proper idiots but you take the prize of dick head of the day. And right now im 1000km into a trip round the 12 and surrounding areas......a lot of it @ 90-100mph. Thais cannot estimate speed so you treat each 1 as a a potential killer.

What the F are you babbling about you moron. I have driven 100,000 km on the roads in Thailand and most of these people ride like idiots. I don't give a F if you think that I'm insensitive but these people kill themselves. Sad if someone dies but I have no real sympathy for most riders in Thailand. You may be an exception, but then I wasn't commenting about you I was commenting about the majority.

wh

So you know the majority of riders in Thailand?

I don't give a F too whether you are insensitive or not, that's your prerogative, but to classify most big bike riders in Thailand as morons is downright incorrect. Sure, there are some idiot riders out there; but I have ridden with many different groups of big bike riders and in my experience, most big bike riders are much better motorists than the majority of car drivers.

[WitawatWatawit]

It pains me to say this, but to a certain extent, vijer has a point, though he wins no brownie points for tact or sensitivity. So many of the problems I have seen over two and a half decades here riding and driving are the fault of sheer poor form. As one poster said, Thais can't judge speed, and I agree for the most part, but there are two other very significant factors with local riders: spatial awareness and lack of cautionary instinct. The first is difficult to resolve except by serious training; the second requires pain and punishment. I would suggest there is a third factor: arrogance. But there is no cure for that.

Keys to staying as safe as you can on the road are: know your bike well, very well; back off from any impending situation where you think you might not have full control (intersections, obviously); treat every other vehicle as an obstacle to be avoided by as much distance as possible; expect the unexpected and constantly judge the room and space around you for emergency manoeuvres. And know your speed limit capabilities and don't exceed them.

[drgoon]

That's a hard hit. That rider must have been going pretty fast for that impact damage.

Edited December 13, 2014 by drgoon

[marquis22]

A sad event.

RIP

But what was the motorcycle driver doing in the middle of the road?

Last second instinct to try avoiding the flamin car in its path!

[Badrabbit]

I wonder if anyone will be shocked enough by this picture to actually change the way they ride, it worked for me over 40 yrs ago when I first saw a fatal gruesome accident involving a motorbike, some learn others think it will never happen to them, drive at high speed and it could well be you next.

[Badrabbit]

A sad event.

RIP

But what was the motorcycle driver doing in the middle of the road?

Last second instinct to try avoiding the flamin car in its path!

He wouldn't have had a problem with the flamin car had he not been going so fast! some people just don't get it.

[AllanB]

This accident really isn't a bike thing at all, if it were two trucks at those speeds, likely both drivers would be dead.

But there is another issue here that seems to escape some people, bikers are much harder to see. Even if their lights are working at night and they are not wearing dark clothing, even if they are not weaving all over the place and riding 3 times as fast as the cars around them. The frontal aspect of a bike is around 1/5th that of a car, making it 5 times as hard to spot, if as in the case of the "headcam" accident in the UK this summer, the bike is travelling at twice the speed limit, or 3 times the safe speed, it is virtually invisible.

So when you are "tanking" it up the freeway getting your buzz, bear that in mind and before you think you have the "riding skills" to avoid an accident at the last moment, you don't. Your so called riding skills improve your chance by very little.......in any country, let alone Thailand.

[kartman]

A sad event.

RIP

But what was the motorcycle driver doing in the middle of the road?

Last second instinct to try avoiding the flamin car in its path!

Looking at photo again and marks on the road in front of truck alloy from engine casing being dragged backwards? so impact impact even further to the right truck turning into Soi not doing U turn?.

[williet98248]

Very sad as it always is. RIP man.

When its your turn to go, thats it i believe.

All the best riding practices,all the best safety gear, usually isn't going to help in this type scenario.

Every single time you are on your bike, you must realise that this is a possibilty and could happen to anyone of us at any time.

These situations are always sad but also too common in Thailand. I take the view that everyone out there is trying to kill you. I don't believe in fate or destiny. I believe what happens to you is a result of your decisions. Prepare for the worst and be aware of your surroundings. That said I have had several MB accidents in my many years here. I always wear a helmet and I can show you the pavement scrapes and dings on it that would be on my skull if I hadn't been wearing it. After one particularly bad case of road rash I took to wearing gloves to protect my hands, real shoes to protect my feet. Six months ago I gave up riding the bike after riding down a hill and the bike just slipped out from under me on an oil patch and sent me and the bike on a 30 meter slide into the guard rail and four other downed bikes. Enough! I will sit in the traffic in my air conditioned car from now on.

[NoshowJones]

RIP fallen bro:(

u turning f.....ing careless trucks are big problem here in Thailand. many times i needed to do acrobatic maneuvers bc of a vehicle wants to us turn suddenly without any notice and without even checking.

all legal u turns at every 2 km are also a problem if you ask me. invitation to accident and according to people, u turns are major cause of accidents here.

Only in Thailand i have seen that many u turns!

The main cause of vehicle and motorcycle deaths in Thailand is a very severe lack of common sense.

[mania]

Looking at photo again and marks on the road in front of truck alloy from engine casing being dragged backwards? so impact impact even further to the right truck turning into Soi not doing U turn?.

I think that in the 1st post photo that is just the reflection giving you the impression of the casing dragging on the road.

What your seeing is fluids & debris

This impact was great enough to snap the A-frame or tie-rods of the trucks wheel.

Edited December 14, 2014 by mania

[Badrabbit]

Very sad and I have to say it's upset me somewhat, I don't understand why riders here would drive at high speeds on roads that are only good for farm vehicles, was this guy riding alone? if he was with other riders I wonder what they are thinking now, is riding at high speed and the possibility of death really exciting? slow down people, enjoy the bike at slower safe speeds!

[Badrabbit]

Regarding Insurance here is a reply I have had back from an Insurance broker.

Many variables come into this i.e. was the bike rider (even though speeding) in the right and it was the pickup that hit him i.e. coming out of a side turn, on the wrong side of the road, stopped with no light on at night etc ?

However if the pickup was driving lawfully and it was the bike at fault (just by speeding ?) then the bike’s insurance would pay for damage to the pickup no matter what speed. As for payment to the bike and it’s rider that would be down to how the police reported the incident.

[Garry]

RIP.

Really drives home the point that we all need to be safe out there. Here is someone on a high-viz bike who was still not noticed.

RIP to the rider... I can't count the number of times that some random driver / rider has pulled out in front of me without even looking to see if someone is approaching...

I adopt the attitude that every driver on the road in Thailand is trying to kill me... So far, so good, knock wood...

That is exactly what you have to do. You assume ANYTHING can and will happen. I will sometimes have a sixth sense about how a car is behaving in front of me. Even though there is no turn signal I will slow down until I'm sure of what they are doing. The same goes with cars parked on the street if I notice even the tinniest movement in the car I will give myself more room to maneuver..

Five and a half years here and so far, so good.

One Thailand is good for and that is developing your riding / road craft skills and situational awareness.

Sent from my SM-T211 using Tapatalk

[RubberSideDown]

Riding fast on the street (which I do on occasion- I didn't buy a high-performance bike to ride it like a scooter- buying a bike that's not made for the riding you plan to do is pretty silly) is about judiciously picking your spots- skill does indeed enter into it (some 'riders' need to realize that 'skill' also encompasses knowing how to increase your margin of safety, and not just how to take a turn at speed).

If you want to be a 'rolling roadblock' go right ahead, but in LOS that's also extremely dangerous as having cars and trucks constantly overtake you means you have to have too much reliance on the skills of others rather than on your own. If you don't work on your roadcraft, you're an accident waiting to happen- if you ride fast in foolish situations, the same is also true.

Work on your skills- this includes properly reading the road and anticipating traffic- don't be lulled into thinking that plodding along like an old lady will keep you safe- a smart rider always rides faster than the flow of traffic as it's easier to see a 'moving target'- unless you're in stop-and-go traffic, ride with your brights on- know that with a few million scooters on the road, drivers are conditioned to think you're riding fairly slowly (under 80kph) and will assume they have time to make maneuvers that will kill you if you're going 160kph.

Most riders cause their own problems- learn how to minimize this and your chances of survival increase. Spend some money and improve your brakes, and practice braking drills and 'panic stops'- buy HID lighting- take a course or do an track day with instructors if possible. Ride smart.

[brfsa2]

Riding fast on the street (which I do on occasion- I didn't buy a high-performance bike to ride it like a scooter- buying a bike that's not made for the riding you plan to do is pretty silly) is about judiciously picking your spots- skill does indeed enter into it (some 'riders' need to realize that 'skill' also encompasses knowing how to increase your margin of safety, and not just how to take a turn at speed).

If you want to be a 'rolling roadblock' go right ahead, but in LOS that's also extremely dangerous as having cars and trucks constantly overtake you means you have to have too much reliance on the skills of others rather than on your own. If you don't work on your roadcraft, you're an accident waiting to happen- if you ride fast in foolish situations, the same is also true.

Work on your skills- this includes properly reading the road and anticipating traffic- don't be lulled into thinking that plodding along like an old lady will keep you safe- a smart rider always rides faster than the flow of traffic as it's easier to see a 'moving target'- unless you're in stop-and-go traffic, ride with your brights on- know that with a few million scooters on the road, drivers are conditioned to think you're riding fairly slowly (under 80kph) and will assume they have time to make maneuvers that will kill you if you're going 160kph.

Most riders cause their own problems- learn how to minimize this and your chances of survival increase. Spend some money and improve your brakes, and practice braking drills and 'panic stops'- buy HID lighting- take a course or do an track day with instructors if possible. Ride smart.

Totally agree. In thailand the going slower than traffic is too dangerous. I always ride my bike faster than traffic, but not too fast. I dont wanna be a sitting duck. on the roads nobody has respect for you...

Everytime I get my scooter to go somewhere I fell vulnerable and scared. so I donated my scooter to the relatives.

Predicting what is ahead and what will happen is rule #1.

[Badrabbit]

Riding fast on the street (which I do on occasion- I didn't buy a high-performance bike to ride it like a scooter- buying a bike that's not made for the riding you plan to do is pretty silly) is about judiciously picking your spots- skill does indeed enter into it (some 'riders' need to realize that 'skill' also encompasses knowing how to increase your margin of safety, and not just how to take a turn at speed).

If you want to be a 'rolling roadblock' go right ahead, but in LOS that's also extremely dangerous as having cars and trucks constantly overtake you means you have to have too much reliance on the skills of others rather than on your own. If you don't work on your roadcraft, you're an accident waiting to happen- if you ride fast in foolish situations, the same is also true.

Work on your skills- this includes properly reading the road and anticipating traffic- don't be lulled into thinking that plodding along like an old lady will keep you safe- a smart rider always rides faster than the flow of traffic as it's easier to see a 'moving target'- unless you're in stop-and-go traffic, ride with your brights on- know that with a few million scooters on the road, drivers are conditioned to think you're riding fairly slowly (under 80kph) and will assume they have time to make maneuvers that will kill you if you're going 160kph.

Most riders cause their own problems- learn how to minimize this and your chances of survival increase. Spend some money and improve your brakes, and practice braking drills and 'panic stops'- buy HID lighting- take a course or do an track day with instructors if possible. Ride smart.

All I can say to your post is.. Slow and safe wins the race – remember the tortoise and the hare story !