City administration to ponder restricting car speed limits for cyclists’ safety

[Lite Beer]

City administration to ponder restricting car speed limits for cyclists’ safety

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is pondering restricting speed limits for cars plying city’s roads and soi which are frequented on regular basis by cyclists in order to enhance safety for the bikers.

Bangkok deputy governor Amorn Kitchawengkul on Friday outlined three factors for safe cycling in the city. These include mandatory requirement for cyclists to be equipped with safety-enhancing gears such as crash helmets and fluorescent shirts when biking at night, biking skill and advance notification to the police if cycling in group of more than 50; traffic discipline for motorists and cyclists and physical conditions of roads; and speed limits.

Mr Amorn said that the city administration might limit car speed on roads most frequented by cyclists to 50 km/hour and in soi to 30 km/hour for the safety of bikers.

Mr Amorn floated his ideas and safety measures for bikers at a meeting of relevant agencies called by Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra in the wake of fatal incidents involving cyclists.

The governor told all district chiefs to conduct a survey of cyclists in their respective districts and the roads often frequented by the cyclists. They were also told to check the conditions of roads to make sure they are in proper conditions and to put up direction signs.

(Photo : Thai PBS File)

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/city-administration-to-ponder-restricting-car-speed-limits-for-cyclists-safety

-- Thai PBS 2015-05-08

[smedly]

how about getting drunk drivers off the roads with some very hefty criminal charges and jail time, and proactive policing instead of reactive, if you want my help General Prayuth Chan (O) Cha Pm me here, people that are drunk don't adhere to speed limits because they are drunk

Time to revise how the police operate, double their pay and train them to actually do police work, which involves being pro active, think of the revenue the government will earn if police actually do their job 100% of the time and people realise that breaking the law (especially traffic) will no longer be tolerated

[konying]

Yet another waste of time excercise.

They can ponder all they want, bottom line drivers do not care about any limits and police hardly enforce any existing limits or laws.

[Emster23]

Thai solution often is putting up signs. Going too fast? Put up speed limit sign. Too much trash on beach? Put up 2000 baht fine sign. In their minds, job done. Enforce laws? Get police to do their jobs? Nah.....

[AoChalong]

How about getting the bicycles off the city streets and limit them to designated bike tracks in the parks? These are exercise devices not transportation vehicles, and imo have no business on the downtown streets with motorized vehicles.

[quandow]

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How about getting the bicycles off the city streets and limit them to designated bike tracks in the parks? These are exercise devices not transportation vehicles, and imo have no business on the downtown streets with motorized vehicles.

Seems to me that many civilized countries are capable of sharing the roads quite nicely. In the LoS, I've seen the most caring, sweet, lovely people turn into rabid weasel monsters the instant you put them behind a steering wheel. I believe that's because of the pent up frustration they endure in their lives is wiped away when they get in a mobile casket with little or no accountability. How many accidents have we recently read about where the drivers flee the scene?

[razer]

What? No speed limit in the city? Come to think of it, I don't think I ever saw a speed limit sign on city streets and sois.Seriously. Trying to think if I ever saw one.

[skildpadden]

Some of the ideas are good - a lot of cyclists in my soi do not use lights or flourescent gear at night, so certainly some of the cyclists could do with some education. The roads could in general do with an overhaul

However in the recent deadly accidents as far as I know the cyclists did have protective gear - as other posters point out the police do not do their job and there is a very selfish and arrogant attitude among a lot of drivers (motocycles included) that create a lot of dangerous situations everyday for cyclists.

[houlicha]

You need separate bike lanes and a change in attitudes. Bikes are a clean form or transportation and make a lot of sense in a city prone to gridlock.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Yet another waste of time excercise.

They can ponder all they want, bottom line drivers do not care about any limits and police hardly enforce any existing limits or laws.

When I read BS like what is reported in the OP article, I seriously wonder how the officials who make these kind of public statements/proposals can get up every morning and bring themselves to actually go to work -- assuming that they do.

They live in Thailand and BKK. They know what the police are and what they do... So really, what's the point?

[Pib]

This is just blah...blah...blah by the govt until the news interest dies down....another week and it's ancient history.

[smedly]

How about getting the bicycles off the city streets and limit them to designated bike tracks in the parks? These are exercise devices not transportation vehicles, and imo have no business on the downtown streets with motorized vehicles.

what nonsense, drunk drivers don't pick out their targets, any of these accidents could easily have been other vehicles including those with engines or even pedestrians walking at the side of the road, the road deaths in Thailand caused by drunk drivers are not just cyclists, in fact they are a very small minority in the scheme of things

[blazes]

What? No speed limit in the city? Come to think of it, I don't think I ever saw a speed limit sign on city streets and sois.Seriously. Trying to think if I ever saw one.

The signs are there....they are just well-hidden...

[blazes]

A city like Bkk is ideal for cycling (flat etc), but you would be crazy to attempt to ride on a Thai road without there first being a designated cycle lane which all motorists have to respect.

HOWEVER, to get a designated cycle lane means having to narrow the existing road lanes from (say) 3 to 2 or (worse) from 2 to 1. It has been done in my city in Canada to the accompaniment (at first) of howls of outrage from motorists, but after a while, the traffic calms down and respect is shown to the designated lane and everyone gets home ok.

Now there are much fewer accidents involving cyclists and motorists.

[Longstaff]

Two attitudes to overcome:

1. My journey is more important than yours.

2. Human life has low value in Thailand.

[emilymat]

Did you notice the OP didn't mention 'lights' when cyclist's were travelling at night. Just safety gear and shirts.

[Benmart]

How about getting the bicycles off the city streets and limit them to designated bike tracks in the parks? These are exercise devices not transportation vehicles, and imo have no business on the downtown streets with motorized vehicles.

I'm not sure that all bicycle riders are doing so for exercise. I know see many locals that use it as a form of transportation because they can. I am an outsider, with little stake in the issue. Therefore, I try not to suggest regulating those that do.

I

[ezzra]

Nothing but frivolous lip service, good luck to you enforcing this rule as much luck you have in

enforcing all the other million and one other rules and laws you have on your circa 1932 books.....

[konying]

Yet another waste of time excercise.

They can ponder all they want, bottom line drivers do not care about any limits and police hardly enforce any existing limits or laws.

When I read BS like what is reported in the OP article, I seriously wonder how the officials who make these kind of public statements/proposals can get up every morning and bring themselves to actually go to work -- assuming that they do.

They live in Thailand and BKK. They know what the police are and what they do... So really, what's the point?

I am thinking its about pass the buck exercise.

They come up with the new law, pass it, so when accidents occur, they can always say "but we have the law" so blame the police or better yet the driver for not following the law.

They get to save the face, though nothing has changed

[Asiantravel]

How about getting the bicycles off the city streets and limit them to designated bike tracks in the parks? These are exercise devices not transportation vehicles, and imo have no business on the downtown streets with motorized vehicles.

what nonsense, drunk drivers don't pick out their targets, any of these accidents could easily have been other vehicles including those with engines or even pedestrians walking at the side of the road, the road deaths in Thailand caused by drunk drivers are not just cyclists, in fact they are a very small minority in the scheme of things

" any of these accidents could easily have been other vehicles including those with engines"

indeed..............

“ The World Health Organization reported that 74 percent on road deaths in Thailand involved motorbikes.”

“The WHO report indicated that 26 percent of road deaths in Thailand involve alcohol “

http://asiancorrespondent.com/119892/study-thailand-roads-2nd-most-dangerous-in-the-world/

[Asiantravel]

A city like Bkk is ideal for cycling (flat etc), but you would be crazy to attempt to ride on a Thai road without there first being a designated cycle lane which all motorists have to respect.

HOWEVER, to get a designated cycle lane means having to narrow the existing road lanes from (say) 3 to 2 or (worse) from 2 to 1. It has been done in my city in Canada to the accompaniment (at first) of howls of outrage from motorists, but after a while, the traffic calms down and respect is shown to the designated lane and everyone gets home ok.

Now there are much fewer accidents involving cyclists and motorists.

Designating a cycle lane means nothing in Thailand

Chiang Mai already has cycle lanes throughout the old city and beyond the city walls on some major roads.

But you should see how the motorists treat them. They either use them for parking or as an extra lane to be used for overtaking never mind whether or not there are cyclists in the lane at the time

[wowfactor10]

Here is an idea :

Hang the whole country roads and highways full with speeding cams....Speeders get their ticket by post to the address of the registered car owner.

If you pay to late your fines the amount simply get increased by 20% and or 30%.

The higher your speed the higher your fine....

Car owners who do not pay their fines at all will get arrested for a couple days in jail and or have impound their cars..

This how its done in most other countries in the world...

Advantages :

It bring more money then the lottery.

in the end It reduces high speed totally.

its better for fight against pollution..

Example my last trip in europe i got in one month time 11 speeding tickets all my fines was only like 4-7 kilometers over speeding each ticket was 2000-3000 bht..my total price was 29,000 BHT tickets in one single month only.

This forces people to drive exactly the maximum allowed speed...most fines now are only fines where u drive couple miles to fast but those fines bring in the most money...in Europe no one drives 160 km anymore those days are over....

[Srikcir]

Save lives and restrict bicycles to designated off-road paths.