4 Russians injured as French-owned SUV collides with Minivan in East Pattaya

[webfact]

4 Russians injured as French-owned SUV collides with Minivan in East Pattaya



PATTAYA: -- Four Russians, including a Child, were injured as their Minivan overturned following a collision with an SUV driven by an 88-year-old Frenchman on Wednesday afternoon in East Pattaya.

The crash occurred along the railroad at the junction with Soi Nonghin, just after 3pm, and involved the Minivan carrying a total of 10 Russians, who were going to the Ambassador City Hotel. A Mitsubishi Pajero, driven by Mr. Louis Antonin aged 88 from France, struck the minivan side-on at the junction, causing the van to flip onto its side.

Full story: http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/221414/4-russians-injured-as-french-owned-suv-collides-with-minivan-in-east-pattaya/


-- Pattaya One 2016-02-11

[craigt3365]

That road is horrible. I try not to travel on it if possible. Super dangerous. They should get the lights working....and enforce them. At each intersection, you're basically playing a game of chicken with other drivers.

[smedly]

it seems one of the drivers or both decided not to slow down and filter

[Tywais]

Looks like that van has a pretty high center of gravity as the Pajero has very little damage to its front end indicating not going terribly fast.

[Naam]

an SUV driven by an 88-year-old Frenchman

[craigt3365]

Looks like that van has a pretty high center of gravity as the Pajero has very little damage to its front end indicating not going terribly fast.

If it's the intersection I'm thinking about, It's not used much for cross traffic. And vehicles on the main railway road absolutely fly through there. It's an intersection and there's no real designation of who's got the right of way. Other than might has right...or who's the bravest. A very deadly road.

[Phuket Stan]

an SUV driven by an 88-year-old Frenchman

R u inferring that the Frenchman is too old to drive ????

My father who lives in Australia will celebrate his 100th birthday this year and he passes his stringent govt tests with flying colours

I feel much safer with him driving than I do with many of the taxi drivers in Sydney

[Ulic]

I see what appears to be a set of lights, but not sure they were operational. Lights in

Thailand are merely a suggestion. Maybe someone had the right of way, maybe,

a visual flight rules situation, see and be seen, and avoid each other. It does appear the

van was driving at excessive speed and taking the right of way whether it was his

or not.

[Asiantravel]

an SUV driven by an 88-year-old Frenchman

R u inferring that the Frenchman is too old to drive ????

My father who lives in Australia will celebrate his 100th birthday this year and he passes his stringent govt tests with flying colours

I feel much safer with him driving than I do with many of the taxi drivers in Sydney

but your father in Australia is sharing the roads with other drivers with higher skills than they have here.

I would have serious concerns whether an 88-year-old person here can keep up with the shenanigans by motorcyclists and car drivers

[Deli]

88 years old AND French. Not a good combination on the road, obviously.

[sawadee1947]

an SUV driven by an 88-year-old Frenchman

R u inferring that the Frenchman is too old to drive ????

My father who lives in Australia will celebrate his 100th birthday this year and he passes his stringent govt tests with flying colours

I feel much safer with him driving than I do with many of the taxi drivers in Sydney

probably he drives in the outback...only?

[FredNL]

One car came from right, the other one came from right too, same same but different.

[craigt3365]

One car came from right, the other one came from right too, same same but different.

Couldn't happen. One lane is one way only! One had to come from the left....

[Transporter]

I have never heard of an 88 year old Frenchman causing a car crash before but I have heard that minivan drivers are constantly causing tragic car crashes. I have seen the way they drive and been hassled by them tailgating, cutting in close, undertaking, driving at dangerously high speed and never giving way to any other driver. They are a disgrace to Thailand.

[Asiantravel]

I have never heard of an 88 year old Frenchman causing a car crash before but I have heard that minivan drivers are constantly causing tragic car crashes. I have seen the way they drive and been hassled by them tailgating, cutting in close, undertaking, driving at dangerously high speed and never giving way to any other driver. They are a disgrace to Thailand.

and they simultaneously talk on their mobile phone ( while doing all the things you describe )which is also banned in Australia

[LennyW]

I have never heard of an 88 year old Frenchman causing a car crash before but I have heard that minivan drivers are constantly causing tragic car crashes. I have seen the way they drive and been hassled by them tailgating, cutting in close, undertaking, driving at dangerously high speed and never giving way to any other driver. They are a disgrace to Thailand.

Whilst i am not a fan of mini vans and their drivers, in this instance he had the right of way, flashing amber lights on the bypass road north to south (assuming they were functioning) has priority over the flashing red on the roads crossing the bypass road.

Edited February 11, 2016 by LennyW

[Brer Fox]

88 years old AND French. Not a good combination on the road, obviously.

The French generally have a road mentality that says toot the horn and others around you will get out of your way. That is the legacy the French left to Vietnamese drivers.

[LennyW]

88 years old AND French. Not a good combination on the road, obviously.

The French generally have a road mentality that says toot the horn and others around you will get out of your way. That is the legacy the French left to Vietnamese drivers.

Obviously that one spread from Vietnam to Thailand!

[Orac]

I have never heard of an 88 year old Frenchman causing a car crash before but I have heard that minivan drivers are constantly causing tragic car crashes. I have seen the way they drive and been hassled by them tailgating, cutting in close, undertaking, driving at dangerously high speed and never giving way to any other driver. They are a disgrace to Thailand.

Whilst i am not a fan of mini vans and their drivers, in this instance he had the right of way, flashing amber lights on the bypass road north to south (assuming they were functioning) has priority over the flashing red on the roads crossing the bypass road.

Sure i saw some odd ruling somewhere that traffic on a railway crossing has right of way - does actually make a little sense and some of the terrible road markings do bear that out though they still have the two way markings still there from aeons ago.

[LennyW]

I have never heard of an 88 year old Frenchman causing a car crash before but I have heard that minivan drivers are constantly causing tragic car crashes. I have seen the way they drive and been hassled by them tailgating, cutting in close, undertaking, driving at dangerously high speed and never giving way to any other driver. They are a disgrace to Thailand.

Whilst i am not a fan of mini vans and their drivers, in this instance he had the right of way, flashing amber lights on the bypass road north to south (assuming they were functioning) has priority over the flashing red on the roads crossing the bypass road.

Sure i saw some odd ruling somewhere that traffic on a railway crossing has right of way - does actually make a little sense and some of the terrible road markings do bear that out though they still have the two way markings still there from aeons ago.

Since it was constructed there have been flashing amber on the north south, flashing red on the east west crossings, apart from the first couple of weeks when the traffic lights did actually work properly.

[Transporter]

I have never heard of an 88 year old Frenchman causing a car crash before but I have heard that minivan drivers are constantly causing tragic car crashes. I have seen the way they drive and been hassled by them tailgating, cutting in close, undertaking, driving at dangerously high speed and never giving way to any other driver. They are a disgrace to Thailand.

Whilst i am not a fan of mini vans and their drivers, in this instance he had the right of way, flashing amber lights on the bypass road north to south (assuming they were functioning) has priority over the flashing red on the roads crossing the bypass road.

I am not a fan of Mitsubishi's or 88 year old french men but what speed was the minivan doing? under 90kmh? I doubt it as he would likely have been able to avoid an obstruction if travelling at the stated speed limit and reduced it further being a driver knowledgeable of the dangers of this particular junction.

The french driver may have started crossing when the road was clear.

I have had near misses crossing this type of junction from speeding vehicles coming out of nowhere!

[jesimps]

It's a toss up as to who are the worst drivers French, Russian or Thai.

[balo]

an SUV driven by an 88-year-old Frenchman

R u inferring that the Frenchman is too old to drive ????

My father who lives in Australia will celebrate his 100th birthday this year and he passes his stringent govt tests with flying colours

I feel much safer with him driving than I do with many of the taxi drivers in Sydney

Please don't compare Australia with Thailand. Here you dont even need a drivers license , just pay the fine .

[LennyW]

I have never heard of an 88 year old Frenchman causing a car crash before but I have heard that minivan drivers are constantly causing tragic car crashes. I have seen the way they drive and been hassled by them tailgating, cutting in close, undertaking, driving at dangerously high speed and never giving way to any other driver. They are a disgrace to Thailand.

Whilst i am not a fan of mini vans and their drivers, in this instance he had the right of way, flashing amber lights on the bypass road north to south (assuming they were functioning) has priority over the flashing red on the roads crossing the bypass road.

I am not a fan of Mitsubishi's or 88 year old french men but what speed was the minivan doing? under 90kmh? I doubt it as he would likely have been able to avoid an obstruction if travelling at the stated speed limit and reduced it further being a driver knowledgeable of the dangers of this particular junction.

The french driver may have started crossing when the road was clear.

I have had near misses crossing this type of junction from speeding vehicles coming out of nowhere!

If somebody T boned me in the side when i had the right of way i know who i would be blaming.

[Phuket Stan]

an SUV driven by an 88-year-old Frenchman

R u inferring that the Frenchman is too old to drive ????

My father who lives in Australia will celebrate his 100th birthday this year and he passes his stringent govt tests with flying colours

I feel much safer with him driving than I do with many of the taxi drivers in Sydney

probably he drives in the outback...only?

Nope....He lives in Randwick and for those who don't know that is an inner suburb of Sydney

I somewhat agree about the quality of French driving but compared to the average Thai driver in a minivan ...well there is no comparison

Edited February 11, 2016 by Phuket Stan

[jacko45k]

That road is horrible. I try not to travel on it if possible. Super dangerous. They should get the lights working....and enforce them. At each intersection, you're basically playing a game of chicken with other drivers.

They tried the lights soon after it was constructed, took way too long and frustration meant people began ignoring them.The railway line slows things down Perhaps some of the lights along its length, at major junctions, should be considered, but not all of them. It is a great way for me to get into town quickly on my bike, rather than Sukhumvit which having a lot of heavy traffic is dangerous for me. So I pick it exclusively for heading North (to Hwy 36) homeward and into town.

The issue is that these vans, coaches, heavy vehicles race through the junctions playing chicken as you suggest.. with no apparent right of way for any direction I guess it is presumed. I don't play chicken, on my bike I am one and slow on approach annoying the locals behind me!

As to your suggestion of getting the lights working, so I prefer not. As to the other of 'enforce them', well let us start on Sukhumvit with cameras first.

Edited February 13, 2016 by jacko45k

[onemorechang]

They tried the lights soon after it was constructed, took way too long and frustration meant people began ignoring them.The railway line slows things down Perhaps some of the lights along its length, at major junctions, should be considered, but not all of them. It is a great way for me to get into town quickly on my bike, rather than Sukhumvit which having a lot of heavy traffic is dangerous for me. So I pick it exclusively for heading North (to Hwy 36) homeward and into town.

The issue is that these vans, coaches, heavy vehicles race through the junctions playing chicken as you suggest.. with no apparent right of way for any direction I guess it is presumed. I don't play chicken, on my bike I am one and slow on approach annoying the locals behind me!

As to your suggestion of getting the lights working, so I prefer not. As to the other of 'enforce them', well let us start on Sukhumvit with cameras first.

If Sukhumvit is to dangerous for you and your bike.

maybe you should not be on the road at all.

Edited February 13, 2016 by onemorechang

[jacko45k]

They tried the lights soon after it was constructed, took way too long and frustration meant people began ignoring them.The railway line slows things down Perhaps some of the lights along its length, at major junctions, should be considered, but not all of them. It is a great way for me to get into town quickly on my bike, rather than Sukhumvit which having a lot of heavy traffic is dangerous for me. So I pick it exclusively for heading North (to Hwy 36) homeward and into town.

The issue is that these vans, coaches, heavy vehicles race through the junctions playing chicken as you suggest.. with no apparent right of way for any direction I guess it is presumed. I don't play chicken, on my bike I am one and slow on approach annoying the locals behind me!

As to your suggestion of getting the lights working, so I prefer not. As to the other of 'enforce them', well let us start on Sukhumvit with cameras first.

If Sukhumvit is to dangerous for you and your bike.

maybe you should not be on the road at all.

I think it makes sense to avoid it seeing as I have an alternative that is much safer.

I know many car drivers who avoid the railway line bypass preferring Sukhumvit.

If you are suggesting I am past driving any vehicle, then I believe you are wrong. It may come I decide to give up the bike after a few more years. I seem to be rather more aware than most other drivers around me, that is where the problem lies, as I stated, they will just go through the junctions without slowing or even looking. I avoid night time bike driving too.

Edited February 13, 2016 by jacko45k