Phuket underpass crash prompts no moves to boost safety

[snoop1130]

Phuket underpass crash prompts no moves to boost safety
Supatra Sutham

PHUKET: -- The driver who lost control of his car while attempting to avoid a head-on collision in the Darasamut Underpass on Monday ( May 2) has been fined B400 for reckless driving and released.

Meanwhile, police at this stage have no intention of installing safety measures to prevent further similar accidents from happening.

Phuket resident Adisak Thongsri, 40, lost control of his Toyota Vios after he pulled out to overtake a small box-on-back van heading southbound in front of him.

Adisak swerved to avoid ploughing head on into a pickup truck coming straight at him, but spun out of control and slammed into the side of the same pickup truck, driven by Prascha Sujarittham, 50, also from Phuket.

“Adisak’s three-year-old child was in the car at the time of the accident, but she was unharmed by the impact,” said Wichit Police Deputy Inspector Lt Jaras Laempan, who blamed the accident simply on driver recklessness.

“He tried to overtake in the tunnel, which is a no-overtaking zone. It was a good thing that no one was injured, only vehicles damaged,” he said.

“Adisak admitted to attempting to overtake a truck in front of him, but changed his mind when he saw a pickup truck coming, and lost control of his vehicle,” Lt Jaras added.

Though, with CCTV footage of the accident circulating on the Internet, The Phuket News notes that Adisak may have had difficulty in asserting any other version of events.

Full Story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-underpass-crash-prompts-no-moves-to-boost-safety-57296.php

-- Phuket News 2016-05-06

[robertthebruce]

400 Baht fine...

That's a real incentive to drive more carefully.

[Rob8891]

The cretin had a child with him. He should be sterilized to save endangering any more children.

[chercheur888]

I for my part have never and will never use the underpasses here. I prefer to wait at the traffic light above ground, even if it is a 5minutes wait.

[happy chappie]

Moron.

[ChrisY1]

Whta does anyone expect when they build a tunnel with a suicide lane .......this joke of a road will be the new crash site of Phuket

[Psimbo]

About time fines were raised to a level that they act as a deterrent- they have not moved with the times. A three lane underpass is just asking for trouble.

Edited May 6, 2016 by Psimbo

[useronthenet]

So if there is a fire in the underpass as a result of an accident, what is the contingency plan ?

[sweatalot]

"The Phuket News notes that Adisak may have had difficulty in asserting any other version of events."

bad luck for him

standard procedure not applicable

[Pattaya28]

Breaks the law over-taking in the tunnel, causes an accident that could have killed either driver, let alone the 3 year-old, and the fine is equal to 2 Big-Macs.

Unbelievable !!

[sebastion]

400 baht fine for a near death experience when riding a motorbike through the underpass will incur a 1000 baht fine.

No balance.

[IamNoone88]

This tunnel is a death trap. Poorly designed with just 3 lanes (not 4 as you would expect) and absolutely no safety division between the lanes. I have seen concrete mixers gunning through there at full speed. In fact everything goes through there at full speed with no margin for error. I prefer to avoid it.

[steelepulse]

Needs to be a permanent barrier installed instead of wishful thinking that the quality of driving here will ensure orderly traffic flow and be collision free. Ideally some sort of auto switching mechanism at a certain time of day such as train tracks use, but I know that will never happen.

[bearpolar]

This tunnel is a death trap. Poorly designed with just 3 lanes (not 4 as you would expect) and absolutely no safety division between the lanes. I have seen concrete mixers gunning through there at full speed. In fact everything goes through there at full speed with no margin for error. I prefer to avoid it.

Just open your high beams as you approach and leave them on, also leave your hand on the honker and as soon as you feel like someone is about to cross the line by just a mm, start honking them hard and they might remember that the high beams in their face is someone and not just a mirage.

Works for me, usually have 2-3 guys over the lane each time and they all snap back(always almost hitting the side wall)

Also they'll never need to change the lanes. The weekend market intersection is always jam packed.

Edited May 7, 2016 by bearpolar

[little mary sunshine]

Idiot....probably on the phone too...glad child

Wasn't injured...should be fined B10,000 for

Being stupid!!

[Old Croc]

I'm surprised it took so long for an accident like this to happen.

During construction they stated there would be lane dividers, and that the middle lane would alternate direction according to traffic usage.

Neither thing has happened.

It seems the current layout is to remain permanently.

What's needed is the knock down type dividers, separating the two directions, that send idiots a message that you can't cross into the next lane, but at the same time doesn't cause accidents when collided with.

Edited May 7, 2016 by Old Croc

[csabo]

I for my part have never and will never use the underpasses here. I prefer to wait at the traffic light above ground, even if it is a 5minutes wait.

What do you do at the newer tunnel still under construction where they have blocked the outside lanes and all northbound cars must go in the tunnel? Park and walk?

[phrisco17]

What's needed is the knock down type dividers, separating the two directions, that send idiots a message that you can't cross into the next lane, but at the same time doesn't cause accidents when collided with.

Nah, that wouldn't work! Once knocked down never to be repaired/replaced. TIT!!!

[The Big Mango]

This tunnel is a death trap. Poorly designed with just 3 lanes (not 4 as you would expect) and absolutely no safety division between the lanes. I have seen concrete mixers gunning through there at full speed. In fact everything goes through there at full speed with no margin for error. I prefer to avoid it.

Just open your high beams as you approach and leave them on, also leave your hand on the honker and as soon as you feel like someone is about to cross the line by just a mm, start honking them hard and they might remember that the high beams in their face is someone and not just a mirage.

Works for me, usually have 2-3 guys over the lane each time and they all snap back(always almost hitting the side wall)

Also they'll never need to change the lanes. The weekend market intersection is always jam packed.

Seems to me Bearpolar ,

You might be safe but with those actions and by your own admission your making it multiple times worse when you drive through for others.

[chercheur888]

I for my part have never and will never use the underpasses here. I prefer to wait at the traffic light above ground, even if it is a 5minutes wait.

What do you do at the newer tunnel still under construction where they have blocked the outside lanes and all northbound cars must go in the tunnel? Park and walk?

In case you don't know, there are other options via Phuket Town or Kathu to avoid this construction side. Yes it takes more time, but in my view safer, just a question of organise oneself and when I know that problems are around, I avoid them, easy. Of course, if you use the underpasses it is your choice and I have mine.

[LivinginKata]

I'm surprised it took so long for an accident like this to happen.

During construction they stated there would be lane dividers, and that the middle lane would alternate direction according to traffic usage.

Neither thing has happened.

It seems the current layout is to remain permanently.

What's needed is the knock down type dividers, separating the two directions, that send idiots a message that you can't cross into the next lane, but at the same time doesn't cause accidents when collided with.

I agree. I don't use the underpass so often but when I do I stay well in the inside lane and prepare myself for some lunatic coming head on or being side swiped by passing lunatic.

Edited May 7, 2016 by LivinginKata

[Old Croc]

What's needed is the knock down type dividers, separating the two directions, that send idiots a message that you can't cross into the next lane, but at the same time doesn't cause accidents when collided with.

Nah, that wouldn't work! Once knocked down never to be repaired/replaced. TIT!!!

The type I'm thinking of springs back up again. You can drive through them without damage to car nor divider.

[dageurreotype]

Never mind the orientation of the lanes. Implement the already haha, speeding law and watch deaths and injuries sustained by the 'me first' brigade, both Thai and farang, plummet. Of course that will never happen here. I've some very nice neighbours who, having returned from a holiday in their Western native country had exclaimed how good it was to be back and 'drive as fast as they like with no ticket. No law enforcement, carry on.

Edited May 7, 2016 by dageurreotype

[stevenl]

Never mind the orientation of the lanes. Implement the already haha, speeding law and watch deaths and injuries sustained by the 'me first' brigade, both Thai and farang, plummet. Of course that will never happen here. I've some very nice neighbours who, having returned from a holiday in their Western native country had exclaimed how good it was to be back and 'drive as fast as they like with no ticket. No law enforcement, carry on.

How many deaths so far in this tunnel?

[madmitch]

As far as I know there have been two accidents reported in the press so far. Assuming accidents in the underpass are important enough to make the Phuket news that means only two accidents have taken place in the underpass itself in a year and no deaths. By Thai standards this is pretty good!

[stevenl]

As far as I know there have been two accidents reported in the press so far. Assuming accidents in the underpass are important enough to make the Phuket news that means only two accidents have taken place in the underpass itself in a year and no deaths. By Thai standards this is pretty good!

Exactly. So IMO all these fears of the underpass' safety, including a provocative headline of the news story, are all just fear mongering.

[glassdude007]

Some guy on a Samalor motorbike and making a u turn in the tunnel a few months back was killed in there as I recall...

Edited May 9, 2016 by glassdude007