Phuket’s dangerous driving habits force underpass lane closure

[rooster59]

Phuket’s dangerous driving habits force underpass lane closure 

Chutharat Plerin

 

The central lane through Phuket's busy Darasamut Underpass is now closed. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot
 

PHUKET: A slew of near-collisions from people trying to overtake while driving through Phuket’s Darasamut Underpass has forced the island’s Highways Dept chief to close one lane through the busy tunnel.

 

The central lane was closed late last month, with traffic cones placed in the middle of the lane running the entire length of the lane through the underpass.

 

Previously, the central lane was used to allow different traffic flow, controlled by overhead signs, depending on the time of day.

 

“We had to put cones in the middle of the lane because we want motorists to reduce speed and to prevent them from overtaking inside the underpass,” Phuket Highways Office Director Patiwetwoottisak Sookki told Khao Phuket.

 

“Our aim is to prevent accidents in the underpass. We have received reports from motorists of drivers using the lane to overtake in the underpass,” he said.

 

“We have also received reports of motorbike drivers using the underpass, but motorbikes are not allowed through the underpass – there is shoulder (outside the main lane) for them,” Mr Patiwetwoottisak added.

 

Closing the central lane to traffic has another benefit he noted: “When any accidents happen inside the underpass, it is difficult for rescue teams to render assistance, and it creates more traffic jams.”

 

Mr Patiwetwoottisak blamed Phuket’s renowned “bad drrving habits” for the problems.

 

“We have to make these changes to improve safety and to account for how some people think, and the motorists who follow the traffic rules are being inconvenienced by others’ bad habits,” he said.

 

Strict enforcement of laws would not work, Mr Patiwetwoottisak added.

 

“Strictly enforcing the rules cannot solve the original problem if motorists still have bad driving habits,” he said.

 

“I have discussed this issue with Phuket Provincial Commander Maj Gen Theerapol Thipjarorn, and he said that there were not enough police officers, who already have lots of other duties to perform, to keep an eye on road users 24 hours a day.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-dangerous-driving-habits-force-underpass-lane-closure-62528.php#um8MtbjHR6pDKKJB.97

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-06-10

[LivinginKata]

Good idea. .. I agree. Center lane contraflow  .. major accident waiting to happen.

Edited June 10, 2017 by LivinginKata

[Pdaz]

Until there are changes made to the process used to gain a licence nothing will improve. Compulsory lessons and testing under real road driving conditions. Nationwide road safety/driving campaign needed, starting in schools with 10 year olds.  

All existing adult licence holders to attend extra training and re-take a proper test ( to international standard ) Stricter enforcement by the BIB (  ) Yeah, I know ....And next, "pigs will fly"

[stevenl]

2 lanes in one direction and people are using it to overtake. How strange.

[impulse]

2 hours ago, Pdaz said:

Until there are changes made to the process used to gain a licence nothing will improve. Compulsory lessons and testing under real road driving conditions. Nationwide road safety/driving campaign needed, starting in schools with 10 year olds.  

All existing adult licence holders to attend extra training and re-take a proper test ( to international standard ) Stricter enforcement by the BIB Yeah, I know ....And next, "pigs will fly"

 

Training means virtually nothing without enforcement.  I was a hazard for my first few months (years?) of driving in spite of a full 2 semesters of driver's ed and passing a stringent driving test.  But I was so afraid of getting a ticket and losing my license I practiced driving to not get a ticket.  Which, not so coincidentally, was a good way to not get into an accident.  

 

There's no way I had those habits right out of driver's ed.  It was fear of enforcement.

 

Edited June 10, 2017 by impulse

[Jimi007]

I continue to be amazed at what a stupid waste of time and money have been spent on these inefficient underpasses! Why was it not 4 lanes in the first place with a median barrier? Or a fly over at less than half the cost? Now the Chanlong Circle underpass is just another brilliant idea! They haven't even acquired the land to move the power poles, not alone actual digging from the southern end. Another total waste of time and money! Plus a huge waste of my time trying to get to the other side of it. Disgusted...

[samsensam]

 

thank goodness thy dont have roundabouts.

[janclaes47]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

“Strictly enforcing the rules cannot solve the original problem if motorists still have bad driving habits,” he said.

 

However, that's how it works in the rest of the world.

[Jimi007]

3 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

thank goodness thy dont have roundabouts.

Oh, but they do! But they are too small to actually work! Chalong Circle and Heroine's Monument...

Edited June 10, 2017 by Jimi007
Auto spell didn't like the word Chalong.

[trogers]

The deceased Princess Diana comes to mind...

[fiddlehead]

“Strictly enforcing the rules cannot solve the original problem if motorists still have bad driving habits,” he said."

 

How would he know ? 
Has he been to a country where they strictly enforce the rules, and seen that people drive stupidly anyway? 

 

I remember about a year ago, they changed the lights to red (heading north) in the center lane.  

About 50% of drivers ignored these red lights and just drove in that lane anyway. 
So scary. 

So, I'm glad to see the cones in the center lane.

Although making it 4 lanes would have been a much better idea IMO. 
 

Edited June 10, 2017 by fiddlehead

[tomwct]

10 hours ago, Pdaz said:

Until there are changes made to the process used to gain a licence nothing will improve. Compulsory lessons and testing under real road driving conditions. Nationwide road safety/driving campaign needed, starting in schools with 10 year olds.  

All existing adult licence holders to attend extra training and re-take a proper test ( to international standard ) Stricter enforcement by the BIB (  ) Yeah, I know ....And next, "pigs will fly"

The driving test is a joke and if you fail 500 THB will get you a license.

[stevenl]

The whole story is nonsense anyway, since the middle lane is 99% of the time only open to North bound traffic, and has been seldom used as a switch lane.

 

Just keep it open North bound 100% of the time.

[schlog]

16 minutes ago, stevenl said:

The whole story is nonsense anyway, since the middle lane is 99% of the time only open to North bound traffic, and has been seldom used as a switch lane.

 

Just keep it open North bound 100% of the time.

+1

 

Would like to know the real reason.

Cracks maybe again?

[Old Croc]

I'm amazed there hasn't been an horrific head-on prang in that centre lane . I expected to hear about one from the time they opened the tunnel. No surprise there's been a lot of near misses.

Heading south in the single lane I've been passed by a foreigner on a big bike driving against the oncoming traffic at high speed.. Apart from the speeding and sans helmet he was illegally in the tunnel in the first place.

It was an idiot project from the design stage. Building a 3 lane underpass without lane dividers to separate some of the worse drivers on the planet from each other, was madness.

I'm glad the centre lane is now closed.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[happyas]

3 hours ago, trogers said:

The deceased Princess Diana comes to mind...

Why?

[fish monger]

“Strictly enforcing the rules cannot solve the original problem if motorists still have bad driving habits,” he said.  Spoken like a true fatalist. So they raise the flag in defeat....!

[impulse]

4 hours ago, stevenl said:

The whole story is nonsense anyway, since the middle lane is 99% of the time only open to North bound traffic, and has been seldom used as a switch lane.

 

Just keep it open North bound 100% of the time.

 

Any time I see a blind curve in LOS, I expect to see someone in the wrong lane coming straight at me, regardless of the lane's designated direction of flow.

 

Those traffic cones are probably the only thing preventing head-ons when there's a slow poke in either direction.

 

Edit:  I should add that out in the boondocks, there's generally less traffic and often a shoulder (even if it's a soft one) to dive into to save yourself.  Not so in that tunnel.

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by impulse

[WhizBang]

Strict enforcement of laws would not work, Mr Patiwetwoottisak added.

 

Speaks volumns about the mentality of Thais.

 

Of course strict enforcement of laws would work, but that would require a professional working police force, something Thailand does NOT have, and likely never will.

[trogers]

2 hours ago, happyas said:

Why?

Speeding into a tunnel road...

[LivinginKata]

11 minutes ago, trogers said:

Speeding into a tunnel road...

 

No comparison with a multi lane underpass, and central pillars. Driver going too fas, sobriety might have been a factor, hit central pillar at very high speed. I remember the news that day, I was living in Patong, just switched on the big dish TV  (only had CNN back then), stunned by the news. 

[trogers]

33 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

No comparison with a multi lane underpass, and central pillars. Driver going too fas, sobriety might have been a factor, hit central pillar at very high speed. I remember the news that day, I was living in Patong, just switched on the big dish TV  (only had CNN back then), stunned by the news. 

Same. Speeding to overtake, except into oncoming traffic instead of pillars...

[ujayujay]

Forget overhead Signs in Thailand. Nobody respect this. Specially Motobikers........

[Jonmarleesco]

What's special about Phuket's driving habits? This is Thailand-wide. And there are numerous roads in Bangkok which are closed to m/cs, but that doesn't stop them from ignoring the ban. 

[Jonmarleesco]

10 hours ago, Jimi007 said:

Oh, but they do! But they are too small to actually work! Chalong Circle and Heroine's Monument...

Too small? You mean mini? They work very well ... when drivers know how to use them. Try Googling Swindon's Magic Roundabout.

[huuwi]

11 minutes ago, Jonmarleesco said:

Too small? You mean mini? They work very well ... when drivers know how to use them. Try Googling Swindon's Magic Roundabout.

I did, and hey man, lets have it here just for the fun.  I will open up a little bar right there for the punters who want to watch that live.

[jobwolf]

How about a few cameras and then send the bills to those breaking the highway code.

If the collection gets enforced there will be no problems. This can be done by 3 people only,

or even by computer like some countries do, even in Africa. It just needs somebody who got the will 

to enforce it and is not corrupt.

[JayBird]

9 hours ago, schlog said:

+1

 

Would like to know the real reason.

Cracks maybe again?

i think they were overtaking by driving into oncomming traffic.

[xylophone]

There is such a thing as a movable lane barrier, which is made up of interlocking concrete blocks which can be moved by a machine and this is done on the Auckland Harbour Bridge and it allows lanes to be opened in peak times to allow better flow to and from the city. Controls traffic flow when needed and cuts down on accidents.

 

https://youtu.be/976rvgbX6gw
 

 

 

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by xylophone
stuff up on adding link!!

[connda]

Yeah, that sort of road design simply ain't gonna work in a country that doesn't enforce traffic laws so that the public drives in any manner they want - which is usually dangerously.  Road blocks you say?  That's not enforcing traffic laws.