How do you feel about the u-turns in LOS? Do you fear for your life?

[bberrythailand]

The problem with uturn is that most drivers are too stupid to understand that they must accelerate, being on the most right lane where people can come from behind at high speed.

 

In the past it was acceptable that people had no brain, but in 2017, it just means that they are too stupid to learn (for free on Internet, just like anything else).

 

[bazza73]

On 7/23/2017 at 0:23 PM, canuckamuck said:

I think that Thai cars should have software installed so that if they double up on a U-turn. their car instantly explodes. Not hopeful to see that implemented anytime soon though.

Well, you'd probably reduce traffic density by 50%

[inThailand]

Only when 90% of the drivers don't have a clue about u-turns! 

[bazza73]

On 7/24/2017 at 2:05 PM, fredob43 said:

Just because you chose to buy a Noddy car. You cant blame the peeps that have brought a big lump. Pick Up, MPV. I got a Fortuner and can see perfectly well thank you.

 

Don't do small cars after an accident in a Mini many years ago. Sorry to say you will have to live with it. Or you could get yourself a big lump.

Horses for courses. When I travel the mountain section after Doi Saket towards Chiang Rai when the roads are wet, almost always there will be one or two vehicles that have gone off the road into the weeds. My personal record is four vehicles all within a one kilometre stretch.

Guess what? I've never seen a sedan in the weeds - it's only the big lumps. That's because they are heavy, have a high centre of gravity, and are driven beyond their handling capacity by people that think  big = safe. More to driving than being able to see well.

On the U-turns, I have two strategies. Use the big lumps as shelter as they turn next to me, or just wait until I can see clearly.

[Jerry Cornelius]

Nothing different to making a right hand turn really. No problem,, just pay attention.

 

Had a neighbor who planned all her journeys to make only right hand turns. She'd drive miles to avoid a left hand turn. Even at stop lights.

 

Jerry

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

There are two types, one is dangerous the other is not.

The left hand lane to left hand lane fly-overs are fine if you don't speed.

The other that is ground level outside lane to outside lane is just an accident waiting to happen with Thai drivers.

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2017 by George FmplesdaCosteedback

[Grumpy Duck]

I am not sure what u-turns are being referenced. Talking about the u-turn ramps on major highways or like the arbitrary u-turn lanes as for exemple on Sukhumvit. From say On Nutt to Chit Lom

[newnative]

     I love living in Thailand but for a country that relies on u-turns so much they need to start a crash program to improve them--starting with the major roads.  It's amazing to me that driving out Sukumvit to Sattahip there are still u-turns that are made from the high speed lane.  And, yes, it scares me sitting in the high speed lane waiting my turn to make a u-turn. 

      All of them need to be improved with proper, designated, U-turn lanes both to slow down to make the U-turn and then to accelerate in a U-turn lane once you make the turn to get back in traffic.  Unfortunately, not only are improvements not being made, the newest thing seems to be sticking bright orange traffic barriers right in the high speed lane by the u-turns so cars in that lane need to quickly get into the left lane or run into the barriers.  They are being stuck there to aid the cars making the U-turn but it's sheer madness and so unsafe. 

     The crazy thing is most of the major roads have broad medians so there is plenty of room to add the U-turn lanes--but it seems like they don't want to narrow the medians in the U-turn area as it would remove some of the shrubs and trees.   The last new U-turn they did on Sukumvit near Makro was a golden opportunity to set an example and finally do it right--but we all know how that was totally bungled.

[transam]

I have seen U-turn gaps where the authorities have planted bushes in the median so to can't see who is coming your way in the fast lane....

[fredob43]

15 hours ago, bazza73 said:

Horses for courses. When I travel the mountain section after Doi Saket towards Chiang Rai when the roads are wet, almost always there will be one or two vehicles that have gone off the road into the weeds. My personal record is four vehicles all within a one kilometre stretch.

Guess what? I've never seen a sedan in the weeds - it's only the big lumps. That's because they are heavy, have a high centre of gravity, and are driven beyond their handling capacity by people that think  big = safe. More to driving than being able to see well.

On the U-turns, I have two strategies. Use the big lumps as shelter as they turn next to me, or just wait until I can see clearly.

We are going to have to agree to disagree on the seeing bit.

Was in for my regular Valet the other day and happened to be parked next to a Honda City and a small Toyota Yaris.

 Both their bonnets were level with the top of my wheel arch. Please don't tell me they can see round me or any large pickup come to that. Must be somewhat like driving behind a brick wall.

 

Night time must be horrendous with my LED dipped head lights beaming strait into their back window. Great for me as they get out of the fast lane sharpish. & that's even when I'm 200mt behind them. I'll stick as I am thank you. 

Edited August 1, 2017 by fredob43

[jeab1980]

3 hours ago, fredob43 said:

We are going to have to agree to disagree on the seeing bit.

Was in for my regular Valet the other day and happened to be parked next to a Honda City and a small Toyota Yaris.

 Both their bonnets were level with the top of my wheel arch. Please don't tell me they can see round me or any large pickup come to that. Must be somewhat like driving behind a brick wall.

 

Night time must be horrendous with my LED dipped head lights beaming strait into their back window. Great for me as they get out of the fast lane sharpish. & that's even when I'm 200mt behind them. I'll stick as I am thank you. 

You of course mean im bigger than you so get out of the OVERTAKING lane. Pedantic possibly but many years ago when you did the highway code examination whilst sitting in your vehicle after your test. Question 2. Which is the fast lane on a motorway? Me: duh easy right hand lane. Examiner ok sorry to tell you you have failed your HGV test.

Reason There is no fast lane anywhere only overtaking lanes. Stuck with me always had to pay another £15 to re sit test.

Edited August 1, 2017 by jeab1980

[bazza73]

4 hours ago, fredob43 said:

We are going to have to agree to disagree on the seeing bit.

Was in for my regular Valet the other day and happened to be parked next to a Honda City and a small Toyota Yaris.

 Both their bonnets were level with the top of my wheel arch. Please don't tell me they can see round me or any large pickup come to that. Must be somewhat like driving behind a brick wall.

 

Night time must be horrendous with my LED dipped head lights beaming strait into their back window. Great for me as they get out of the fast lane sharpish. & that's even when I'm 200mt behind them. I'll stick as I am thank you. 

When did I disagree with you on the seeing bit? All I said was there is more to driving than that.

I've owned several big lumps in my driving life. They are good in paddocks for ground clearance and vision. Having experienced their handling and ride comfort on long stretches of open road, IMHO paddocks are the best place for them.

[fredob43]

14 minutes ago, transam said:

UK HGV's pay a huge amount of cash to use UK roads where as you do not.....

What your statement has to do with what I put in my post Buddha only knows.

But you are correct they do pay bundles. But they still cause problems.

 

Last time I was on the M1 in the UK I was stuck behind a lorry on the middle lane (overtaking lane was full) a lorry wanted to come out of the slow lane and had to wait till I went passed. What did he do well stuck his head lights on drove right up my butt and leaned on his horn. Blood nice I must say. Most are nice but some are just PIGS.

 

[transam]

1 minute ago, fredob43 said:

Try pulling out into the outside lane when your driving an underpowered 1,000cc 30 year old French lump, in the morning rush hour.

That is your ploblem, nobody elses.....

[fredob43]

5 minutes ago, transam said:

That is your ploblem, nobody elses.....

Doesn't give him a reason to drive like a rude Mr Stobart Man.

What do you want me to do Hire an Aston? when I can use my Mothers old one for the couple of weeks that I'm there.

 

[fredob43]

49 minutes ago, bazza73 said:

When did I disagree with you on the seeing bit? All I said was there is more to driving than that.

I've owned several big lumps in my driving life. They are good in paddocks for ground clearance and vision. Having experienced their handling and ride comfort on long stretches of open road, IMHO paddocks are the best place for them.

Point of order didn't you say that Fortuners block your vision. Then you went on to say that you use them to shelter you as you pull out, or wait till you an see more clearly. I just said that if you had a big lump you would be able to see much better in the first place.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies about U-turns on the UK motorways have been removed.  This topic is about U-turns in Thailand. 

[connda]

I'd love to start publishing my dash cam videos if I only knew how to edit and compress them.  On any given day on a drive between my home and Lamphun or Chiang Mai I literally capture about 100 instances of traffic stupidity that would get you ticketed in the US or EU, and out of those 100 acts of stupidity about 5 per trip have the potential to cause a major accident.  The last almost fatal incident was while I was on the shoulder waiting for a break in traffic to accelerate onto highway 11, and a truck on the shoulder pulled out across both lanes to get to the U-turn lane 200 meters down the road and the car in the left lane ended up going to the shoulder to avoid the idiot, and the guy traveling in excess of 90 kph in the right lane locked up his brakes prior to nearly missing the truck.  
Stuff like that is literally an everyday occurrence.  
"You say you see 100 dangerous acts in a round trip between Chiang Mai and Lamphun???  You're kidding?"
I wish I was.  I can point out dangerous driving situation at a rate of about once every 2 minutes, and most of them come in clusters of stupidity.  
Trucks pulling out of U-turns kill an inordinate amount of people.  I can't count how many time I've been cut off over 10 years driving here, and we have family and acquaintances and village members who have been killed exactly this way.  
Driving here is driving on roads that are ruled by Anarchy.  Some people attempt to drive sanely, most drive anyway they want to.  If you wish, you can drive as fast as you want, as careless as you want, you can weave all over the roads, and you can pull right out in front of oncoming traffic without a care in the world if you're driving a dump truck or 18 wheeler., and who is going to stop you?  Absolutely nobody!  Unless you get into an accident - then if you're rich enough you can ignore the court proceeding and judgement, and if you're not rich you'll get thrown into jail, possibly if the accident isn't even your fault.  
The roads, the lack of traffic enforcement, and the lack of uniform penalties are insane.  And this country will continue to maintain it's second place standing as the world's most dangerous road, well, that is if it doesn't move to first place.  

Edited August 5, 2017 by connda

[Andrew Dwyer]

I'd love to start publishing my dash cam videos if I only knew how to edit and compress them.  

Crossy posted a dash cam video recently, maybe you could pm him.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

13 hours ago, connda said:

I'd love to start publishing my dash cam videos if I only knew how to edit and compress them.  On any given day on a drive between my home and Lamphun or Chiang Mai I literally capture about 100 instances of traffic stupidity that would get you ticketed in the US or EU, and out of those 100 acts of stupidity about 5 per trip have the potential to cause a major accident.  The last almost fatal incident was while I was on the shoulder waiting for a break in traffic to accelerate onto highway 11, and a truck on the shoulder pulled out across both lanes to get to the U-turn lane 200 meters down the road and the car in the left lane ended up going to the shoulder to avoid the idiot, and the guy traveling in excess of 90 kph in the right lane locked up his brakes prior to nearly missing the truck.  
Stuff like that is literally an everyday occurrence.  
"You say you see 100 dangerous acts in a round trip between Chiang Mai and Lamphun???  You're kidding?"
I wish I was.  I can point out dangerous driving situation at a rate of about once every 2 minutes, and most of them come in clusters of stupidity.  
Trucks pulling out of U-turns kill an inordinate amount of people.  I can't count how many time I've been cut off over 10 years driving here, and we have family and acquaintances and village members who have been killed exactly this way.  
Driving here is driving on roads that are ruled by Anarchy.  Some people attempt to drive sanely, most drive anyway they want to.  If you wish, you can drive as fast as you want, as careless as you want, you can weave all over the roads, and you can pull right out in front of oncoming traffic without a care in the world if you're driving a dump truck or 18 wheeler., and who is going to stop you?  Absolutely nobody!  Unless you get into an accident - then if you're rich enough you can ignore the court proceeding and judgement, and if you're not rich you'll get thrown into jail, possibly if the accident isn't even your fault.  
The roads, the lack of traffic enforcement, and the lack of uniform penalties are insane.  And this country will continue to maintain it's second place standing as the world's most dangerous road, well, that is if it doesn't move to first place.  

Yep, you're driving on Thai roads with Thai drivers and Thai police.

Or had you missed that point?

[Ace of Pop]

I just go in the middle lane to the front of the Uturn, then i get a clear view, Thai Style, pure ME FIRST n leave the lot behind, just like a Tuna Man.No Worries Girls.

[fredob43]

4 hours ago, Ace of Pop said:

I just go in the middle lane to the front of the Uturn, then i get a clear view, Thai Style, pure ME FIRST n leave the lot behind, just like a Tuna Man.No Worries Girls.

Us Tuna men don't have to go to the front of the UT we can see very well thank you.

It's you Noddy car drivers that seem to have the problems. Solution as I said previously get a bigger lump.

[Ace of Pop]

Now they can see through Lin Fox Trucks..I have one Trailblazer Truck but i still cant see through Curtain Siders.[emoji872][emoji598][emoji597]


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[fredob43]

4 hours ago, Ace of Pop said:

Now they can see through Lin Fox Trucks..I have one Trailblazer Truck but i still cant see through Curtain Siders.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Agreed. But to jump the line and end up in the center is asking for trouble. One day a crazy man will do the same thing coming in the opposite direction and you'll be in Dead trouble. But up to you if you want to drive like locals. If it's ok with you I drive like a westerner, tad more chance of living.