Thai govt thinks 80km speed limit in cities may be too fast

[webfact]

Govt thinks 80km speed limit in cities may be too fast

By The Nation

 

Chaiwat Thongkhamkoon, director of Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning.

 

BANGKOK: -- Thailand could soon lose its status as the Asian country with the highest urban speed limits.

 

The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning is mulling a reduction in the speed limit along city roads from 80 kilometres per hour to 40, director Chaiwat Thongkhamkoon said on Monday.

 

He noted that Thailand has the highest city speed limit in Asia, where the norm is 40-60km/hr.

 

“Thailand might opt for a speed limit of 40km/hr, the same as Japan,” he said.

 

“It may take a year before the new speed limit could be implemented,” Chaiwat added.

 

The World Health Organisation in 2015 ranked Thailand second-highest among all countries for road accidents, behind Libya. 

 

The 24,237 fatalities on Thai roads that year represented a death rate of 36.2 persons per 100,000 population.

 

Economic losses stemming from accidents were last year estimated at Bt500 billion, equivalent to 3 per cent of Gross Domestic Product.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30323052

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-07

[BasalBanality]

Another year to acquire the relevant empirical data and study the obvious solution?

 

At least they practice due diligence.

Edited August 7, 2017 by BasalBanality

[Metapod]

80 to 40? Why not incrementally drop it? That is an enormous change. 80 to 70 or 60 would make a lot more sense.

[ezflip]

8 minutes ago, Metapod said:

80 to 40? Why not incrementally drop it? That is an enormous change. 80 to 70 or 60 would make a lot more sense.

Because most Thai drivers don't even know that there is a speed limit inside the city? They wouldn't know the difference between 80 and 40 other then having more "obstacles" in their path.

[jaltsc]

"... mulling a reduction in the speed limit along city roads from 80 kilometres per hour to 40..."

 

With the way they drive here. Driving is unsafe at any speed.  Even when they are trying to park. NO....Let me clarify that...Especially when they are attempting to engage in a maneuver that resembles parking.

Edited August 7, 2017 by jaltsc

[ben2talk]

12 minutes ago, Metapod said:

80 to 40? Why not incrementally drop it? That is an enormous change. 80 to 70 or 60 would make a lot more sense.

There is NO 80km speed limit. There is only a 120km/h limit with one or two cameras... 

Thai's that know the official limit are quick to laugh and say that it doesn't apply.

Bangna-Trad has a few 80 signs, professional drivers tell me 'actually 90, but in practice 120'.

 

It's all crud.

[Techno Viking]

lol @ speed limit !!

[YetAnother]

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

The World Health Organisation in 2015 ranked Thailand second-highest among all countries for road accidents, behind Libya. 

and the WHO has their own 'international' recommendation for urban speed limits; quite a bit less than 80; comparing thailand to japan in any dimension is quite the stretch

Edited August 7, 2017 by YetAnother

[over it]

Who's going to enforce it? The bib? 

[Cadbury]

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

“It may take a year before the new speed limit could be implemented,” Chaiwat added.

Of course it will take a while. There has to be committees formed and endless meetings, then the usual procrastination and then conflict resolution of those different departments each of which think they alone have sole jurisdiction. 

Then when something is finally decided they will have to produce a mountain of new road signs and import a veritable army of foreign workers to do a quick switcheroo of the signs throughout the country.  

I am trying to see it as a positive move to reduce the road toll but this change-over has all the makings of an unholy bureaucratic mess.

[JAS21]

3 hours ago, ben2talk said:

There is NO 80km speed limit. There is only a 120km/h limit with one or two cameras... 

Thai's that know the official limit are quick to laugh and say that it doesn't apply.

Bangna-Trad has a few 80 signs, professional drivers tell me 'actually 90, but in practice 120'.

 

It's all crud.

When he says cities I wonder if he means what we actually know as towns.

 

Have to admit that I always though the speed limit when driving through a town was 80kph ...which I thought on many occasions was much too fast. However Mrs J, who is not too often incorrect, well that is what she tells me, says sometimes 60kph. Of course these facts are overruled if there are actual speed signs ...

[hansnl]

There was I thinking there was a speed limit in Thailand?

90 on the highways, 60 in town?

Of course the police should do their job, do they?

[Get Real]

I thought it already was 60 as that is on most of the signs through cities as I´ve seen it. However, with the education for driving that is here even 20 km is too much.

[Pdaz]

Apart from the odd nutter who tailgates you on the motorway or roars past in a fortuna I reckon Thais drive bl00dy slowly. They are either too busy with their phone, picking their nose or terrified to be in control of a moving vehicle. Watch them swing right before turning left. Slowing almost to a stop before turning. Or crawling out from a junction seemingly unable or unwilling to accelerate. It really just shows they are mostly just inept poorly trained drivers. They have no idea of road positioning or lane keeping and I don't want to mention their (lack of) parking skills. 

I just seem to spend a lot of time stuck behind meandering pick-ups or Nissans. Usually in the last couple of Km's from my house... Why if they want to go slow can't they just keep to the left ?

[brommers]

Incremental reduction from 80 to 40 is an interesting concept. When Nigeria decided to switch from driving on the  left to the right side of the road the Transport Minister announced an incremental plan. For the first week trucks would move to the right to get used to the change, and then the next week cars would switch over. But it seems some killjoy pointed out the practicality problem!

 

One simple thing that would help here would be the wholesale placing of bloody big traffic speed limit signs. Right now no one knows what the limit is. My car's  heads up display shows the speed limit as well as my actual speed and it is scary how often I am exceeding the limit.

[coulson]

80 is fine, 50 in more populated areas. What is enormously more dangerous is the slow maneuvering at junctions and in slow lanes, causing the speed freaks to collide. Slow lanes clogged up all the time and then miss daisy flicks a u turn taking all the lanes. If they're going to apply a maximum speed limit they should look at the minimum also.

[overherebc]

From another topic the police are now not allowed to be in the bar business so bring in a 50kph in built up areas and fine those who break the limit. I bet the returns would be better.

Hold on, I've just seen a flaw in my arguement/statement.

[trainman34014]

You can put whatever number you like on it and they will still ignore it as they do all other road rules.  Only if they start teaching people to drive properly and pass proper tests now will things be better with the generations to come over the next four decades.   It's too late to stop drivers now behaving the way they do as they have mostly been doing it too long.   Signs and rules mean nothing here, it's all about 'where i want to go and what i want to do....at any speed i want'  !

[irwinfc]

how about catching those who run red lights? oh yeah, not those. forget about speed limits then. here's a common scenario - flashing sign that reads "80" on Uttaraphimuk elevated tollway to rangsit; approaching speed trap before don mueang airport, car A stays at 80kph on the fast lane. car B comes zooms right behind car A flashing headlights. too impatient, car B shifts to middle lane and quickly overtakes car A. 2 violations, 0 enforcement. TIT

[Classic Ray]

A 60km/hr limit in towns, about 36mph, would be plenty fast enough, considering the average Thai driver's lack of skill, view ahead and consideration for other road users.

 

Lower limits like 40km/hr could be applied near schools etc. 

 

All useless without signage, education and enforcement of course.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2017 by Classic Ray

[Lupatria]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Govt thinks...

That's when I started laughing.

[overherebc]

32 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

A 60km/hr limit in towns, about 36mph, would be plenty fast enough, considering the average Thai driver's lack of skill, view ahead and consideration for other road users.

 

Lower limits like 40km/hr could be applied near schools etc. 

 

All useless without signage, education and enforcement of course.

 

 

Plus road humps or as we call them in uk 'sleeping policemen' same as the ones in the middle east.

Edited August 7, 2017 by overherebc

[Psimbo]

On the main highway up the isthmus there are many towns with 'City Limits- 50kph' signs- unfortunately there are very few 'end of restrictions ' signs.

 

Not that anyone pays attention to the 50kph signs anyway!

Edited August 7, 2017 by Psimbo

[Psimbo]

31 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Plus road humps or as we call them in uk 'sleeping policemen' same as the ones in the middle east.

There are enough 'Sleeping Policemen' in Thailand already thank you very much! Somchai, Lek, Porn and their mates get very tired hanging ut at the noodle shop.

[dinsdale]

The great intellects who bought their degrees and bought their positions are at it again. 40 km/h? Try doing that in BKK at 5:30 in the arvo. More like 4 kph.

[NanLaew]

Just now, webfact said:

“It may take a year before the new speed limit could be implemented,” Chaiwat added.

...and never, ever be enforced.

[NanLaew]

Just now, ben2talk said:

... professional drivers tell me...

Who now?

[spectrumisgreen]

2 hours ago, Pdaz said:

Apart from the odd nutter who tailgates you on the motorway or roars past in a fortuna I reckon Thais drive bl00dy slowly. They are either too busy with their phone, picking their nose or terrified to be in control of a moving vehicle. Watch them swing right before turning left. Slowing almost to a stop before turning. Or crawling out from a junction seemingly unable or unwilling to accelerate. It really just shows they are mostly just inept poorly trained drivers. They have no idea of road positioning or lane keeping and I don't want to mention their (lack of) parking skills. 

I just seem to spend a lot of time stuck behind meandering pick-ups or Nissans. Usually in the last couple of Km's from my house... Why if they want to go slow can't they just keep to the left ?

Poorly trained?  Doesn't usually even seem to be a thought to learn how to drive properly. Seen lots of guys taking their wives, sons, daughters, etc out for 'driver-training' - probably how THEY were shown, for a couple of hours! - and next time you see the car, the wife, whoever, is in sole charge of the vehicle and is clearly (as you noted, 'terrified'!) of being in such 'control'.. their  way round this tends to be pumping the gas occasionally and briefly, to just about keep some forward, but irregular(!), momentum. Another common 'one' is not indicating, or conversely, sometimes indicating even when its actually just a slight bend along the same stretch of road! Thankfully, yes - the usual idiots aside - most do drive slowly, which I think we probably have to be grateful for considering such a general lack of awareness on Thai roads! As a motor-scooter rider, I'm also grateful that the roads here aren't nearly so bad as those I encountered when based in (northern) Vietnam three years back. Driving on the 'right' side there  was just the law.. most, especially motorcycle riders, tended to cut across to, and stay on as long as they pleased, the side of the road they WANTED to be on, regardless of anyone  else!!  I actually had a bicycle during the seven months I was there, in Haiphong, and how I didn't get hospitalised or go crazy I still don't know!!! (Certainly felt a bit weird that when I next returned here, certainly around CM, the roads seemed so comparitively sedate and certainly far more predictable in regards to navigating my way along them without 'coming a cropper'!)

Edited August 7, 2017 by spectrumisgreen

[ben2talk]

3 hours ago, JAS21 said:

When he says cities I wonder if he means what we actually know as towns.

 

Have to admit that I always though the speed limit when driving through a town was 80kph ...which I thought on many occasions was much too fast. However Mrs J, who is not too often incorrect, well that is what she tells me, says sometimes 60kph. Of course these facts are overruled if there are actual speed signs ...

Exactly. On my drive to the airport I use a dual carriageway passing shops. The general limit is 80, but for sections which have junctions and many side roads and shops, the limits are posted as 60.

 

The actual limit appears to be whatever you fancy - and if you try less than 100, then angry drivers try to get through on the inside.

 

All they really need to do is to start monitoring actual driving behaviour. Most of what they outlaw wouldn't touch the bad drivers here. Most of the accidents in question are idiots in cars taking out idiots on bikes. Instead of trying to regulate it's best to go out there and start arresting people using phones whilst driving, aggressive drivers, overly passive drivers incapable of merging with traffic driving at 80km/h without panicking and slowing to 30km/h and causing tailbacks in merging traffic... 

 

Actually there is no real interest to solve this. There are plenty of police and vehicles - they stand around with cameras on their heads following very specific instructions which do not include the prevention of bad driving.

[barrywhite]

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

Plus road humps or as we call them in uk 'sleeping policemen' same as the ones in the middle east.

Be  half a start if they even PAINTED the ones they have so that you don't  get a total surprise as you launch over them.