U-Turns

Driving and riding in Hua Hin and Thailand, all topics on cars, pickups, bikes, boats, licenses, roads, and motoring in general.
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STEVE G
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Re: U-Turns

Post by STEVE G »

I agree with closing U-turns for safety but you need to replace them with junctions, traffic lights, roundabouts or flyovers, otherwise you'll just overload the road system with all the extra wasted journeys up and down to the next place where you can turn around.
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Re: U-Turns

Post by Nothappyjan »

Roundabouts work well in western countries because most motorists stick to common sense road rules. Thais seem to think that the rules of the road don't apply to them 'mai pen rai'. The emergence of young Thais is powerful sports cars is a worrying sign.
However, all of the solutions are bandaid solutions for roads that are just overwhelmed with traffic density.
The stretch between HH central and Takiab is a nightmare. Buses and work vehicles that are parked on the side of the road cause havoc. The traffic has to merge to avoid these parked obstacles and chaotic traffic conditions.
The sooner a by pass road to Takiab is built the better. The current road with Uturns etc incorporated just can' t cope.
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hhfarang
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Re: U-Turns

Post by hhfarang »

Here's a roundabout to top all roundabouts:

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http://www.businessinsider.com/this-rou ... ses-2016-1
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Re: U-Turns

Post by gerryha »

Slightly off topic but for me the scariest part of the new klung rd layout is the push bike lanes. If your coming south right next to the inside lane are 2 cycle lanes and the one that touches the inside lane is for people cycling the wrong way. The relatively wide 2 lanes are going to prove irrisistable to motor bikes or cars wanting to shorten a corner. If I was a cyclist I should hate my last thought on earth to be "oh no, not a Hond brio".
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Re: U-Turns

Post by HHTel »

I'd love to see the locals, and Americans even, navigate their way across the 'Magic Roundabout' in Hemel Hempstead and Swindon. One large roundabout surrounded by 6 mini-roundabouts!

As for cycle lanes, the only ones I've seen that are dedicated to cycles is on the road to Dolphin Bay. The lanes are separated from the main carriageway by a kerb. Allbeit that road is very quiet and you rarely see cycles.

Other cycle lanes are occupied by m/cycles and cars as is the hard shoulder (safety zone).

Rule for car drivers: If the main lanes are congested, then form a new lane on the hard shoulder. If an emergency vehicle needs to get through then tough and people may die.

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JamesWest
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Re: U-Turns

Post by JamesWest »

HHTel wrote:I'd love to see the locals, and Americans even,


We all know on this forum what a arrogant person you are HHTel.

On a forum visited by people from all over the world looking for information about Hua Hin, your comments are of no value to anyone.
I really like this forum because there are no personal attacks. All the members contribute in a positive way to my posts.
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Re: U-Turns

Post by lindosfan1 »

I try to contribute some good content here while being called stupid by various forum members. I have begun to post again, but if the attacks and name calling continue, no more from me.
We all know on this forum what a arrogant person you are HHTel.

On a forum visited by people from all over the world looking for information about Hua Hin, your comments are of no value to anyone.
Like to comment on the quotes James, both made by you.

HHtel those roundabouts are a puzzle, interesting if they were in Thailand
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Re: U-Turns

Post by HHTel »

Welcome back, James.

No change then!
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Re: U-Turns

Post by HHTel »

Incidentally, I mentioned Americans as roundabouts have only recently been introduced into the States and was not intended to be a slur on the good people there.
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Re: U-Turns

Post by migrant »

HHTel wrote:Incidentally, I mentioned Americans as roundabouts have only recently been introduced into the States and was not intended to be a slur on the good people there.
We have had roundabouts in the states many years. I remember not long after getting my drivers license (43 years ago, but who's counting) getting to one and being a bit nervous!
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Re: U-Turns

Post by Homer »

Ratsima wrote:There are frequent accidents on Petkasem Rd at the U-turns in the vicinity of The Energy, both north and south. The was a horrendous one at the entrance of the Grand Condotel last week. That same week one of my wife's law clients reported another one at the PTT station just south of the Energy. He noted that a friend of his was killed in an accident at the same spot early last year.
How do these usually happen? Seems to me u-turn accidents would mostly be when the u-turner gets hit by oncoming traffic before he can occupy a lane and get up to speed, or when one stops in the intersection waiting to make the u-turn and gets hit from behind.

U-turns and roundabouts are a bad fit with car cultures that believe either 'I'm going really fast so you must stay out of my way.', or 'I shouldn't have to pay enough attention to notice a car in front of me that wasn't there 5 seconds ago.' or 'How dare you make me slow down! Can't you see my vehicle is bigger and more expensive than yours?'
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Re: U-Turns

Post by Big Boy »

Or 'my lights are flashing, I've played my trump card - you have to let me through', regardless of who has the right of way.
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Re: U-Turns

Post by Nereus »

What really gets up my nose is the ignorant p****s that come up on your left side while you are waiting to U-turn at any junction, but more so at a T type of junction. If I have to do a U-turn where there is no slip road, I always try to position as far to the left as possible, as if there is half enough room for a car in the space to the left, for sure some idiot will try and fit into it, and then cut you off as you continue the turn. There is one I have to use regularly where there is a slip road, and the same thing occurs there.

The other daily occurrence where I live in Bangkok is the nong that blindly enters a U-turn slip road, just because there is suddenly an open space in front of him. He has no intention of making a U-turn, and gets peed off when those behind him start blowing their horns because he is blocking the turn. This happens about 75% of the time where I have to do a u-turn to get into my Soi. The U-turn is less than about 100 metres from a light controlled T junction on Sukhumvit road, and can take 5 or 6 minutes for the lights to change and the traffic starts to flow again. And then, the idiot blocking the U-turn has to force his way back into the now moving traffic lane on his left. This particular U-turn has
AT LEAST 5 signs well back before it, but of course signs are not there to guide the traffic, just places for pigeons to sit and rest. :guns:
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Re: U-Turns

Post by StevePIraq »

U turns work perfect if the road is designed correctly and drivers follow the rules. Here U Turns are not designed correctly, there should not be U Turns for both directions at the same location, once a car stops from the opposite direction you can no longer see without creeping out and we all know no Thai will slow down, remember if he flashes lights he is coming no matter what. There are also no slip lanes to turn into so you have to turn into the fast lane.
With roundabouts it is much the same, Thais cannot comprehend them, at the big one on Pala U road and By Pass Road, Thais stop on the roundabout, I can't understand this as they don't stop anywhere else.

But then again This is Thailand or as I refer to it Ting Tong Land
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Re: U-Turns

Post by HHTel »

migrant wrote:
HHTel wrote:Incidentally, I mentioned Americans as roundabouts have only recently been introduced into the States and was not intended to be a slur on the good people there.
We have had roundabouts in the states many years. I remember not long after getting my drivers license (43 years ago, but who's counting) getting to one and being a bit nervous!
I apologise if I'm wrong. However, several articles state that the first modern (British) roundabouts were installed in the states in the 90's with the majority of the 3,000 in existance in the US, installed in the last decaade. Prior to that there were 'American traffic circles' which apparantly were very different and with very different rules.
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