H.H's new road-accident blackspot

Post by **usual suspect** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 6:43 am

There's a car smash here at least once a day. The comments on various Thai forums are endless..all saying the stretch of road has been badly planned & needs changing.
There is actually two accident-blackspots..
1st is directly outside the new Ra******** Park on the Pranburi Rd south of town (I cannot remember it's name, nor how to pronounce it, so won't bother to)..Coming North, after the Suan Son Jtn the road just before the 'Park' turning becomes 2-lane..not long after this is a left-hand filter-lane..THEN the right-side lane (of the 2 main lanes going straight without any prior warning becomes the 'Right turn only' lane.
BUT so, so many folk are overtaking on this short stretch of 2-lane, going at speed..THEN realising this lane does a 90' right..But worse still is the fact that beyond this 90-degree turn the road is visually back to 2-lanes..so folk are barrelling-on thru'..THAT's your accident area..sat in the road at this Jtn. is a low-level, kerbed triangular traffic island
that no-one can see!! EVERY night this week there has been a smash here!

Number 2 'blackspot' is further north almost opposite the Water Park..again you're heading north towards town, dropping down slightly, & without warning the lane you are in becomes a 90-degree left turn onto the frontage Rd..and if you try to veer right to avoid the barrier that's now directly in front of you.. (the barrier they HAD to install due to countless vehicles going in the klong)..you're gonna hit Somchai who's already overtaking you!
This very same road-layout occurs AGAIN I think at the 112 Jtn further on.

Please, please take note of these lane changes, & that damn low-level island next time you drive along there..& be aware of fast traffic behind you that will no doubt have to take drastic action.

Post by **eatuae** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 8:55 am

Totally agree with you I've had near misses at all 3 of these locations. Serious care must be taken

Post by **Gregjam** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 9:55 am

Just had a woman reverse into my parked truck in a quiet soi with loads of room. What chance do you stand on a busy road like that with the appalling standard of drivers here. That whole section of road was in dire need of improvement before the latest changes and has only got worse.

Post by **Big Boy** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 11:12 am

Yes, the Hua Hin Traffic planner said a couple of years ago that they were going to make Hua Hin's road the template for all other areas to learn from - of course, they didn't mean 'Don't do it like Hua Hin.'

It seems every road improvement the planners make is no more than incompetence. I'm sure the planners must ride a motorcycle and are totally out of touch with what driving a car or larger actually requires.

The new bit of road going past the Khao Tao entrance is no better. Where the North bound duel carriageway ends always catches me out, even though I know it's there

. With no warning, the left lane becomes a slip road with a right angled turn or end up in the Klong at the end of it. I think (not sure) the right hand lane is the slip road for traffic joining from Khao Tao. Coming from the UK, driving on the left is indoctrinated anyway, but with no warning, the road with the right of way suddenly has to give way to joining traffic or go for a swim.

As for the mess they've made of Petchkasem

. I avoid Petchkasem as much as possible these days. If the white lines weren't there, and you actually drove the way the lines take you, the police would stop you, thinking you were under the influence of drink, drugs or both.

The other thing that really gets me at the moment is the fitting of CCTV at junctions crying out for traffic light control. I guess traffic lights are boring/stop the flow of traffic/safe. Fitting CCTV gives the opportunity to post a video on You Tube, demonstrating how badly people drive on Thailand's roads.

Post by **StevePIraq** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 4:22 pm

But you have to love Phetkasem road going south the Market Village, it's a perfect go cart course complete with painted tires and cones which seem to be relocated every day so you have a new course to follow.

Just amazing and I don't even have to pay.

And Klong road is a wonder in itself, it must have cost millions then no sooner finished than they start breaking it up to install junctions and U turns they forgot about.

Obviously Road Planning and Traffic Management is not taught in Thai Universities ( Thai universities are another joke)

Post by **usual suspect** » Mon Mar 28, 2016 8:10 pm

Photo of the offending 'island' dohttp://www.huahinforum.com/download/file.php?m ... id=20296wn on the Pranburi Rd. I think the main problem at night is glare from oncoming headlights making this little gremlin hard to see.

Post by **HHTel** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 12:53 am

The lanes are separated by bollards. You would hit this 'island' if driving straight on. Seems well lit to me but I agree the signage is missing. I live on 112 and have driven this many times at night. I've always criticised the road layout as something designed in a kindergarten but I've never had a problem navigating through it.
I think the main problem, especially at night when traffic is light, is that people think "Clear road so I'll put my foot down!". Then realise too late that it's a bit of an obstacle course.

Post by **Big Boy** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 8:00 am

Yes, of course, most of us miss the obstacle on a daily basis, but the OP states there is one person (out of thousands?) who doesn't miss it on a daily basis. The fact that most of us miss it, does not help the poor person that doesn't. With Thai driving standards not likely to improve soon, road planners should take extra care.

As for cones everywhere, trying to correct their design inabilities, it is beyond a joke.

I remember when they were building the Petchkasem debacle before they put down white lines. It was a nightly occurrence for people to hit the central reservation coming into town from the North, with quite a few people dying. I remember saying to friends that the planning department would probably have been charged with negligence/manslaughter in many countries.

Post by **bsdk1960** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 4:45 pm

ok here is my ?

I stay in HH 4 - 6 month a year for many years,and I see max five accident when I'm there,is that many compare to DK ,I don't think so.
How many do you guys see ?

Post by **buksida** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 4:59 pm

I see accidents pretty much every time I'm on the road somewhere which is at least twice a week.

Post by **Big Boy** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 7:57 pm

2 a week would seem a fair averaged number.

Post by **StevePIraq** » Tue Mar 29, 2016 8:55 pm

Easy answer the Thai way, put someone standing there with a red flag, problem solved and more people in work

Post by **oakdale160** » Wed Mar 30, 2016 4:22 am

There is a plan, Its Darwinian, keeps the population from rising.

Post by **Dieter78** » Wed Mar 30, 2016 1:02 pm

The lines on Phetkasem (market village heading south) are barely visible these days...

Which is probably a good thing because half the drivers ignore them anyway at risk to the other half driving in the lanes.

Post by **Big Boy** » Wed Mar 30, 2016 5:52 pm

Reading social media, they have pictures of another accident near the new park (I can't spell it either) yesterday.

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