Govt approves 120km/h speed limit

[Big Boy]

No, that was a particularly bad single day's figures.

The accompanying text read:

Yesterday saw a record 90 deaths on the roads in Thailand. In just one day, more people died in road accidents than COVID19 in one year. The average is usually around 40 deaths per day. This month it is 57 per day. Horrendous statistics

[PeteC]

If I'm reading that chart correctly the numbers show just about 88% motorcycle. That's up from our normal holiday toll of 82% motorcycle.

[Dannie Boy]

If I'm reading that chart correctly the numbers show just about 88% motorcycle. That's up from our normal holiday toll of 82% motorcycle.

Whichever way you look at it, these are terrible statistics, but I wonder how many of these involved motorcyclists pulling out in front of pickups, and how many pickups pulling out in front of motorcyclists?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hhinner]

No, that was a particularly bad single day's figures.

The accompanying text read:

Yesterday saw a record 90 deaths on the roads in Thailand. In just one day, more people died in road accidents than COVID19 in one year. The average is usually around 40 deaths per day. This month it is 57 per day. Horrendous statistics

Then perhaps the accompanying text wasn't from the same source as the table itself. Not trying to minimise the scale of the traffic stupidity here but if the number of dead was twice the normal what was the reason?

What was the source btw?

[Big Boy]

It was a reliable Facebook source that I will PM.

[europtimiste]

As much as we’d all like to see Thai drivers adopt western style driving habits (the sensible ones that is), unfortunately it’s not going to happen, definitely not in the short term and probably not in our lifetime!! The only advice I can give, is assume all other drivers are potentially dangerous and drive accordingly


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A bunch of Anglo Saxons want to change the driving habits of million Thais..555 Will maybe happen and luckily not in our lifetime. So we have to adapt to Thai driving style as I do since 25 years.

[HHTel]

People just want Thais to follow the law and the police to enforce them. What is the point of laws if completely ignored by all and sundry?

The 'Thai driving style' is not only dangerous but also illegal in their own country!

[Dannie Boy]

As much as we’d all like to see Thai drivers adopt western style driving habits (the sensible ones that is), unfortunately it’s not going to happen, definitely not in the short term and probably not in our lifetime!! The only advice I can give, is assume all other drivers are potentially dangerous and drive accordingly


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A bunch of Anglo Saxons want to change the driving habits of million Thais..555 Will maybe happen and luckily not in our lifetime. So we have to adapt to Thai driving style as I do since 25 years.

Well you should be ashamed - you’ve allowed yourself to lower your driving standards just to fit in!!

Whilst not the same as HHtel and his Advanced Driver training, I’ve had the benefit of extensive professional “defensive driving training”. What this does is to make you much more aware of your surroundings - the more aware you are, the less likely you are to be involved in a road incident.

[europtimiste]

As much as we’d all like to see Thai drivers adopt western style driving habits (the sensible ones that is), unfortunately it’s not going to happen, definitely not in the short term and probably not in our lifetime!! The only advice I can give, is assume all other drivers are potentially dangerous and drive accordingly


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A bunch of Anglo Saxons want to change the driving habits of million Thais..555 Will maybe happen and luckily not in our lifetime. So we have to adapt to Thai driving style as I do since 25 years.

Well you should be ashamed - you’ve allowed yourself to lower your driving standards just to fit in!!



No I am not ashamed, that's called adaptation. If you live in a foreign country you have to adapt to them and not ask to them to be like you. There is only one solution to improve driving in Thailand: EDUCATION. Only law enforcement cannot work.

[Dannie Boy]

A bunch of Anglo Saxons want to change the driving habits of million Thais..555 Will maybe happen and luckily not in our lifetime. So we have to adapt to Thai driving style as I do since 25 years.

Well you should be ashamed - you’ve allowed yourself to lower your driving standards just to fit in!!



No I am not ashamed, that's called adaptation. If you live in a foreign country you have to adapt to them and not ask to them to be like you. There is only one solution to improve driving in Thailand: EDUCATION. Only law enforcement cannot work.

But your attitude does nothing towards education, you’ve just shrugged your shoulders and surrendered.

As much as I’d like to see Thai driving standards improve, I know it’s very much an uphill battle, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to sling it in and drive the same way many of them do - but it’s your choice!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hhinner]

It was a reliable Facebook source that I will PM.

Thanks for the PM. Agree the FB source is mostly reliable. But in this case he's posted that table and posted some text not attributable to anyone but himself. The original Thai in the table clearly states that the numbers don't relate to only one day.

Not really important given that even 90 deaths is just a drop in the ocean of yearly statistics.

[caller]

Being honest, whether we like it or not, we do have to fit in on the roads here. You simply can't drive as you would, in my case, the UK.

The obvious one is 'undertaking' - virtually taboo at home, but here, it's what you are allowed to do and you have to, if you want to get anywhere on a long journey.

Another is going around roundabouts. It's a blind sport for Thais, whatever their size, you have to do as the locals do, as much as it's annoying.

This next one will cause a commotion - using the hard shoulder on a tollway in Bkk and in my defence, if I didn't, for my particular turn off, I might never get off the damn thing if I didn't (heading into Bkk I come off at Port, next to nobody else does). But the traffic from the entry point just before my exit is, or was, packed tight, making an impenetrable wall. However, since the virus, the traffic has always been free moving, more or less, so no need to do that now.

I'm sure there are others.

[HHTel]

I’ve had the benefit of extensive professional “defensive driving training”. What this does is to make you much more aware of your surroundings - the more aware you are, the less likely you are to be involved in a road incident.

That sentence reminded me on one of my early lessons (advanced that is)

Instructor - "Why did you indicate?"

Me - "Because you told me to take the next left turn."

Instructor - "So who were you indicating to?"

Me - "To other road users of course."

Instructor - "But there were no other vehicles in sight either ahead or behind.
That tells me that you weren't aware of your surroundings.
You should do nothing out of habit, every decision has to be made according to your surroundings."

I've never forgotten that!

[VincentD]

Road rules have never been a strong point as it was not expected even 30 years ago that the average Thai would be able to afford a car or truck. The rules were written by some government lackey tasked with the job and was probably a copy, translate and paste job. Motorcycles above 150cc were illegal in Thailand up to about 10 or so years ago when then prime minister Chatchai decided to bring in his own and sort of legalize them. Still was difficult to even register the machines.
The blokes you see doing all sorts of stupid things used to be motorsai riders who can now afford 4 wheels but still drive like they have two.
Things are a bit more sane now that there are speed cameras everywhere and a lot of them have been hit in the pocket that they will tone down. Does not stop those big bike groupies who don't display their number plates and intimidate regular road users when they pass en masse. Asian highway a favorite for them.
I've toned down a lot myself; used to have a modified Saab turbo and do the Asian highway run at high speed often back then. Radar detector a necessary piece of kit. Other fast moving vehicles were typically Euro brands. A lot has changed with the cameras.
Will the new ruling change anything? I very much doubt that. But nature has it's own way of keeping things in check and one sometimes finds morbid humour when reading the latest Darwin award stories.
Drive defensively, stay safe. The speed limits, just like the paint on the road, is for decoration.

[HHTel]

The rules were written by some government lackey tasked with the job and was probably a copy, translate and paste job.

Correct. They were/are a copy of the UK regulations. I found the admission some time ago. Nothing to be ashamed of I might add. Why invent the wheel when there's a perfectly good one that can be used.