Big Boy wrote: ↑Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:31 pm
So, I used to quite happily drive at 120KPH from the flyover to Bangkok Hospital
This from the person that constantly blames motorcycles for all Thai road angst?! Nutters doing 120 in pickups in built up areas are more likely to be the cause of accidents.
Just as well you cant do it anymore ...
20 years ago that stretch was unlit and all jungle apart from Sport Villa just before the flyover, which wasn't a flyover then.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Yes, I admit it was reckless, but nobody could tell me I was exceeding the limit. At that time, I was basically keeping up with the traffic flow (in the outside lane, at least).
As soon as I learnt the truth, I stopped. I do not knowingly break the speed limit, and had been badly advised. I'm sure you could look back 6 years, and see the 'no speed limit in Thailand' comments. Speed limits were probably the hardest part about Thai driving for me - it took months to become completely au-fait with the regulations.
I often asked questions on this generally very helpful forum, and was ridiculed for asking, but I have thick skin.
Exactly. I'm more of a left hand lane person these days, apart from where the motorcycle lane disappears, there are still many who go far too fast down that stretch, even though they've inserted zig zags and Bluport.
Big Boy wrote: ↑Thu Jul 19, 2018 2:15 pm
Exactly. I'm more of a left hand lane person these days, apart from where the motorcycle lane disappears, there are still many who go far too fast down that stretch, even though they've inserted zig zags and Bluport.
Ahem, that's not a motorcycle lane. In Thai it's the 'safety zone', what we would call the 'hard shoulder' back home. Technically, nothing is allowed in it, unless overridden, in which case there has to be a sign stating that.
Driving back from Makro this morning, there are 3 traffic lanes, except where there are 2 , then there is what people have always described as the the motorcycle lane, then there is the hard shoulder.
For my own education please, if it's not a motorcycle lane, and it's not the hard shoulder, what is it please? Not essential information because Lid never drive in the void between the road and the hard shoulder (too many motorcycles), but it would be nice to know what it really is there for.
The narrow lane on the nearside was originally intended as a cycle lane. As the roads get resurfaced they are being done away with as you'll see on the newer parts of Petchakasem. The ones that still exist have a cycle logo within that lane at intervals. The lane to the left of that is the hard shoulder. The solid white line is a give-away. Must not be crossed.
However, it's not used properly and in my opinion keeping the scooters off the main carriageway is good. These 'hard shoulders' in some parts of Thailand are legally motorcycle lanes. For example when you get into the Ratchaburi province, there are signs instructing motorcycles to use the hard shoulder.
They don't serve a very useful part in the town due to parked cars they are useless as an emergency lane.
What gets up my nose is on the highways out of town and the expressways in BKK when in heavy traffic they are used as an extra lane. I've often traveled on the expressway to IKEA. The hard shoulder there is painted with diagonal lines in addition to large red and white 'no entry' signs painted on the road. Completely ignored. I wonder how many people have died due to the fact that emergency vehicles have no chance of getting to an accident because of the stupidity of drivers using the hard shoulder.
There was a campaign in BKK not so long ago, fining motorcycles using cycle lanes. But enforcement never continues for more than a week or so.
I'm starting to ramble now but after being here many years, it still gets up my nose.
I don't think anybody has enjoyed the 'reduced' Covid traffic levels more than me. Driving in Thailand became almost enjoyable for a while. However, in the last few weeks, either I've chosen bad times to go anywhere, or traffic levels have been returning to normal.
In direct relation, I have been monitoring the numbers of road deaths in Thailand for a while (because the numbers started getting pushed to me for some reason). The numbers were averaging well below 30 a day. In the last few weeks, the numbers have increased to what I believe to be normal levels, at around 50 per day.
There is a lot more traffic at the weekends but mostly from BKK. I went to Makro yesterday and chose the Petcha route as the road has been pretty clear of late.
Too late, I realised that it was a mistake. Long queues of traffic at red lights and red again before getting through.
Definitely an uptick on recent traffic.
- It looks like Thailand is heading for an annual fatality figure of approx.13,000 - which is a significant reduction from the WHO's 2018 stat of 22,490.