PUT YOUR BLOODY HELMETS ON!!

[Locturian]

I must admit, i am often one of those fools not wearing a helmet. I know it's dumb, and if i am going any longer than 7-11, i also wear the darn thing. But, sadly, only the plastic thing i've got when i bought my bike... I've bougt a nice big semi-fullface helmet, but honestly, it's heavy and clumsy - and HOT to wear, when the sun is baking...

So, is there any "comfy" helmets out there? Helmets that don't make you sweet and feel like an idiot? - Hey, you can drive safe, and still look good, i'm sure of that...

[dane48]

- Hey, you can drive safe, and still look good, i'm sure of that...

A Salvador Dali fan it seems


Wear that helmet

[Mack111]

Guy’s

Having had bikes most of my days I can only 100% agree with what’s been said, I also have to add these things that some of the moped driver wear wont do you much good either, “ARAIâ€

[Roppongi]

Leave the motor bikes for the race track.

Even with a helmet on you still have next to no protection when cleaned up by a car, unless you're wearing full-body leathers and boots which you don't see too often in Thailand, apart from at clubs like The Castle in Pattaya.

Stick to the songtaows. Bikes just aren't worth the risk for the few baht you save.

[Mack111]

yip if you can put up with the leathers in this heat they are a good idea for protecting against road rash which can be bloody painful.

but people wont wear leathers to pop down the shop for a paper or a quick beer...at least if you have a decent helment to protect your head its a good start

[VincentD]

Along with remembering the helmets, please, please, please.....

Don't pick up the locals bad habits like riding on the wrong side of the road, cutting blind corners, pretending not to see other traffic while blatantly cutting across.. you know where I'm coming from.

A story from another perspective...
While working up North, I rented a room in a small village. The roads were so narrow if two cars passed each other, you'd be scraping wing mirrors. One day, I had just stopped at a blind corner of a T-junction (a friend was with me in the car) when a motorbike just came through (obviously on the wrong side) and slammed straight into my front. The kid on the handlebars fell off, as did his female pillion. None were wearing helmets.

Fortunately no-one was really hurt but just to make sure I insisted on the kid being sent to the local clinic. I didn't have to, but I did. The bike wasn't his, nor was the kid. I have comprehensive insurance, so the car was covered, but it is d*mn annoying when it isn't your fault, they know it and try to walk away.
Since I'd been renting for a while, I was known there, and after I brought the kid to the clinic, I brought her home where the mother thanked me for the medical expenses, as did the village headman. It could have turned out different, perhaps, but I had to do the right thing...

Okay, rant over...

[JimboPSM]

This thread has reminded me of one of my biggest worries when driving in Thailand, the motorcyclist overtaking on the left or near side of the vehicle.

I find that compared to driving in the UK I must take especial care when either moving to the left side of the road or turning left because of the way motorcycles come up your left side despite you indicating your intentions to move or turn left.

This has happened to me numerous times driving in North East Thailand and for the motorcyclists it can be a particularly dangerous or fatal manoeuvre (especially without helmet) as they don’t realise there can be a number of blind spots for the vehicle driver on the near side which make the motorcyclists very difficult to see until it is too late

Fortunately before I started driving in Thailand a friend who had been living here some time warned me about some of the dangerous habits of local motorcyclists; so far (touch wood) the motorcyclists and I have been lucky and avoided each other. He also warned me that if there was an accident I would automatically be blamed irrespective of the circumstances

[olmate]

Moral of story = Take own helmut to LOS
Just plain dumb if you don't.
Oh and dont ride in thongs/bangers/pluggers.

[Kraka's Dad]

Bangers/pluggers ???

What on earth are they ??
Unless bangers is Bangkok where is pluggers ?

[olmate]

Bangers/pluggers ???

What on earth are they ??
Unless bangers is Bangkok where is pluggers ?

Ahh many are the various names that we use for those bits of rubber we get around in when we cant be f%&cked tieing up shoelaces.

[Kraka's Dad]

Ah all is revealed.

[dr dave soul monsta]

Ok I will set all you photographers a task the thread is about wearing helmets on the two wheeled motorised style of transport,
How about taking images, especially of offending farrangs who think its cool, have found Buddhism and are safe from harm or think they are captain scarlet and are indestructible and we will place them in a rogues gallery of none helmet wearers for all to see in the HHAD album and the best ones on this thread also this way we may incite our fellow farrangs to don the relevant headwear on motorised bicycles

Sarge,Dawn simmer down Jet skis agreed are bleeding dangerous the thread was initially regarding helmets on the road on a motorcycle, the event in Cha Am may have been better placed in a new thread or in the local news section or opinion what ever your views on jet skis or crash helmets the authorities will do something at their own leisure regardless of any ranting on public forums and usually around the end of the month..................

[dr dave soul monsta]

The Jet Ski part has been removed to another thread as it has little to do with wearing helmets and road saftey

Dawn had to paste this in it was accidentaly moved with the Jet ski related posts

This thread has reminded me of one of my biggest worries when driving in Thailand, the motorcyclist overtaking on the left or near side of the vehicle.

I find that compared to driving in the UK I must take especial care when either moving to the left side of the road or turning left because of the way motorcycles come up your left side despite you indicating your intentions to move or turn left.

This has happened to me numerous times driving in North East Thailand

and for the motorcyclists it can be a particularly dangerous or fatal manoeuvre (especially without helmet) as they don’t realise there can be a number of blind spots for the vehicle driver on the near side which make the motorcyclists very difficult to see until it is too late

Dawn HHDRC wrote
This happened to me yesterday & I was on the bike! Shocked Got a motorbike taxi up to the dog center & there was a traffic jam near the junction for the Pala U road/Chomsin Rd. So instead of waiting, the driver starts going on the inside of the traffic. Right on the junction we end up on the inside of a bloody big truck, me inches from its wheels. I'm positive the driver couldn't see us (not his fault) and IMO, we're extremely lucky we made it past him without an accident. Some of these motorbike taxi guys are absolute idiots! I was terrified!
_________________
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,
Running over the same old ground,
What have we found? The same old fears.
Wish you were here.



Sarge please please discontinue from your out bursts


The thread has the following URL
http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/vi ... php?t=5438

[JimboPSM]

Heavier penalties on motorcyclists who do not wear helmets - from Bangkok Post:

ROAD SAFETY / LAND TRAFFIC ACT AMENDMENTS

Penalties stiffen for drunk drivers

The cabinet yesterday approved harsher punishment for motorists convicted of drunk driving, including losing their licence. Amendments to the Land Traffic Act, which since 1979 has dealt with drink-driving offences, were approved to impose fines up to 200,000 baht and jail terms up to 10 years for violators who had caused road accidents.

The existing law had proven ''inappropriate and inconsistent'' to properly deal with the current situation, said government spokesman Yongyuth Maiyalarp.

The amended law will give officials more power to deal with the rising number of drunk drivers by empowering courts to more easily suspend or cancel drivers' licences, he said.

''If motorists kill someone, they will be sent to jail for three to 10 years, be fined between 60,000 and 200,000 baht, and their driving licences will be cancelled,'' Mr Yongyuth said.

If a drunk driver seriously injures someone, their licence will be suspended for at least one year, Mr Yongyuth said.

The law also imposes heavier penalties on motorcyclists who do not wear helmets.

Motorcyclists without helmets will be fined 500 baht. The fine will be doubled if their passengers also have no helmet, Mr Yongyuth said.

[lomuamart]

Well, im amazed that someone could possibly lose their licence because of drunk driving. Ouch.
I thought it was all about money.
Stiffen - what does that mean?
Let's see some results.
How the passengers are treated is very important. Who can afford so many helmets?
Good words - yet to see results.