Hua Hin School new kerbing first victim

[Gregjam]

Just passed Hua Hin School and saw the familiar presence of an ambulance this time at the eastern end of the new central kerbing that has just been installed. When they were putting it in I said to the wife it would just concentrate the U turns to the ends and would be unlikely to improve the safety of what is probably one of the most unsafe sections of road in Hua Hin.
Hopefully nobody was seriously hurt but just proves that no matter how safe you make the roads until the drivers/riders adopt basic safe practices people will continue to be hurt.

[europtimiste]

Just passed Hua Hin School and saw the familiar presence of an ambulance this time at the eastern end of the new central kerbing that has just been installed. When they were putting it in I said to the wife it would just concentrate the U turns to the ends and would be unlikely to improve the safety of what is probably one of the most unsafe sections of road in Hua Hin.
Hopefully nobody was seriously hurt but just proves that no matter how safe you make the roads until the drivers/riders adopt basic safe practices people will continue to be hurt.

Don't blame drivers, riders. Blame those uneducated children walking or riding. I don't agree that it's the most unsafe road of HH. I drive this road daily 2 to 3 times.
This kerbing is ridiculous, just moving the U-turn up or down the road.

[usual suspect]

Yes Gregjam..We saw that accident today too...& yes it looked the the direct result of 1 vehicle daring to stop & attempt a U-turn while not realising that behind him is the fast (downhill) moving traffic happily passing everything slower that's on the left... BANG!
And yes...my wife commented that the new centre-section will cause U-turn accidents at each end all the time.

[Gregjam]

Like many I use that road daily and despair at the standard of driving. This accident was during school time and did not appear to involve the kids who make a mockery of any road “laws”. Driving the section from the Klong junction up to big C means, apart from the kids, traffic from the various junctions as well as the usual U turns and subject to opening times crossing traffic from Big C, Thaworn, Tesco/7/11, Moo Gatat restaurant and all the other businesses.
My own money no object dream would be proper roundabouts at the Klong junction and outside Big C that are raised so you cannot drive over them and marked so that traffic on them has right of way (UK style). Between them would be a solid wall so no U turns and where a gap is made for the school crossing a suitably large step or pillars to stop motorcycles making U turns. Just to “educate “ the drivers who no doubt would try driving the wrong way the road would be fitted with those one way spikes that let you drive over if you are going in the correct direction.
I am sure the bike and car tyre shops along that stretch would get some business.
Yes, slightly tongue in cheek and very unlikely but no harm in dreaming.

[oakdale160]

Gregjam posted--Hopefully nobody was seriously hurt but just proves that no matter how safe you make the roads until the drivers/riders adopt basic safe practices people will continue to be hurt.

BUT, drivers/riders are NOT going to adopt safe practices. We all know that--SO the design should be to assume that. Sadly the attitude that leads to unsafe driving also leads to poor design--ita all part of the inability to recognise cause and effect. Is that genetic or just not-taught???

[hhinner]

As with most road layouts here it's probably only a matter of time before the cones come out and then the bolted down bollards follow.

[handdrummer]

inability to recognise cause and effect. Is that genetic or just not-taught???

Not taught.

Anything to do with thinking and logic is not taught. However, there is a younger generation, around 23 yrs. of age, that is beginning to think. That, of course, will be dangerous to the cult of obedience.

[Big Boy]

I've just picked my youngest granddaughter up from Hua Hin School. Busy traffic going towards Big C, and cars parked on the opposite side of the road meant there was no room to do a U-turn on Pala-U Road. I had to turn down a side road, do a 3 point turn and then turn back onto Pala-U Road. Nightmare.

Another gem from Hua Hin's road design team.

[Big Boy]

Yesterday's pick-up was after a school trip, so not many kids leaving.

The central reservation isn't the only problem. They've made a huge length of pavement outside the school no parking. The only place vehicles can stop to drop-off/pick-up is a few yards either side of the school gates (yes, I know, but TIT).

At chucking-out time, because many children live considerable distances, there is an array of school buses, who are now forced to park 3 and 4 abreast, causing blockages/chaos. I haven't seen this with my own eyes yet, but I'm on the evening school run from tomorrow until Christmas, and I'm dreading it. If it's as chaotic as people say, I'll post dashcam footage.

[PeteC]

I run into similar problems over where I am too, but solved by telling the daughter pick up will be at 1530 instead of 1510. In that extra 20 minutes all the traffic clears and it's a straight shot into the school and out. She seems to enjoy the extra time to chit-chat with her friends. Pete

[Big Boy]

Yes, I'm thinking of something similar, but Hua Hin School's chucking out time can be anything from 3:15 until 4:45. Different classes seem to finish at different times, and the vast array of buses + parents are there for the duration (although I've not done a normal finishing time school run since the 'improvement').

I'm sure a job at Hua Hin Road Planning is for those who fail at the Ministry of Silly Ideas.

[Big Boy]

I've been excused school run duty this week - maybe some dashcam footage next week.

[T.O.M.]

This forum is getting more and more like Thaivisa....a lot of grumpy expats complaining about everything Thai and Thai related.... And no we don't need (another) dashcam footage to show us, that it is a little chaotic outside the Hua Hin's schools at pick-up time....We live here....so we have experienced it first hand...!!
And the children don't get injured or killed thanks to the good work of teachers, police and volunteers, so the Thai way of doing things is clearly working.
And poor BB, who had to do a 3 point turn to come back to the Palau Road....Life is a bitch.
Why not go straight ahead over the Lek Fai Viewpoint down to soi 88...Problem solved.
Some of us moved here, because it is very different from home...Please do not try to make Thailand to a bad copy of the West. Enjoy the country as it is...for better or worse

[Big Boy]

Cheer up then

As for going over the Hin Lek Fai hill, that is the route I always take, but when you're facing West, how to do? The road behind Big C is impassable with anything less than a motorcycle, and they've removed the ability to safely do a U-turn.