Train hit car at Soi 94 today

[Big Boy]

I don't disagree with you either pharvey - all of those measures must be carried out. My only fear is that much of the work will be wasted by people wanting to save a minute.

[charlesh]

If you people honestly believe that signs/barriers/cut down vegetation would improve things - so be it. Spitfire is correct and there is a fundamental flaw in the Thai psyche akin to risk taking on a different level...

A number of posters appear to attribute these tragedies to failings in the Thai psyche ....
So how is it that an apparently disproportionately high number of these accidents have involved foreigners who are here?

Barry you may also wish to consider that if your premise is true re; stats on over representation then the foreigners may indeed be aping the local "rules of the road" and emulate what others (Thais) do. I know I have on many occasions. As for reading signs - many don't read Thai or are unable to recognise the universality of some road signs or have adopted a familiarity approach.

I have a great deal of sympathy for the train drivers who on an almost daily basis have to put up with what is called in OZ "trespassers".

PS these incidents are not confined to farang infested areas in the LOS either!!!!!!!

[sjpthsuk]

i've sat at the Khun Oy restaurant opposite the crossing on numerous ocassions cringing as you hear the train honk it's horn to warn motorists/cyclists that it's coming, but still people try to beat it across. Fortunately i've never seen anything happen.
My thoughts go out to the grieving family at this stage...

[Homer]

Risk assessment and consequence are not something exclusive to pilots Homer.

Never said it was.

Just basic common sense.

Common sense is an oxymoron. If more people acted based on the consequences of a outcome instead of the probability of that outcome the incidences of bankruptcy, divorce, teen pregnancy would be far lower and prisons would be ghost towns. And YouTube would be far less entertaining.

[Buntsa]

One more point about this issue. Those stop signs are too far away from actual railway. If there is plenty vegetation, you can not see the train approaching the crossing at that stop point. They should have positioned at least three meters closer to the railway to have any benefit. I believe that it is really the reason why people don't give a shit about these stop signs?

[Lung Per]

Look fellas; If you want to play it safe bring you car to a full stop, roll down you windows, look and listen for the train. If you are in doubt, get your butt out of the car and take a closer look. Not rocket science. And you stay alive.

[Spitfire]

Yeah, that's fair enough, but you can't trust that everything is working anyhow.

What if there's a electricity outage or the mechanisms are broken through ware and just don't work one day? My confidence in this sort of stuff is weak to say the least.

A little bit of prudence wouldn't go amiss from all, but that of course, would require forethought, which brings me back to my previous post and observations.......sadly.

As regards earlier in this thread, for those that questioned the stance of no-one caring about Sweet FA.....then I didn't single anyone/ethnicity etc out, just had a 'pop' at all users of everything in it's entirety.

[pharvey]

Look fellas; If you want to play it safe bring you car to a full stop, roll down you windows, look and listen for the train. If you are in doubt, get your butt out of the car and take a closer look. Not rocket science. And you stay alive.

And no doubt you hear cock all above the market stalls and usual Thai life, get out of the car, see a clear track, turn around get back in the car and the train is already approaching....... definite sod's law. But hey.... great advice LP

[chopsticks]

.......or carry a wine-glass with you and put one end on the track, other to your ear, and you'll hear the train approaching from many miles away.

[Buntsa]

Look fellas; If you want to play it safe bring you car to a full stop, roll down you windows, look and listen for the train. If you are in doubt, get your butt out of the car and take a closer look. Not rocket science. And you stay alive.

Exactly! My point is that You have to drive near to railway and then stop. Not six or seven meters before!

Got it?

[Lung Per]

Look fellas; If you want to play it safe bring you car to a full stop, roll down you windows, look and listen for the train. If you are in doubt, get your butt out of the car and take a closer look. Not rocket science. And you stay alive.

And no doubt you hear cock all above the market stalls and usual Thai life, get out of the car, see a clear track, turn around get back in the car and the train is already approaching....... definite sod's law. But hey.... great advice LP

[Lung Per]

Look fellas; If you want to play it safe bring you car to a full stop, roll down you windows, look and listen for the train. If you are in doubt, get your butt out of the car and take a closer look. Not rocket science. And you stay alive.

Exactly! My point is that You have to drive near to railway and then stop. Not six or seven meters before!

Got it?

Exactly. You, and perhaps only you, seem to understand the point! If you are waiting behind another car you just wait. Got it?

[kalbow]

I don't trust anything mechanical in this country - I slow down at gated crossings when they're open and still look out for any trains.

There's a small barrier crossing at Kao Takiab which last week I crossed while they were down - they were not working and seemed to have been down for some time. I sat there for 5 minutes waiting for the train and cursing all these drivers for crossing. Eventually I figured out they were broken and a kind lady wandered over and checked for any trains and and waved me across.

On the way home I crossed again, barriers still down.

[johnnyk]

Gates, weeds etc are beside the point, common sense is the point here and all the rules, regs and equipment are no help to wilfully dumb people.

[sjpthsuk]

I'll probably get flamed for this one...but there is the possibility the driver was going too fast and could not stop in time, despite having the speed bumps before the crossing.

I have on numerous occasions slowed down for the bumps at other rail crossings and seen both cars and motorcycles overtake me for going too slow. I hate these crossings because of the dangers involved and usually have double takes both ways before going through.

Don't think there will be any solutions to this problem in the foreseeable future, so guess we all have to be vigilant