Driving in Thailand - Tip No.1: Keep your eyes on the road..

[Vital Spark]

She's young, she's Thai and she's having fun with her friends.





VS

[Pleng]

It's a safety advert, according to the comments

Much more effective than the railway crossing one I keep on about. Well done to whoever got behind this initiative.

[Spitfire]

Simply a good advert/'heads-up' of the dangers on these roads.

The most dangerous thing all of you (plus me) do, is get on the roads in one form or another.

Road safety here is a joke because most locals believe it's OK to do what makes road travel so dangerous in so many ways.

............Add the usual contempt and apathy towards everyone that most possess anyway and it ends up beyond farce and reality for most.

[Vital Spark]

I didn't realise it was a road safety ad. when I posted it. It wasn't dramatic enough - if I showed it to my students they'd probably be singing along and laughing at the end. A successful, high impact, video needs to have some emotion (and possibly blood and death). The Gwent Police did a fantastic job with this one. It's pretty gruesome, but it does the job.



VS
(Sorry mods. I can't seem to get this embedding thing sorted...)

[Vital Spark]

OK, I here's the link with the text (which is also an interesting read)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/sep/0 ... afety-film

VS

[Nereus]

Simply a good advert/'heads-up' of the dangers on these roads.
The most dangerous thing all of you (plus me) do, is get on the roads in one form or another.
Road safety here is a joke because most locals believe it's OK to do what makes road travel so dangerous in so many ways.
............Add the usual contempt and apathy towards everyone that most possess anyway and it ends up beyond farce and reality for most.

Oh, no no Spitfire, you cannot criticise the Thais like that!
Somebody may think that you are blaming the Thais for everything, and then a.n.other will for sure write that you have an inferiority complex! I really thought better of you!

[SunandFun]

OK, I here's the link with the text (which is also an interesting read)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/sep/0 ... afety-film

VS

Now this Video will get you thinking. It takes "Shock and Awe" to make a point. Casual suggestions do not work.

[richard]

My experiences of seeing an accident happen and the carnage and my own personal narrow escape in an accident wised me up instantly.

I don't know whether it's Spain or Portugal but they put wreckage on display on major roads to shock drivers into thinking safety

[Big Boy]

I don't know whether it's Spain or Portugal but they put wreckage on display on major roads to shock drivers into thinking safety

A few weeks back, I thought that was what I was seeing en-route to the North East. It turned out to be a local scrap merchant offering to buy written off vehicles (like those on display) for cash.

[Dannie Boy]

My experiences of seeing an accident happen and the carnage and my own personal narrow escape in an accident wised me up instantly.

I don't know whether it's Spain or Portugal but they put wreckage on display on major roads to shock drivers into thinking safety

If it isn't Portugal then it should be - the standard of driving (safety awareness) is not much better than in Thailand!!

[STEVE G]

I don't know whether it's Spain or Portugal but they put wreckage on display on major roads to shock drivers into thinking safety

They do that in Indonesia as well; near where I lived there was a mountainous area that was popular for people to visit for the weekends that features some pretty dangerous roads and at the bottom of the passes the police would display mashed up vehicles that people had died in to try and get people to drive safely. ( Judging by the driving, it didn't seem to work much! )

[usual suspect]

On the main highway to Korat from Saraburi there is a U-turn half-way up the hilly stretch of dual-carrigeway...a bit like what Steve G just mentioned..the Thai Police have stacked the wrecked cars from the numerous smashes here on top of each other about 4 or 5 high..like an automotive totem-pole..it DOES get your attention. (whether Thai drivers will get any hint of the message being given here is questionable tho').
Also yesterday, along the 'railway Rd', coming up to the station was a new black car with blacked-out windows driving at about 10-15kph..traffic was stacked up behind it..I was on my m/cycle so could slowly make ground and overtake the offending vehicle..on looking in the the blackened driver's window I saw a Bluetooth-style phone (quite large screen) illuminated about where the middle of the steering wheel was..ah well, ya never gonna stop 'em..

[Big Boy]

US, that's what I was referring to. When I asked, I was told the bit about the scrap yard offering to buy written off cars. Was I being fed BS?

[Takiap]

A tip to keep in mind, and one which might end up saving your life one day.........


On the roads in Thailand, the responsibility of avoiding a collision generally rests with the person behind you. Once that person overtakes, and you can see them without having to look in your mirrors, the responsibility shifts to you. Crazy but true. This is why when you will find Thais overtaking, and then immediately braking in order to pull off or turn. They are not actually trying to be rude.......it's just the way the do it. It might not be ideal, but let's face it, you never see road rage here do you? If you want a fighting chance of survival on the roads here, it's a matter of adapt of die. Their way of driving is NOT going to change - not now, not ever.

If you ask me, if you suddenly put several million motorbikes on the road in the UK or any such country, the carnage would be far worse than we see here.

Just chill and go with the flow, and of course, make sure you choose your amulet very carefully.

Stay safe people

[dtaai-maai]

Once that person overtakes, and you can see them without having to look in your mirrors, the responsibility shifts to you.

Hang on a sec, Takiap, are you telling me that if someone is overtaking me, pulls alongside, then swings left into me to avoid a cement truck and drives me off the road - it's my fault...?
Even for Thailand, that's a bit of a stretch!