Motorbike Dangers

[edwinadanish]

Does any person know if the Police here do anything to stop the stupid things the motorbike driver shere do. No helmet, drive in the middle of the oad,canot run the corners, never look! I worry I will have an accident one daty and it will be my fault so I hear as I an the foreigner...

[pfotoguy369]

The Police do give out tickets for no helmet (driver)
but as for the way they drive? I suggest you learn to drive Thai.

Most of them don't even have a license at least not the 12 year olds I see riding 3 on a bike.

all I can say is it's better here than in Pattaya.

[hulltoon]

some people are are sending in rubbish on this form

[komfortablynumb]

Confuses me.
last year went to the beach for the day.
Family and friends in tow.
3 on our bike 4 on the 1 behind, and they had the helmet.
Got stopped on a junction at the ATM machine. you know the ones, shaped like a policemans crash helmet.
Wife got busted and had to don hat and drive around the corner wearing it.
back to normal then.
we had our time on the beach drinking eating and hiding from the sun.
paid the fine at the police station.
returned to aformentioned ATM.
3 up no helmet got her licence back and went home.
you couldn't make it up.
long live the insanity

[MrPlum]

When I first saw the freedom people have, to ride without Police fining, filming and criminalizing motorists, I thought it was great. Only 200THB? I laughed. Compared to 2 x 120 Euro fines I received for not wearing a seat belt in the back of a car, it's a bargain.

Motorbikes are inherently dangerous, with everyone vulnerable, yet isn't a confident 12 year old a safer driver than an expat boozer on his way home from the bar? Or Stressed Eric on anti-depressants? Or grandad with failing eyesight?

I do shudder when I see unprotected infants. I cannot imagine any parent not understanding the risk. So why do they do it? Maybe they trust to fate, maybe they are irresponsible, maybe they don't have any choice. Where's the community bus from the village to town or school? How can they afford quality protective clothing? Would they wear it when it's hot? Why don't authorities remove some of the hazards? Wouldn't less poverty would see them all in cars.

Having driven in many countries where drivers are mad, Thailand isn't so bad. Like learning to drive on the 'wrong' side of the road, you note the hazards and drive accordingly. I certainly don't see laws coming in, limiting two to a bike, minimum 16 or 18, must wear CE approved helmet and enclosed footwear and so on.

Seems to be a hotspot for fines, komfortablynumb. Right in front of the Police headquarters, you might expect it.

[sandman67]

my favorite was the three young lads riding along a dark soi with no lights on ....and the driver wearing shades! way hay!!!!! Now thats confidence

I rode back in England for just short of 20 years...... I used to think London was bad...... but riding in Hua Hin at the weekends makes the Hangar Lane Gyratory ... (for non Londoners think Circus Maximus / Ben Hur) ... look like a walk in the park.

Ride here like you are constantly at threat....because here, between other drivers, soi dogs, and 12 year old speed freaks showing off you usually are.

Still.....I like to think that the odd spell of heart palpitations reminds me Im still alive

[MrPlum]

Still.....I like to think that the odd spell of heart palpitations reminds me Im still alive

Spot on Mr S. The closer you are to danger, the more alive you feel and riding big bikes is a huge rush. After 3 wipeouts on my VFR750 I had to give it up. Roads are more dangerous than racetracks.

[Guess]

Things are set to improve but cha cha.

I remember Malaysia 20 years ago and it was similar. Not now though.

I would like to see all aspects of driving improved but firstly I believe that schools should be responsible for teaching kids the basics of driving and road sense long before they are allowed to control a vehicle.

I've seen and heard much evidence that drivers and riders do not actually know what is legal and what is not so a bit of formal education in that area would not go amiss.

[kendo]

Does any person know if the Police here do anything to stop the stupid things the motorbike driver shere do. No helmet, drive in the middle of the oad,canot run the corners, never look! I worry I will have an accident one daty and it will be my fault so I hear as I an the foreigner...

You won't ever change this free for all, in the event of an accident it would be a good idea to keep a camera in your car or camera phone and take some pictures as soon as you can, if your the foreigner it will be your fault, if you have some photos it might help your defence.

A friend of mine and a business man from this forum where driving down from Isaan and stopped at the scene of a hit and run accident they thought they where helping but it soon turned sinister, the Thai's started to blame them for the accident and they had all sorts of problems with the Police its only when a food vendor came over and told the police it was a hit and run, that they managed to get on there way.

Kendo.

[Spitfire]

If you want to have a laugh about this one edwinadanish, then have a look at dtaai-maai's avatar, says it all.

Kendo is correct about that change is simply not possible, just an abstract idea, others have also added good observations aswell. The problem has simply proliferated too far to clear-up. However, Thailand is not short of laws, just enforcement.

[huahinsimon]

i can see the logic of driving a motorsi a short distance against traffic to avoid a a two or three km ride to find a turn around. but not a motocar.

[sargeant]

Guess you are well behind on the school thing they have been doing it for a few years now as soon as the class hit 16years old of they go as a class to pranburi and take their tests my son did it last friday
So its not all bad

[sargeant]

off topic i know but my boy is now a soldier every thursday he does this for 3 years and then doesnt have to pick a black or red ball when he is 21.
It does mean he will stay in school until he is 19 though

[Chas]

I agree that schools have a big part to play in the way people drive but it is obviously a role the Thai schools have never taken on. . .which is why we have these problems. Driver's ed was a part of my high school curriculum and the driving exams, especially the "behind the wheel" exams were serious.

( Sarge we posted at the same time. Just what ARE the schools doing? Is it a national program or up to an individual school do you know? And is it just that they take a driving test (once around the track) or do they actually study a manual, have a teacher, take driving knowledge exams etc.

How the schools ( and the police) can just ignore the droves of 12 to 14 year olds racing out the schools every day. . .helmet less, three to a bike heading up the street the wrong way half the time. . .I just dont understand. Nor do I understand how parents will give kids barely able to reach the pedals the keys and permission to drive around town. Chalk it up to the vicissitudes of life in a different culture.

I get it that the police wont stop school kids on a motorbike. . .giving the poor kids a break I guess. (Besides they probably dont have money on them to pay the fine.) But it is a policy that backfires because these same kids grow up totally unaware that there are safe driving practices.

I saw a first on the way home last night. . .a motorist stopped (apparently) for driving a car the wrong way on Petchkasem road. By the way, this is something I see every day, every trip into town. But she had her blinkers on, God bless her, so she was probably OK.

Here in Hua Hin, the blinking "hazard lights" are a universal signal that the driver is doing something stupid . . .and KNOWS that he is doing something stupid (which indicates an unusually high level of awareness, come to think of it.)

I would really like to know what a Thai driving manual says about driving the wrong way on a street or road on a motorcycle and further, is it even addressed? ( On my short visit to Phuket, I didnt see a single instance of this practice. Wonder if it is local.

[bozzman101]

thought you only got a black ball in the masonic order???