Thailand’s Wise yet Wretched Streets & Roads
Last night just after 8pm the Siamerican arrived back in Samut Songkhram from his third motorbike trip to Bangkok in two months Read about this journey here.
With each 200 kilometer + round trip to Bangkok on the bike, he has become a more confident and capable driver–granted what he’s driving is a tenth the size of a Harley Davidson back in the states, it is still potentially lethal and dangerous as any other two wheeler its senior–a majority of Thailand’s non-natural fatalities are a result of accidents on these small yet speedy motorbikes, which range in engine size from 100 to 150 cubic centimeters–and thus it is essential to be confident, capable, careful, coherent, and conscious on these bikes at ALL times.
Just to get an idea of the risk group Thailand motorists are crossing into when they start the ignition, check out these statistics of road fatalities. According to this, the rate that people are dying on the roads in Thailand is about 20,000 per year. Though nearly half of accidents occur in Bangkok metropolitan area, More than 90 percent of fatalities happen in the other provinces (concentrated around public holidays)–close to half of the country’s accidents occur on national highways, of which half of those involve motorcycles… on and on (see the link above for the specifics and this link for Asia Pacific fatality window statistics)
Some people think that the more one avoids the roads, the less risk one is applying to themselves. While this may be true in some instances and senses, it is not entirely applicable to all variables and circumstances. One risk not directly mentioned is ’seriousness’ How serious one takes the roads, driving, laws, precautions, and statistics. Not only about what others and oneself ’should be’ or ‘are’ doing on the roads, but also what ‘we’ should not be doing i.e. intoxication, speeding, illegal passing, going without helmet, assuming one is the only important driver that everyone else must bow down to, etc. etc. etc.
People who wish to become a responsible motorist ought to always be under the mind set that he or she is not the only driver on the road, but that there is a network of millions of human operated transport machines connected by flow at any given time. Respect that laws created to safely govern us And respect the breath of life by never stop learning how to drive, no matter how long you’ve been driving.
And what better place to develop practice and experience to maximize the five C code (Capable and Confident, yet Coherent, Careful and Conscious) : Bangkok–Krungthep Maha Nakorn, a city of mass concrete and overly courageous motorists, who, no matter what time of day, seem to be on a mayhem quest to get where they’re going as quick as they can–never mind the traffic rules and laws in place. The thing about driving in/around Bangkok is not only should you know and try to abide by the laws for ‘left lane’ driving networks, but you need also be aware of the many ‘illegal’ driving habits that are common albeit hazardous norms for Bangkok motorists.
The law says, don’t speed, stay to your left lane as much as possible particularly slower and smaller vehicles, i.e. bikes and motorbikes. The practice is everyone is always speeding even if there is a clear red light 20 meters ahead. Everyone tries to avoid the left lane, especially motorcycles, for the big buses usually occupy the left lane, and I can tell you, it’s not fun being stuck behind a huge bus with nasty exhaust fumes spraying into your face as you wait 20 minutes for the traffic light to turn green.
Only pass on the right side (unless the car you are passing is making a right turn) ; Well, I can tell you that most Bangkok motorists (and in Thailand in general) either don’t care about this rule or simply don’t know or respect it, but I think it is the former for on the driver license written test, that was one of the main things you should be able to know. In practice, other motorists, particularly motorbikes will make a speeding pass to your left side if given just enough room which is a potential disaster considering all the action on the left side of the road bordered with pavement, bus stops, intersections, and people. Alls it takes is a split second.
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