Thailand Ranks # 1 at Last

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Dodger
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Thailand Ranks # 1 at Last

Post by Dodger »

Thailand has just recently achieved the First Place Award for the most road fatalities in the World surpassing Libya which took an amazing amount of effort.

There's no other logical explanation for the road calamities we see over here other than the fact that the drivers are simply stupid. Overtaking the reigning champion Libya wasn't an easy task but honorable mention has to go a long list of drivers who pulled off stunts in 2018 which were simply amazing in order to gain enough points to become # 1. Bus drivers who have mastered the art of doing perfectly balanced cartwheels down mountainsides even with the imbalance created by the passengers bouncing around inside during this tricky maneuver is just one of those efforts which has to be recognized. Last week a truck driver who was hauling 20 tons of steel with his truck which was only rated to carry 2 tons tipped over while making a slow turn on a crowded Bangkok street and flattened two passenger cars in the process. He scored 12 points for the 12 fatalities he racked up that day and he wasn't even drunk. If he was drunk God only knows how many additional points he could have scored.

Obviously this is a place where Defensive Driving is a necessity for survival.

I categorize all Thai drivers as Drunks and Numb sculls and approach them on the road as all being ticking time bombs. I avoid driving on weekends, holidays and night time due to the higher percentage of drivers who are drunk and/or drug induced during these off-work hours. I put 100 meters between me and the idiot in front of me when traveling on a highway and drive as slow as a turtle and cautious every inch of the way. I've always enjoyed driving - but over here it's a totally different process...SURVIVAL!

I've had friends ask me why I drive over here and I explain that sitting on the back of a motorcy, song teaw, passenger van or VIP bus to me is like putting a gun to my head. As dangerous as it is traveling anywhere over here I feel safer being the one doing the driving.

We have another thread someone started on the topic of the gap in Thai wealth with 1% of the population controlling over 50% of the wealth in Thailand while over 90% of the Thais are poor. Well,the way I see it, 90% of the Thais who I see driving on these roads over here aren't smart enough (or sober enough) to even figure out how to stay between two white lines let alone how to make money.
fountainhall

Re: Thailand Ranks # 1 at Last

Post by fountainhall »

I don’t drive in Thailand and am glad I don’t. The general standard of driving is appalling, there is little consideration for other drivers (how many people turning left or right actually bother with a light signal or wait until they are about to turn?) and lane discipline is frightening!

There is a short article in today’s Bangkok Post about an accident in Nonthaburi at 9:00 am yesterday. A broken down furniture van had stopped on the hard shoulder of an elevated expressway. Two men were standing at the front of the truck. Along comes a black Mercedes at speed, veers across to the hard shoulder and hits the van with such force that the two men were tossed into the air and over the railing to their deaths below.

An elderly woman and a younger woman were in the Mercedes. Neither had more than superficial injuries. Allegedly the older one was driving. Allegedly she had passed out and this resulted in the accident. The older lady was 70. She had suddenly changed lanes to use the hard shoulder to undertake other traffic!

I have no idea if that lady was indeed driving or just taking the rap for the younger. But I’ll bet a mobile phone was in use somewhere in that disaster. And that’s another frightening thing about driving here - and many other countries to be fair. Besides it’s against the law!
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