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Truck Crashes Into Motorcycle, Kills Rider on Phuket Coast Road
By Chutima Sidasathian Saturday, August 15, 2015
PHUKET: A truck that failed to take a downhill curve on the Phuket coast road slammed a motorcycle-sidecar into a ditch, killing the rider this afternoon.
Officers from Kamala Police Station were questioning the truck driver. Video from a security camera showed him travelling at speed.
His vehicle also ended in the ditch about 4pm on a hilly turn between Patong and Kamala, but in better condition.
The motorcycle sidecar, carrying goods from a market, flipped and the rider was killed, even though he was wearing a helmet.
Both vehicles were heading from Patong towards Kamala.
It is believed the dead man was a local resident. Phuket authorities met last week to encourage greater awareness of the road toll and ways of saving lives.
Public Health officials reported 103 deaths on Phuket's roads to August this year compared to a figure of 280, given for 2014.
If confirmed, a death toll of that magnitude would be the highest for at least 10 years.
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Comments
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How many poor motorbike riders have been killed by trucks this year on Phuket? Way too many..........
Posted by
Arun Muruga
on
August 15, 2015 18:18
Another day, another road death
Such a shame that no one cares enough to do anything about it
Posted by
Discover Thainess
on
August 15, 2015 18:53
@ Discover Thainess;
Thailand's wants to be No 1! - Now we are only No 2 when talking about the most dangerous roads in the world.....
Posted by
Mr. K
on
August 15, 2015 19:16
When you compare Thailand's road deaths numbers with those of Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia, you see that deadly accidents here are about twice as many.
The condition of the roads and the technical condition of the cars is likely to be similar, as well as the driving skills or the activity of the police.
After living here some years I think I've found a few reasons:
-impatience
-the desire to always be first, victor or the strongest
-the urge to simplify things (skip the "R" in their alphabet and cutting curves are two sides of the same medal)
-the thinking everyone else will make me space and give me way
-lack of social control by
fellow citizens, because they hate to point out the others for wrongdoing (losing face)
-all the bad examples which are taken as a model for everybody else
In fact we should blame the government, why they not fight this daily carnage remains a mystery.
How well a campaign can go we see in the dramatic pictures at the cigarette packs.
(Many) Thais like those drastic actions and can easy understand them, the people smoke a lot less then before.
Posted by
Georg The Viking
on
August 15, 2015 19:20
Another unfortunate victim and family.
Every day I see hundreds of drivers acting like their in a race. However for those of us with common since on Motorbikes.
Rule 1. Never go down hill just ahead of a bus or Lorry.
Rule 2. Never go down hill just ahead of a bus of Lorry Period.
Rule 3. Never go up hill close behind a bus or lorry as well.
I adjust my speed to follow these rules every day. There are just to many crazy drivers going way to fast to stop. Today On the climb over from Chalong to Kata the local Kata/Karon city bus went fling up the hill ahead of me and just over the center hill(second) top I caught up when he went screaming away from me down the hill at 75-80 K like he was going to a fire any issue with his brakes and there would have been many hurt or killed passengers. Every day on this island there are hundreds of events like this so road death numbers good or bad daily/weekly/Monthly or even yearly are more a series of bad driver/equipment and maintenance along with driving to fast and reckless than any other cause.
Posted by
mike
on
August 15, 2015 20:51
Similar circumstances in neighboring countries but twice the number of road fatalities.
Is it not logical and obvious that it must be something in the nature of Thai people, what the causes this?
Dear ED, but you choose to delete this presumption from my post.
Is it possible to obtain an explanation for it?
Posted by
Georg The Viking
on
August 15, 2015 23:20
Editor Comment:
We don't tolerated bigotry, Georg The Viking, and to ascribe the number of deaths on Thailand's roads to ''something in the nature of Thai people'' is pure and utter bigotry, not to mention total BS. I am sure there are readers who can explain it to you.
Yes I wait for it.
And please, not call me bigot for the only reason to find an explanation for
a striking and remarkable fact.
Why did Vietnam and Cambodia have only half as many dead in traffic?
Same road coditions, same technical state of the cars, maybe even worse.
What's bigot on this question? I not get it, sorry.
Posted by
Georg The Viking
on
August 16, 2015 00:31
Editor Comment:
'it must be "something" in the nature of the (many) Thais.'
That statement is bigotry, Georg.
'Why did Vietnam and Cambodia have only half as many dead in traffic?'
Because they're different countries with different standards of awareness, education and enforcement. (Mexico and the US are neighboring countries, too. Are differences there because of 'something' in the nature of the people?)
Your answer is bigotry because it's not based on science or serious analysis but on guesswork and character assassination.
The fact you settle for an answer based on bigotry, not science, is your problem. I've previously explained why generalisations don't work, Georg.
You make a lot of bigoted generalisations. Whether that makes you a bigot is not for me to say.
I did a course called 'smith defensive driving' in Africa yesterday. I also live in Phuket every other month on my days off. In an ideal world everyone in Thailand would do this course which is proven to lower the number of collisions on the road. I had to laugh when they said we should apply a 4 second rule as a gap to the car in front. Can you imagine this in phuket? They hardly leave a 4 foot gap. Poor education and lack of law enforcement. The scary thing is, when i am home i tend to drive like everyone else until i to chill out..RIP to another poor victim..
Posted by
sateeb07@gmail.com
on
August 16, 2015 01:08
Editor Comment:
The words that often come out of my mouth often are ''you're too close.'' And then the guy in the next lane fills the gap, usually without indicating. Your answer is correct: education and enforcement.
You compare the United States with Mexico?
C'mon Sir, you insult the intelligence of your readers. It is below your level.
US/Mexico has many more differences than similarities.
Thailand and Cambodia have much more similarities than differences in awareness, education and enforcement.
You know that exactly, but bring USA / Mexico instead of USA / Canada. This would be appropriate, but you do not name it, because it does not fit into your argument.
I want to ask you to trust your readers more. Let them decide if my post is bigot or I generalize too much. Pleasae, let us discuss issues without your constant and early intervention.
You kill every debate at the point where you no longer like it. Then you call your readers bigot, fanatic, doomsayers or their posts are not useful etc.
That's why it is impossible in your forum to dispute about your interesting articles.
Many give only their own 2 cents to express themself but hardly anyone refers to the contents of other posts (Sue is a special case...).
That's a real shame for Phuketwan, it has thereby the reputation of a nice online magazine with a fancy forum, moderated by this slightly quirky and skurril ED.
Give your readers space to discuss, I'm sure many will say exactly what you (too soon) bring also to comments.
Posted by
Georg The Viking
on
August 16, 2015 12:06
Editor Comment:
I welcome informed opinions but as most readers know and understand, opinions that are not researched and based purely on prejudice are not welcome, Georg. I can tell the difference. Can you? Bigoted generalisations add nothing. Come back if and when you have some value to add.
@George the Viking, and no one else... you are a "bigot" if you are person who strongly and unfairly dislikes other people, ideas, etc. : a bigoted person; especially : a person who hates or refuses to accept the members of a particular group (such as a racial or religious group)(this definition from Merriam-Webster."
Clearly there are "bigots" but maybe that is not you.
Posted by
Laurie Howells
on
August 16, 2015 12:40
Some differences.
1. Traffic accidents tend to be better reported in Thailand then in Vietnam or Cambodia.
2. Roads are definitely better in Thailand, therefore a faster speed is possible (in good circumstances, no fear for unannounced holes, etc)
3. Vehicles at a whole are better in Thailand, higher speed possible. Still some crappy cars, no break tests etc.
4. No public transport for poor people on Phuket, that means they go by cheap bike a lot.
5. High Speed and Low Speed vehicles and even people share the same space of road.
The higher speed in Thailand to Cambodia is the equivalent to having easy access to firearms in the US in comparing to murders with Great Britain for example. That is the means.
A solution done in other countries is:
- Clear management of dangerous parts of roads, civil servants are responsible for accidents on their roads and have to implement changes to bring them down.
- Cars are checked every 2 years for break safety and over all. Trucks and buses are checked even more thorough and will be grounded on the spot if not safe.
- Getting a driver license is expansive in time and money and you have to really know rules and can drive without violating them at least at one time for about 45 minutes. If you drive for a living you have to do special licenses, for carrying goods and for carrying passengers. Violations while carrying goods or passengers are treated much harder.
- Enforce no underage driving, enforce license driving, make offenders do (expensive) repeated driving courses. Hit hard on DUI. No hit and run and later come back for a discount policy. Check where the drinking drivers start from (disco, bars etc.). Do controls from the parking spots.
- Bring in viable alternatives like light night buses, cheap individual or collective transport.
- Bring in stationary and mobile speed control commandos. Let the civil servants in charge of their roads order these commandos or install stationary controls. Let the money stay with the municipality to be put into their budget.
That would be a good start for the next 5 years I guess.
Posted by
Lena
on
August 16, 2015 18:58
Whether accidents are under reported or better reported in one country compared to another how do we know?
Whether ranked #1, 2 or 7, does it really matter as they are all bad and many conditions will vary causing the numbers to never be exactly comparible.
My understanding is that those injured can exceed death rates by 4 or 5 times and many of the injuries are permanent.
The real cost to society of vehicle accidents is hard to quantify but using number of deaths makes for an easy comparison.
Posted by
MoW
on
August 16, 2015 20:49
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How many poor motorbike riders have been killed by trucks this year on Phuket? Way too many..........
Posted by Arun Muruga on August 15, 2015 18:18