Serious Traffic Hazard

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jimjay
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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by jimjay » July 17, 2017, 2:02 pm

It's not about drivers being stupid.

It's about the responsibility of traffic engineering officials to ensure and maintain public safety.

The danger precedent has been set and everyone predicted this (thousands of Facebook comments on the matter).

I think this is very poor traffic maintenance precisely because everyone involved in creating this barrier already knows how the driving populace behaves here.

Why do they need to be concrete barriers? What if there's a baby killed? Will it help much to say the driver was irresponsible when a life has been lost? Civic responsibility if not common sense says don't blame the drivers, it says keep them safe at all costs.

1. The barrier should be replaced with sand-filled (or water-filled) plastic barriers and fronted with a water filled crash barrier. There are models in the same configuration and colour scheme as the deadly concrete ones now in place. Concrete is simply not needed here for any reason except that it's cheap (the graft has already begun!)

2. Extensive warning lighting and signage should be installed. That way there will be a few proper messes made when someone smashes up the plastic but no one will die.

3. By day a traffic cop should be in place to alert drivers as to proper moves, what's allowed and not allowed.
Last edited by jimjay on July 17, 2017, 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.



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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by wazza » July 17, 2017, 2:11 pm

Using barricades during Songkran , do they stop the normal U turn fatalities that occur for the other 50 weeks of the year ??

Its still driver behaviour..... IMO that contributes to this....for the majority of incidents and near misses

24000 fatalities a year , says it all , In the Worlds Top 10 countries from memory.

Yes, its a physical disaster, but why dont drivers see it and act accordingly, instead of reacting and taking out cars, bikes

Speed Kills / add on alcohol consumption at night when driver reflexes are reduced.......

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by jimjay » July 17, 2017, 2:28 pm

It depends, if our morally superior mindset gets the better of us (not saying you Wazza) then sure we can just write off the culture as stupid and hopeless and throw tons of stats in to back it up.

Then perhaps this is likely the wrong venue to discuss the practical side of it. Our cultural differences dominate the discussion etc.

But, practically speaking, for the people living and working here everyday with families, kids in school, who don't have time to deal with dodging added road dangers, the issue has become very important and will continue to do so in coming days and weeks.

It's an unnecessary public hazard and should be corrected. I think the thousands of comments on the issue on social media will be seen by authorities and responsible Thais are learning to leverage it. This is a working class town where the majority are family types. There's already been talk in the Thai threads about which agency to pressure on this and even where the office is. Interesting how social media is becoming more of a political force.

Road workers will be in danger next so they'll need to get a handle on it anyhow before the heavy equipment and proper digging get into gear. Udon is growing but it doesn't mean people have to die because of it.
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wazza
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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by wazza » July 17, 2017, 2:50 pm

Jimjay

Agree with your comments, but the Thai drivers are ignoring the single lane turn right / U Turn lane and doubling up at many U turn areas. Near Makro is a classic, with up to 3 vehicles at a time competing. lots of near misses and motor cycles falling over - single lane barricade would fix the original cause.

Funny how the general population dont like being required to change their driving standards, they are the ones who cause the mess to start off with and various departments react ( agree probably knee jerk for many instances )

But at the end of the day its Thai driving behaviour or lack of it that causes the majority of these incidents.

Thais will blame the barricade for smashing their car, as they have driven this direction for 5 years and no smash.

They will never accept its THEIR behaviour that is contributing to the majority of incidents / fatalities.

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by stattointhailand » July 17, 2017, 3:07 pm

Agree 100% with making "U turns" a single lane. As someone who uses the 2nd one on NK road (before the railway) many times, I have seen as many as 7 (SEVEN) seperate lanes of cars (No chance for people in proper lane to see and even a guy wanting to do a "U" in the opposite direction had to wait for them to clear the road). Numerous occasions I've seen stationary cars in the fast and even the middle lane blocking the highway whilst they wait to turn. The BIG difference with most "U turns" is that there is a slip road which gets cordened off ......... if you miss the entrance you have to go on to the next "U turn" (or reverse), whereas with this one there is no slip lane as it was never an allowed manouvre ....they are blocking the FAST lane not a slip road with barriers

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by parrot » July 17, 2017, 4:09 pm

According to Thai news, this is a billion baht, 900ish day project, due to be complete on 1 September 2019. Last time I was in the vicinity, there were abundant warning signs advising slow speeds.
If you're a frequent traveler in that area, I'd suggest outfitting your vehicle with a dripline of xanax or some other related chill-pill. It's going to be a loooooooong 900 days.

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by Barney » July 17, 2017, 4:23 pm

wazza wrote:Eagle it was a satirical reply

Its what every broken down truck on the highways does when they have a breakdown....
I got it Image



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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by macca46 » July 17, 2017, 5:04 pm

My thoughts and they will not change is more properly controlled traffic light's instead of the stupid wide open U turn points even now where they have put in barriers you still get the double/treble ups, coming into the City yesterday about midday on the Nong Khai road what is happening now from the slip lane they can not wait and they can not get across to the near side lane they just pull out of the slip lane forgetting that the oncoming traffic is doing 80-100 KPH at times even more of in more instances you rear end the you will be the wrong Thia mentality in a car or motorbike is absolute ZERO.

More properly controlled intersections with traffic lights could be done in less than 900 days quoted and would cost one hell of lot less.

What are the odds on extending the 900 days by a further 365 555.

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by stattointhailand » July 17, 2017, 5:25 pm

Drove past about an hour ago, and it looked like workers (hardhats) were about to do something there with the concrete barriers (Remove them??). Perhaps the public outcry has forced a "U turn" with their thinking already BEFORE the fatalities mount up :shock:

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by jimjay » July 18, 2017, 9:00 am

stattointhailand wrote:
July 17, 2017, 5:25 pm
Drove past about an hour ago, and it looked like workers (hardhats) were about to do something there with the concrete barriers (Remove them??). Perhaps the public outcry has forced a "U turn" with their thinking already BEFORE the fatalities mount up :shock:
Just went past, barriers still there... Anyone know if the project is going to be a bridge or tunnel? Are there plans online some place?

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by BobHelm » July 18, 2017, 9:03 am


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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by eagle » July 18, 2017, 9:04 am

jimjay wrote:
July 18, 2017, 9:00 am
stattointhailand wrote:
July 17, 2017, 5:25 pm
Drove past about an hour ago, and it looked like workers (hardhats) were about to do something there with the concrete barriers (Remove them??). Perhaps the public outcry has forced a "U turn" with their thinking already BEFORE the fatalities mount up :shock:
Just went past, barriers still there... Anyone know if the project is going to be a bridge or tunnel? Are there plans online some place?
Look that FB link I posted. There are some photos and same FB site has some more pics. Udon-Nong Khai will be a tunnel and Ring Road a bridge.

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by parrot » July 18, 2017, 1:30 pm

The posted speed limit in all four directions about 1km before the intersection is 60kph. Lots of warning signs telling motorists to slow down, heavy equipment, construction, etc. The most dangerous spot I see is where cars exit Tesco and try to swing across 3 lanes of traffic to make the U-turn. If anything, it's a tad bit worse than before because those cars have less room now to enter the U-turn area.
Those concrete U-turns are a major improvement from the open-ended U-turns before. Plastic barriers would be better, but if people drive the posted speed limit (big IF), those barriers are better than the way before.

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by wazza » July 18, 2017, 1:51 pm

=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> Mr Parrot

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by deankham » July 18, 2017, 2:44 pm

Drove through there this morning (well the wife drove and I was in the passenger seat).
..No qualified traffic engineer would ever design that and no qualified road safety auditor would ever approve it.

Guessing it is just another initiative thrown together by people who have no experience or training.

It is a death trap and a completely unnecessary one

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by jimjay » July 18, 2017, 3:59 pm

deankham wrote:
July 18, 2017, 2:44 pm
Drove through there this morning (well the wife drove and I was in the passenger seat).
..No qualified traffic engineer would ever design that and no qualified road safety auditor would ever approve it.

Guessing it is just another initiative thrown together by people who have no experience or training.

It is a death trap and a completely unnecessary one
well said Deankham I agree. it's a joke really. still some maintain it's onto the drivers to deal with. throwing them a bit of a curve ball I say.

the part is the general chaos on the spot. the signs should say "beware: people driving like monkeys ahead" needs a traffic cop to manage it by day. give it a week or two there will be a fatality. remove the concrete and replace with water-filled plastic barriers half and the threat to life solved. easy really.

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by trubrit » July 18, 2017, 5:24 pm

Not to do with the above barriers but in my opinion another serious stupid traffic hazard . Has anyone noticed the recent habit of traders using the red and blue lights normally associated with emergency vehicles to attract attention to the junk they are selling at the main road side stalls .Several times just lately in several places I have been concerned an ambulance is coming or accident has occurred and adjusted my driving accordingly only to find it's some twit selling balloons or other junk .This should surely be made illegal to do .
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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by stattointhailand » July 18, 2017, 5:38 pm

There's a pr*tt a Km or so North of Tesco traffic lights on Southbound carriageway that has a truck outside his Garage? with its lights on pulse all the time ....... if it were a TV broadcast they would have to issue a warning several km before warning of the danger to those suffering with migraines or epilepsy or whatever, but by the road the BIB just ignore the fact that it could cause an accident :roll:

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by macca46 » July 18, 2017, 5:59 pm

The road side shops/sellers of nonsense now have the flashing red and blue like the one you mentioned on first seeing these I thought maybe an accident or something like an emergency so one tends to slow down until you realize, only in Thailand you get away with this crap as you said the bib do not give jack nonsense

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Re: Serious Traffic Hazard

Post by wazza » July 18, 2017, 6:18 pm

macca46 wrote:
July 18, 2017, 5:59 pm
The road side shops/sellers of **** now have the flashing red and blue like the one you mentioned on first seeing these I thought maybe an accident or something like an emergency so one tends to slow down until you realize, only in Thailand you get away with this crap as you said the bib do not give jack ****
Heaps on the way home from Ubon last week, I said at the time, that the Junta did say it was going to be an offence to have these Novelty Lights / strobes especially in red and blue.

I pulled over twice and slowed down heaps of times, thinking they were Emergency Sevices attending an incident.

No wonder Thais dont give way or provide road courtesy to the EMS vehicles.

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