Jump to content
Thaiway

Motorbikes and Accidents in Thailand

Rate this topic


Recommended Posts

Seeing the dog made me curious so I walked to the beginning of my little to observe motobikes for a minute or two. One motobile had three people but all the rest one or two, one with a 2 year old up front with no helmut.

It scares me just seeing the way parents load up babies and children onto motorbikes.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thought I posted this here (photo was taken by Toq, a member of another board). And, yes, you can guess the number of people on the bike (and it isn't 6).

post-76-12546251021149_thumb.jpg

AMAZING! How can the driver shift? How can you balance all of those people? I would hate to come to a stop sign.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

AMAZING! How can the driver shift? How can you balance all of those people? I would hate to come to a stop sign.

It's pretty routine in the rural areas to have at least 3 on a motorsy. Even in Chiangmai, I have on occasion sat on the pedestrian overpass in Chiangmai near the Worarat Market just to take some photos of unbelievably loaded motorsys passing by. Mom, dad, two kids, and baby on the gas tank is all too common.

P.S. Nice avatar, Wino. Looks like we've got a similar family tree.... :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's pretty routine in the rural areas to have at least 3 on a motorsy. Even in Chiangmai, I have on occasion sat on the pedestrian overpass in Chiangmai near the Worarat Market just to take some photos of unbelievably loaded motorsys passing by. Mom, dad, two kids, and baby on the gas tank is all too common.

P.S. Nice avatar, Wino. Looks like we've got a similar family tree.... :blink:

In my country we have the same thing. It's called "habal habal", but you can't see it in the city, it's usually in the mountains or in the provinces. i tried riding on one when I went on a vacation - and I kept closing my eyes the whole time. There were five of use on the motorcyle The driver, my cousin, my two friends and I - and we each had a backpack full of clothes!

I've even seen some motrocycles with wooden planks placed on them. The motorcycle would look like it had wings - extensions, as they call it - around two more people could sit down on the extensions. Some even sit in between the driver and the motorcycles handles!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my country we have the same thing. It's called "habal habal", but you can't see it in the city, it's usually in the mountains or in the provinces. i tried riding on one when I went on a vacation - and I kept closing my eyes the whole time. There were five of use on the motorcyle The driver, my cousin, my two friends and I - and we each had a backpack full of clothes!

I've even seen some motrocycles with wooden planks placed on them. The motorcycle would look like it had wings - extensions, as they call it - around two more people could sit down on the extensions. Some even sit in between the driver and the motorcycles handles!

Reminds me of the time I was on Ilo Ilo. We took a motorcycle taxi with about 8 people piled on. Luckily it had a side car but not much power for that much weight. We made it to the destination. Luckily it was not far.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reminds me of the time I was on Ilo Ilo. We took a motorcycle taxi with about 8 people piled on. Luckily it had a side car but not much power for that much weight. We made it to the destination. Luckily it was not far.

You must have been petrified! LOL. In my experience, we were going down a steep dirt road - so steep it was almost vertical!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You must have been petrified! LOL. In my experience, we were going down a steep dirt road - so steep it was almost vertical!

I wasn't petrified, but was amazed that many people could fit in a small space. Reminded me of the trick college kids use to do years ago. They would see how many people they could fit into a phone booth. Today, you would be lucky to find a phone booth, even a pay phone is sometimes hard to find.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the US, I find it easier to ask someone to use their cell phone, than it is to find a pay phone. I usually have my cell phone with me and don't have to bother other people. Pay phones are a vanishing breed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Here are the mos recent statistics for Phuket & rest of Thailand in the Phuket Gazette. makes for very grim reading.

Phuket holiday road toll: 6 dead, 85 injured

PHUKET CITY: Going into the last day of the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ road safety campaign there were six dead and 85 injuries from 79 reported accidents in Phuket. One of the dead was an Australian.

Statistics from the Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) show Muang District had the highest numbers, with four dead and 49 suffering injuries requiring in-patient hospital treatment.

Drunk driving was given as the cause of 26 of the accidents island-wide and fully 85% of the mishaps involved motorbikes.

There were 78,852 people inspected for traffic violations at police checkpoints, with 6,315 people arrested or fined.

Thus far 745 suspects have been arrested on drunk driving charges.

Mr Sun Chuntarawong, head of DDPM-Phuket, said the dead included 55-year-old Australian national Roger Quinn, who died from injuries suffered during a minivan crash on Phra Phuketkaew Rd in Kathu at 6:45 last night. Two others were injured, including another Australian.

On Wednesday, 42-year-old Abhichart Limpipatsuwan died at Vachira Phuket Hospital from injuries sustained in a motorbike crash at 3:30pm.

On Thursday, 30-year-old Prasobporn Archeewara-ngubroak succumbed to injuries sustained in a motorbike crash on Chao Fah East Rd on New Year’s Day.

Although the fatality figures for Phuket are up, the latest nationwide statistics from DDPM-Thailand show a total of 3,289 accidents over the first six days, down 7.3 from last year. The total number of deaths (309) and injuries (3,563) were also down, 7.8% and 6.5%, respectively.

Chiang Mai and Chanthaburi have the highest fatality figures, with eleven dead.

Nakhon Sri Thammarat had the highest number of injured, 128.

At the other end of the scale, Yasothorn province has yet to report even a single accident for the period.

Source http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=8196

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Following from my last post, here is an interesting accident as reported in the Phuket Gazette.

Wild car crash in Phuket Town

PHUKET: Like a scene out of a Hollywood action movie, an out-of-control car plowed through market stalls in the Samkong area of Phuket Town yesterday morning, leaving scores of motorbikes damaged and one woman with a broken arm.

Phuket City Police were informed of the accident at 9am.

Arriving at the scene, opposite the Dairy Hut restaurant on Hongyok U-thit Rd, they found 10 damaged motorbikes, including a Honda Wave smashed beyond repair.

A crowd of shocked onlookers surveyed the damage, which included a crashed Hyundai sedan that was later revealed to be an official vehicle of Vachira Phuket Hospital director Dr Jessada Chungpaibulpatana.

Adding to the mayhem were fruit and vegetables scattered all over the road, from stores that are normally at their busiest at that time of day.

Injured in the crash was 53-year-old Oronong Suriyawong, who was taken to hospital for treatment of a broken arm and other injuries.

About 20 meters away in the middle of the road was the vehicle that caused the damage, a Toyota Altis with a damaged windshield, radiator and hood that was still covered with fruit and vegetable matter.

The driver, 37-year-old Sutheep Rungruen of Rasada Village 6, did not try to flee the scene.

She told investigators that before the crash she had visited relatives in the area.

After starting the engine the car accelerated quickly, plowing through everything in its path.

Police think that panic and problems with her footwear getting stuck beneath the brake pedal may have been the cause.

Source http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=8195

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...