Riding Safety and Thai Driver Habits

Driving in Thailand if you are not alert and familiar with Thai driving habits it is very easy to become involved in accidents. To date our tours have not been involved in any traffic accidents, our guide being in the lead of the tour will cushion between yourself and most dangerous road situations, and defuse a great percentage of the problems before they occur, but you need to be aware, you are responsible for your own well being, this is not a western country with road rules being continually policed and all the thinking is removed from driving. Although once we are out of the city there is very little traffic on the roads we choose, however being alert and self responsible is a must.
I wrote up some points of Thai driver habits for foreign riders to be aware of, and some ways i use to prevent accidents and as i mention in the list there is nothing more important than horn tooting as prevention is better than cure.

Thai Driving Habit’s.
* rarely use indicators
* rarely look anywhere else but in front
* often cross centre lines and cut corners
* often on H.w.y. or rural roads, a motorcycle will pull to the L.H.S.of the road, before crossing traffic lanes to turn right
* a L.H. blink can mean its safe to overtake (opposite to Australia)
* a R.H.blinker can mean it not safe to overtake
* don’t expect a motorcycle to be moving faster than 60km
* will overtake another car into oncoming traffic if they feel there is room for three or more vehicles on the road ( you are expected to get out of the way)
* often overtake large slow moving vehicles like buses or trucks that they cant see around with zero view of oncoming traffic
* drive erratic and move around the lanes
* will leave on the road large rocks used for wheel chocks on a incline.
* use there ears as much as their eyes to drive
* will drive short distances on the wrong side of the road
*At peak hour traffic on a 4 lane road will often use a extra lane (3 lanes) for the direction most traffic is flowing(Chiang Mai)
* will overtake you, only to turn into a left street and cut you off.

Using Thai Traffic Lights

* BE AWARE! traffic light in Thailand are used on highways if you are unaware its hard to stop at speed, and easy to run into cars traveling through the crossroad or stopped vehicles in your lane
* traffic lights tend to be a indicator only, locals will often keep passing through lights a few seconds after they are faced with a red light
* if you are the first vehicle to stop for a red light, check rear vision and move to the side, as the vehicles behind you may have plans to run the red light and will go sheer over the top of you not expecting you to stop
* usually jump green lights by 2 seconds
* are allowed turn Left on a red light (keep the left lane open)
* at a traffic light crossroad it is normal when the light turns green for people turning right to take off first and slip a few cars past the oncoming traffic

Things i do personally to protect my self when driving.

* Beep! the horn at any time i feel threaten or unsure at a vehicle on the side off the road, intersection or any time my sixth sense tells me too. all i can say is over use the horn it is not seen as a personal insult here like a western country
* Beep! the horn on sharp blind corners on remote roads
* Beep! the horn at any animal near the side of the road, animals here understand a horn, and dogs are often in packs and you don”t see them all
* hold a tight line around L.H. bends if oncoming traffic are cutting corners you have a less chance off hitting them.
* if a car is on the side of the road or intersection look at the cars wheels particularly the slots in the rims this will give you first indication if the car is moving or starts to creep
* scan continually
* don’t be the first to go at a traffic light and still look left and right before proceeding
* being the first to stop at a traffic light check rear vision and get to the side as people running red light may just go straight over the top of you
* if i’m on a highway with a medium strip and little traffic i ride in the fast lane closest to the medium strip as you have less people pulling out in front of you.
* Make sure your brakes work well will the proper amount play in the pedal and lever
* if you riding in a pack the lead rider will take most likely 85% of the risk whoever is in the lead needs to be most alert
* don”t follow directly behind riding in a pack, offset yourselves to you wont run into the back off the guy in front (don’t laugh i have taken a very experienced rider on tour that rode like this and almost took us out 3 times)
* telegraph you moves, there nothing more dangerous, unnerving or accident causing than a erratic rider
* if possible when riding in a big group still use hand signals (you intended moves are telegraphed to the riders who vision is obscured to see you lights
* often on some motorcycles you can stand to see over crest and make a safe pass
* remember at 100km/ hour you are traveling at 28m per second if you are only 20m behind the guy in front and a problem occurs you have less than 1 second to react.
* cow dun means there are cattle in the area