Skip to main content

Thailand tells drivers to speed up - and reduce accidents

Thailand's road authorities have revealed that nearly a third of accidents are caused by motorists driving too slowly in the fast lanes.
By Ben Spencer March 5, 2020 Read time: 1 min
A third of road accidents caused by drivers travelling too slow in fast lane (© Martinslezacek | Dreamstime.com)

In a Bangkok Post report, the department's director general Sarawut Songsivilai claims slow driving is second only to the 45% of accidents caused by cars veering off roads.

"If a motorist in an outer lane is driving slowly the driver behind will try to pass on the inside lane where his view of traffic in front will be obscured, which often leads to cars colliding,” he says.

"Proposed new speed limits for outer lanes will be clearly marked and are designed to lower the chances of sideswiping or rear-ending," Songsivilai adds.

The Transport Ministry is reportedly seeking to increase the speed limit on outer lanes from 80kph to 90kph for major roads and highways which have a minimum of four lanes.

 

UTC

Related Content

  • May 22, 2014
    ‘Risky tailgating and speeding rife on UK motorways’
    Six in ten UK drivers own up to risky tailgating (57 per cent) and a similar proportion break the limit by 10mph or more (60 per cent) on motorways and 70mph dual carriageways, with men by far the worst offenders, a survey by Brake and insurance company Direct Line reveals. Almost all drivers say they worry about other drivers tailgating on motorways: 95 per cent are at least occasionally concerned about vehicles too close behind them; more than four in ten (44 per cent) are concerned every, or most, tim
  • May 31, 2013
    Assessing driver behaviour in work zones
    David Crawford looks at moves to increase throughput and safety in work zones.
  • October 31, 2016
    Average speed cameras reduce injury collisions, says report
    Research carried out into average speed camera (ASC) effectiveness by the UK’s RAC Foundation concludes that the implementation of ASCs in the locations that have been assessed in its report has had the effect of reducing injury collisions, and especially those of a higher severity. Even taking into account other influencing factors, the report says the reductions are large and statistically significant. Researchers analysed detailed accident data taken from 25 sites where average speed cameras were inst
  • August 5, 2020
    Japan increases expressway limit to 120kph
    Trials revealed driving at higher speeds had little effect on the number of accidents