On Wed, 17 Dec 2014 13:23:30 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 12/17/2014 6:17 AM, John B. Slocomb wrote:



Perhaps I was not detailed enough. They rode from a small, one lane,
one way, village road onto the main N.S. Phuket highway. The small
road merges with the main road at the exit of a very large 90 degree
bend. They entered the road and started down the outer lane of the
road. A large truck hauling a 4 wheel trailer - probably approaching
80 ton capacity, and loaded - was approaching around the bend. From
living in the village I would guess that two women and two kids on a
90 cc Honda may have been traveling about 15 KMH. The truck was likely
doing 50 - 60 KPH, at least I usually am going about 50 KPH on that
curve and the big trucks sometimes pass me.

The truck driver obviously saw the woman and made an attempt to stop,
apparently braked rather violently as he lost the trailer which was
lying crosswise in the road when I came by a few minutes after the
crash.

The truck couldn't stop in time and hit the motorcycle that was,
apparently, well into the lane. Two dead in the crash and two severely
injured.

I realize you're talking about a third-world country, and I realize that
road design in many places is not up to western standards. It sounds
like this is one of those places. If a truck can't stop in the assured
clear distance ahead, then the combination of road design and allowable
speed is clearly defective. After all, what if (say) another truck
pulling a large trailer had done what the motorbike rider did?

Well Frank, the road is eight lanes wide, the north and south bound
sides are separated by a dividing median so each direction has two
"traffic" lanes, a bus/parking/stopping/breakdown lane, about the
width of the traffic lanes, on the outside and a strange inner lane
that is now blocked off. It has "rumble strips, four on either end if
memory serves. It is a ninety degree bend, smoothly paved with asphalt
cement. My guess is that it is about a 200 yard radius which would
make the length of the curve about 150 yards. It is a banked turn well
lighted and although you really can't far past the end of the turn
there isn't any artificial "blind spots".

This is one of the reasons that third world countries tend to have far
higher death rates per km traveled. That's true for motorists,
pedestrians, bus passengers and bicyclists.


While that is a nice condescending attitude it is not necessarily
true. Thailand, for one, has been building roads and improving
highways since the Vietnam War days when the U.S. built the first
major highway from just north of Bangkok to the Laotian border in the
North East.

The very high highway accident/death rate in Thailand is largely a
factor of something other than "bad roads". Approximately 26,000
people die annually in Thai highway accidents. About 70% of these are
motorcycles and alcohol is involved in about 26% of all highway
accidents.

Police statistics state that for all accidents, speeding and reckless
driving is the major factor in accidents.


Had they not "taken the lane"...

In any case, putting up one lane-center, hit-from-behind incident
doesn't prove that primary position riding is dangerous. After all, I
can put up accounts of horrific crashes to cyclists riding to the right
of wide lanes, or even riding in bike lanes.

Right, ignore it as it happens so seldom.... I'm sure that the woman's
family agrees completely.

Don't ignore these, either:

http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/l...284488831.html
["He was riding his bicycle in the bike lane of westbound White Lane
sometime before 6 a.m. when he was struck from behind by a vehicle,
according to police."]

http://wishtv.com/2014/04/24/school-...ls-pedestrian/
["Bicyclist was in bike lane when hit, killed by bus..."]

http://www.twazlaw.com/blog/2014/09/...icyclist.shtml
["... a biker was in the designated bike lane when he was hit from
behind by a car..."]

I think that your references simply point out the fallacy of "taking
the lane". From a quick reading of the above it appears that they
describe bicycle accidents involving riding in a specified, but not
physically separated, "bike lane". In short taking the lane.... and an
overtaking vehicle hit them.
--
Cheers,

John B.