Driving style and Driving in Cambodia, how is it like?

Best advice drive on the back a motorbike for at least a month , do not stay hugging the right side of the road , look in front not behind, right side is for people going the wrong way, try never to stop if at all possible, buses will not stop for anyone they will run you over , all other drivers are usually very curtious , and will give you space a bus owns the road but , ride around a while on the back of one then you will have a better understanding, at first seems like no rules but there are , be careful , it takes a few weeks on the back to finally drive , be careful,

I think a motorbike is actually safer than a car. It is easier to avoid other people, like trucks coming towards you on the wrong side, people pulling out from the side or doing u-turns in front of you without warning, people on bicycles wandering over the road etc. In a car it is harder to get out of the way or quickly accelerate out of trouble. Also Khmer car driving is in two categories - either speeding like maniacs forcing others off the road, or going so slow you have to take risks to overtake. Just take a bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh and you will see what I mean. A motorbike gives less protection but being a small vehicle is easier to avoid dangers. And there are a lot of dangers.

Best advice? Don't drive in Cambodia, use taxi, passapps, tuk-tuk, motorbike whatever, it is cheap and "safe".
For the guy above who said "I think a motorbike is actually safer than a car", keep your " very good advice" for you...

I don't quite understand your point, although I get the idea that maybe English is not your first language. You say tuktuk, motorbike etc is safe, then you tell me to keep my advice about motorbike being safe to myself. For the sake of clarification, do you mean you think motorbike is safe, or not safe?
Actually I and many of my friends have been riding motorbikes in Vietnam and Cambodia for years without any problems, its a matter of common sense, being aware of what is around you, and understanding how the local people drive on the roads.

Well hdgh29 I must agree with you about motorbike being better , but I suspect  Hdgh29  has been  driving a motorbike before, I have had them my whole life, when foreigners  come to all of Southeast Asia, they automatically think they can do it, they see old young all doing it they think , how hard can it be?  I tell my friends in USA who ride bikes, Harley, etc, that a  “ 13 year old girl, with two other girls on the back, carrying a drink cup in one hand , can drive a motorbike better than you ever could , “ so best advice is probably if you insist take or word for it. But the best advice is pass app , Tuk tuk  , motorbike taxi will take you everywhere cheap , and it is dangerous, if you live in cambodia you will get it , if visiting don’t do it !

Yes its true - riding a motorbike is for people who live long term. I started to ride in Hanoi about 20 years ago. I used to go out at 5 am when the streets were empty and practice. Even after two months I still kept my speed below 20 kmh (my daughter always joked that old ladies walking were overtaking me). I was more confident after 6 months because I completely understood how the local people behaved on the roads, and I understood the machine I was riding. Now its as natural as walking. So yes, you are right, if someone has not ridden a bike in SE Asia before they need to take time to do it the right way.

Well hdgh, I live in Saigon and have traveled the world if you can ride in Vietnam cambodia is nothing ha ha , you and I did it the same way now it’s second nature to me and I raced motorcycles in the USA , which means nothing here ha ha good advice

hdgh29 wrote:

I don't quite understand your point, although I get the idea that maybe English is not your first language. You say tuktuk, motorbike etc is safe, then you tell me to keep my advice about motorbike being safe to myself. For the sake of clarification, do you mean you think motorbike is safe, or not safe?
Actually I and many of my friends have been riding motorbikes in Vietnam and Cambodia for years without any problems, its a matter of common sense, being aware of what is around you, and understanding how the local people drive on the roads.

The only idea that you have it is, you are a genius and expert on everything... but finally in nothing... That right, English isn't my first language, I get 3 other languages, what about you?
Just to finish on a positive note and as you are English native but can't read properly, I wrote :
DON'T DRIVE in Cambodia, use taxi, passapps, tuk-tuk, motorbike whatever, it is cheap and "safe".
Meaning a local driver can drive for you, from North to South of the capital for less than 3USD, genius...
***.
Smile and enjoy the life!