Giant Traffic Barrels Eliminate Tree Crashes on Chiang Mai Road
The Chiang Mai Highway Department has installed giant traffic barrels with flashing lights around tamarind trees along the San Kamphaeng-Chiang Mai Cultural Road, a stretch historically plagued by fatal tree collisions. Since the installation, crashes into trees have dropped to zero, earning strong praise from locals and making the road notably safer.
Locals are praising a clever idea by the Highway Department to prevent vehicles from crashing into tamarind trees along the San Kamphaeng-Chiang Mai Cultural Road. On October 21, 2026, reporters noted that this road, lined with many rain trees (tamarind), has long seen frequent crashes causing property damage, injuries, and fatalities. The Chiang Mai Highway District 2 had long sought a solution; when budgets were tight, they repurposed old rubber barrels, painting them red and white with reflective stripes. Recently, the Department of Highways allocated funds to install proper giant traffic barrels at the base of each rain tree, complete with branch lights and flashing beacons along the entire route. Since then, there have been no more crashes into the rain trees, earning the project widespread acclaim from road users who now consider the road safe from tree collisions. Additionally, the San Kamphaeng Highway District has improved road cleanliness along the entire stretch, drawing further praise.
