This is the moment a quick-thinking driver dodged a bundle of steel rods that fell from the truck in front.

Dashcam footage shows the SUV driving next to the construction area on a highway in Songkhla province, southern Thailand, on July 24 when a metal frame collapsed and toppled over.

The steel rods struck the asphalt and blocked oncoming traffic, but missed the approaching vehicle, which swerved out of the way just in time.

Chutima Wanchitnai, 47, a nearby shopkeeper, said: 'Fortunately, no one was injured this time, but I would like to ask the relevant authorities to ensure the drivers' safety.

'If a similar incident happens again, we don't know if the next person would be as lucky.'

Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.

The country's health and safety standards, particularly in construction, are notoriously bad. Dozens of workers die each year through building site accidents.