"Smart Zebra Crossing" coming to Hua Hin - but will drivers be smart enough to stop?

[Saladin]

They need a system that not only looks like a zebra but also acts like one, whereby if a vehicle goes over when pedestrians are crossing, a big hoof kicks them in the wheel bearings or some other sensitive part.

 

[Gandtee]

The only way to get motorists to stop at pedestrian crossings is to install steel barriers that raise up from the ground when the light turns green for pedestrians. But I wouldn't bet on it.

[ronrat]

How you going to fine a 12 year old with no licence on a motorbike. Until Police get serious and start confiscating or clamping the vehicles nothing will ever happen.

[sawadee1947]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

if any drivers can be bothered to stop.

it's just a matter of law enforcement. We - in the West - learned that. Why Thais cannot? With a hefty fine it would be hammered into their heads

[Lupatria]

1 hour ago, sawadee1947 said:

it's just a matter of law enforcement. We - in the West - learned that. Why Thais cannot? With a hefty fine it would be hammered into their heads

You mean a hefty fine like 2.000 baht for throwing a cigarette butt or the cheaper version of 500 baht for a knife attack?

[InMyShadow]

It's doomed
Nobody will have the guts to cross so same old same old..

[Jonmarleesco]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Thaivisa notes the though the new crossing will be highly visible the real test will come if any drivers can be bothered to stop.

Something they would bother to do if the RTP could be bothered with enforcing the law.

[sawadee1947]

2 hours ago, Lupatria said:

You mean a hefty fine like 2.000 baht for throwing a cigarette butt or the cheaper version of 500 baht for a knife attack?

Wow, how could you read me ???

[Lupatria]

11 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

Wow, how could you read me ???

It was easy! I called the guys who are tapping your electronic devices  

[Puccini]

15 hours ago, webfact said:

While people should stop at zebra crossings in Thailand, motorists often ignore them

 

I'd be grateful if anybody could cite the section and law that says that drivers should stop at pedestrian crossings. For years, I have been searching for it, all in vain.

 

The only thing I could find about the duties of drivers regarding pedestrians in the Road Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979) is

• Section 32: ... the driver shall be careful... not to hit or graze a pedestrian...
  ...must give warning  signal for the pedestrian...
• Section 46: ...No driver shall overtake other conveyance...within thirty meters before reaching a pedestrian crossing...
• Section 51: ... in case of turning left...the driver shall be careful and must stop and let the pedestrian who is crossing the road pass...
  ... in case of turning right...the driver shall be careful and must stop and let the pedestrian who is crossing the road pass...
• Section 57: Unless otherwise provided by the provisions, rule or regulation under this Act, no driver shall park the conveyance...on a pedestrian crossing or within the limit of three meters from a pedestrian crossing...
• Section 70: The driver who drives a conveyance reaching a...pedestrian crossing...must slow down.
• Section 81: During the time to turn on the light under section 11 or section 61, the driver riding bicycle...must turn on white light headlight in order to be visible by...pedestrian...

Apparently only when a driver is turning left or right must he stop to let a pedestrian cross (Section 51), regardless whether there is a pedestrian crossing or not.

[Lupatria]

1 hour ago, Puccini said:

 

I'd be grateful if anybody could cite the section and law that says that drivers should stop at pedestrian crossings. For years, I have been searching for it, all in vain.

 

The only thing I could find about the duties of drivers regarding pedestrians in the Road Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979) is

• Section 32: ... the driver shall be careful... not to hit or graze a pedestrian...
  ...must give warning  signal for the pedestrian...
• Section 46: ...No driver shall overtake other conveyance...within thirty meters before reaching a pedestrian crossing...
• Section 51: ... in case of turning left...the driver shall be careful and must stop and let the pedestrian who is crossing the road pass...
  ... in case of turning right...the driver shall be careful and must stop and let the pedestrian who is crossing the road pass...
• Section 57: Unless otherwise provided by the provisions, rule or regulation under this Act, no driver shall park the conveyance...on a pedestrian crossing or within the limit of three meters from a pedestrian crossing...
• Section 70: The driver who drives a conveyance reaching a...pedestrian crossing...must slow down.
• Section 81: During the time to turn on the light under section 11 or section 61, the driver riding bicycle...must turn on white light headlight in order to be visible by...pedestrian...

Apparently only when a driver is turning left or right must he stop to let a pedestrian cross (Section 51), regardless whether there is a pedestrian crossing or not.

Nice work! Do you know the names of three Thais who are aware of and stick to these rules?

[Reigntax]

14 hours ago, DoctorG said:

Within 2 days somebody will steal the lights.

 

And try to eat the zebra

Edited September 27, 2017 by Reigntax

[HuaHinHim]

I use the crossings in Hua Hin everyday, and I doubt Thais even know what those white lines signify or care, they just seem to go faster when they see them. there is little respect when it comes to pedestrians or other road users. These things must be really smart if they think they are going to change attitudes. Save the money and use it to fix the holes in the middle of my road with a half a tree stuck in it so some poor sap on a scooter doesn't ride into it

[peterpaintpot]

Regarding this article I can see no unusual feature that would qualify it for being smart, unless of course it is going to get a smart paint job! Neither can I find any evidence that it will be a Zebra crossing as opposed to any other type of crossing - some posters are confused and believe that a Zebra crossing has lights that change colour, this is not so, they Are just identified by amber globes on poles at the side of the road, these are Belisha beacons introduced in the UK in 1935 by Leslie Hore-Belisha the Transport Minister.

 

The traffic light controlled crossings are known as Pelican crossings and were introduced on roads with high traffic density in built up areas to minimise  vehicular traffic disruption.

 

So I would like an explanation as to why this crossing is considered to be smart.

[richard_smith237]

The only pedestrian crossing I know of in Thailand which actually functions as a safe crossing for pedestrians is the one I saw recently while holidaying in Hua Hin, its between the Interncontinental Hotel Hua Hin and the Blue Port shopping mall. 

 

There they have two 'attendants' on each side of the road who when the lights turn red for the traffic and green for the pedestrians to cross walk out in to the crossing blowing their whistles loudly and indicating for the traffic to stop. 

 

Most of the time motorist respond correctly and stop, however, I've seen a couple of cars completely ignoring the attendants and going straight through the crossing, they did slow down a little !

 

IMO, as mentioned earlier, cameras at crossing with strict and meaningful fines which impact the drivers financially enough to care is the only way this would work. 

 

I was recently in Pattaya - the crossings there, with red lights were completely ignored by 100% of drivers. 

 

In summary: I don't believe any new fangled idea will work unless stringent fines are also incurred by those who place others at serious risk of injury and worse. 

 

 

 

[xtrnuno41]

pop up steel bars would help more  

[Wim1954]

22 hours ago, Lupatria said:

I wouldn't expect anything starting with the word "smart" to work here.

smartphone ?

[over it]

On 9/27/2017 at 4:35 AM, webfact said:

will Thai drivers be smart enough to stop?

This is the 64,000 dollar question that any sane person won't be asking!

[USPatriot]

Drivers won't stop even when they hear a loud thud

[Saladin]

Thai drivers and bike riders are no different from those in the Western world. The difference in behaviour is caused by one thing only - lack of enforcement of the road rules by the police. And that in turn is caused by one thing only - incompetent senior policemen and politicians who are not controlling the cop on the beat and the cop on the bike, and are not held responsible for their incompetence.