Zebra crossings: Calls for motorists to be jailed 3 months/fined 5,000 baht for collisions

[webfact]

Zebra crossings: Calls for motorists to be jailed 3 months/fined 5,000 baht for collisions

 

Picture: Daily News

 

The campaign to promote use of zebra crossings that kicked off in Bangkok at the end of last week has called for more severe punishments for motorists involved in collisions that occur on the crossings.

 

The anti drink drive foundation and the Culture Ministry initiative said that 1 month jail and 1,000 baht was not enough of a deterrent. This should be 3 months and 5,000 baht in the future.

 

The meeting at the Mercure Fortune Hotel heard that accidents involving pedestrians was up 163% from 2015 to 2016.

 

There were 1,621 incidents in the capital in 2016 compared to 615 the previous year.

 

There was just one death on a zebra crossing at Asoke in 2014, the meeting was told.

 

In total there are 1,112 zebra crossings in Bangkok, 715 of which have flashing beacons reported Daily News.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-03-12

[PatOngo]

Is this the winning photo of a car stopped at the pedestrian crossing? 

[johng]

 

[Get Real]

Nah, this is not the solution. We just have to fine all pedestrians that don´t start running as soon as they se a car or a motorbike.

[lapamita]

i am not a fan of ever changing laws from day to day...depending on incidents.

 

and even than you can put half bangkok  and 90% of pattaya drivers to monkeyhouse

 

and even they inforce all only temporary

 

....better would be a change in the head of thais

 

Cars/Motorbikes are not a wargun .......... and they have a brake ( what when you use, you dont loose face ) !!!!!!!!!!!

 

their must be a change of beahviour, education and mentality

 

 

[asiaexpat]

But the police will still not actually put anyone in jail. They just go to court and the fine reduced because they are "poor". Thais realize there are no real consequences for careless driving. 

[ezzra]

Since my  early days in Thailand, i quickly realized that the zebra crossing in this country is a privilege and 

not your right, judging buy the dodge'me games pedestrians are playing with for their lives with careless drivers everyday and every hour...

Edited March 12, 2018 by ezzra

[YetAnother]

14 minutes ago, asiaexpat said:

Thais realize there are no real consequences for careless driving. 

i don't think thais treat driving any differently than other aspects of their daily life; they do not, generally, think in terms of consequences on anything

[Crossy]

Since the biggest cause of collisions at pedestrian crossings is drivers who stop for pedestrians ...

 

5k Baht fine for stopping, easy.

 

[steve187]

the way i see it is zebra crossing are put anywhere with it seems no planning, you see them on 3/4 lane highways ( how can you get all 3 or 4 lanes to stop as well as the m/cycles could be anywhere), i feel that they need to be controlled by traffic lights with enforcement of the lights.

 

at junctions as in the op photo,  a phase in the traffic lights need to be set for pedestrians to use the crossing, this would be difficult as some traffic lights hold up one direction for up to 2 minutes as it is.

A prime example for a bad zebra crossing is in Jomtein outside the ambassador, where hordes of tourists try to play cat and mouse and cross the road, there is a footbridge close by which is hardly used. only a few days ago a tourist was killed there by a m/cycle. stopping at this crossing is a perilously dangerous maneouver

 

Many Thai drivers are in such a rush and never want to drive slow, queue, or stop to allow anyone else to go first.

 

 

[marko kok prong]

Really? Come on,even at the maincrossing at soi 4 sukhmvit, the walk sigh turns green so all the lights must be red leading onto it still vehicles try to get through the usually huge crowd of pedestrians crossing. One would think this would be a good spot to position a Police man,yet i have never seen one there.The closest i came to seeing that was when one drove his bike on the wrong side of the road nearby!

[RichardColeman]

Thai zebra crossings are a good reason to build more bridges !

[dinsdale]

4 hours ago, asiaexpat said:

But the police will still not actually put anyone in jail. They just go to court and the fine reduced because they are "poor". Thais realize there are no real consequences for careless driving. 

I think you may mean because they are rich. No, wait. Your're right. The rich wouldn't even go to court.

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

Since my  early days in Thailand, i quickly realized that the zebra crossing in this country is a privilege and 

not your right, judging buy the dodge'me games pedestrians are playing with for their lives with careless drivers everyday and every hour...

 

Not helped by statements from the police; some graduate exchange students (appro. 24 to 30 yo) shocked at cars etc., not stopping at zebra crossing, asked the Thai students what the law is in Thailand about this matter, some responses from the Thai students:

 

- There is no law, the white lines are just there to make the road system look professional.

- Up to the driver.

- and more.

 

One student called her uncle, a senior cop, and asked him for an answer about the laws involved.

 

His response was; 'well by the law all vehicles do have to stop when they see people waiting to cross or in the process of crossing and wait until the pedestrians safely reach the other side, but it would be better if pedestrians just waited until there's a big break in the traffic and then cross, so they don't disrupt the traffic flow'.

 

In other words forget the actual laws. 

 

Another time there was a senior cop in the class, same question, his answer; 'the law says that nothing can be allowed to stop the flow of traffic'. Exchange student; 'but what about the rights of people walking?', cops answer 'cars are more important than people'. The Thai students (in this program all students speak very advanced to native speaker English) were shocked at the cops answer and they told him so. He never appeared again, he dropped the program.

 

 

[hansnl]

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

Since my  early days in Thailand, i quickly realized that the zebra crossing in this country is a privilege and 

not your right, judging buy the dodge'me games pedestrians are playing with for their lives with careless drivers everyday and every hour...

I simply ignore zebra crossings.

They are highly dangerous for pedestrians because stopping for a zebra means a huge loss of face.

Edited March 12, 2018 by hansnl

[Bob1million]

When Im waiting at a pedestrian crossing I see either they never stop or speed up, I <deleted> hate it really to the point where I have started walking anyway and they still won't stop, and yes I have abused them and pointed the finger at them, but its still a useless effort.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Bob1million]

And they should paint them orange or bright green, at least they would brighten the place up if nothing else

Sent from my SM-G900I using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Moonlover]

I have stopped a few times to allow pedestrians to cross, only to have other motorists race on by me.

 

I had wondered whether I was lulling the pedestrians into a false sense of security. But no, they were wiser than me and waved me on!

 

Basically, zebra crossings are waste of paint, both here and in most countries in the developing world.

 

The only two places in Asia I know of where they are affective are Singapore and Hong Kong.

 

Colonial influence maybe?

[Gudge]

I agree with fining drivers for not stopping at controlled zebra crossings. Beach rd is a perfect example, just about all the crossings are light controlled and I stop for the lights but many don't and race thru the crosswalks and not Thai bashing but most offenders are Thai. The police should be monitering these and fining offenders. I have had people stopped behind me honking there horn for me to move and a couple of occasions try to force me to proceed thru. F them.

[terminatorchiangmai]

Are there examples of people being fined or sent to jail ?

Don't think so.

[Lemonltr]

59 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

I have stopped a few times to allow pedestrians to cross, only to have other motorists race on by me.

 

I had wondered whether I was lulling the pedestrians into a false sense of security. But no, they were wiser than me and waved me on!

 

Basically, zebra crossings are waste of paint, both here and in most countries in the developing world.

 

The only two places in Asia I know of where they are affective are Singapore and Hong Kong.

 

Colonial influence maybe?

Waste of paint! What paint? All over Thailand they are either worn out or have become dark grey.

[DILLIGAD]

Waste of paint! What paint? All over Thailand they are either worn out or have become dark grey.

Sure your not talking about the Police force ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[richard_smith237]

 

In my car, I stop for pedestrians and crossings... 

On my bike, I don't.... its just too risky that a careless driver behind me will just drive into the back of me.

 

A few months ago I got annoyed with an UBER driver (I was the passenger) who refused to stop at a crossing, even when people were already crossing... he instead slowed but refused to stop and hit the horn to force those crossing to run out of his way....  Yes, I got quite angry with him! - he seemed to have no idea that he was in the wrong. 

 

And... I think this is the crux of the problem... The majority of those driving seem to have a level of indignance that they are better than pedestrians and do not need to stop... 

[Maestro]

10 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Is this the winning photo of a car stopped at the pedestrian crossing? 

In the photo, the car and motorcycles stopped because the traffic light was red for them.

[Lokie]

For pedestrians Zebra crossings and traffic light crossings are booby traps here in LOS and you are at lethal risk if using them they afford you no protection as seen in the 2015 vid in op, always look both ways and wait until the road is clear, even then keep very alert as expect the unexpected... 

[Henrik Andersen]

Only 5000baht toooo low

Confiscate their car/motorbike if their cause a accident 

[Moonlover]

38 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

And... I think this is the crux of the problem... The majority of those driving seem to have a level of indignance that they are better than pedestrians and do not need to stop... 

And every driver overlooks the obvious. That as soon as they step out of their cosy cocoon, they become a pedestrian themselves and expect to be able to move around in safety!

[Classic Ray]

Unlike UK, HK, Japan, SG, Aus, where pedestrians are king, here priority is based on size, even in car parks where once you have parked there are no safe routes for you on foot.

 

Pavements are not maintained or are obstructed, and even at light controlled crossings drivers don’t stop or wait only one second after pedestrians cross to zoom through the still-red light.

 

It’s ignorance and selfishness, the prevailing Thai road culture.

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, Gudge said:

I agree with fining drivers for not stopping at controlled zebra crossings. Beach rd is a perfect example, just about all the crossings are light controlled and I stop for the lights but many don't and race thru the crosswalks and not Thai bashing but most offenders are Thai. The police should be monitering these and fining offenders. I have had people stopped behind me honking there horn for me to move and a couple of occasions try to force me to proceed thru. F them.

 

Cops should know the locations where people ignore the lights, and these locations should be priority for cameras and auto fines. 

 

 

[jackdd]

The problem with zebra crossing in Thailand is that they are often at busy roads with 3 or 4 lanes in each direction where many people drive 80kmh+. How can anybody expect this to work here in Thailand? And if 80% of the crossing don't work then the 20% that could theoretically work won't work as well because everybody thinks they are useless.