Father issues zebra crossing warning after daughter 9 mown down outside her school

[webfact]

Father issues zebra crossing warning after daughter 9 mown down outside her school

 

Picture: Sanook

 

A father has spoken to the media after his nine year old daughter was run over by a motor cyclist on a zebra crossing outside her school in downtown Chiang Mai. 

 

"Nong Nine" was crossing the road and the motorcycle fled the scene. She suffered a broken ankle and has to wear plaster for two weeks. 

 

Father Ong-art, 34, warned people about the lack of safety of zebra crossings even outside schools. He called for the hit and run driver to own up and take responsibility.

 

This was outside a well known school on the Charoen Prathet Road around midday. Police were informed.

 

The father said that CCTV cameras should be installed to catch people who flout the law in this manner. 

 

Sanook reporters went to the scene and found a push button crossing - but very few motorists bothering to stop. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

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[bdenner]

Just a waste of paint! Damned if you stop and damned if you don't. The effin idiot behind is just as likely to overtake you and collect the pedrestion anyway.

[owl sees all]

One of the worst aspects of the road abuses. 

 

There was an accident outside my daughter's school earlier this year. Three people were injured when a m/c hit a group kids crossing the road on the crossing. The culprits; a 13 year old, with 2 school mates passengers from the next school along.

 

The police could do a lot to stop this flagrant disregard for the road law, but hardly seen interested. Being strangely missing between 3-30 and 4-30 pm, when the children turn out.

 

I find myself, that stopping hardly helps things and can sometimes make things worse. M/cs simply overtake me and cars/pick-ups/trucks etc coming in the other direction blatantly ignoring anyone who tries to cross the road. 

[tomazbodner]

Put up cameras, increase fines 100x if anyone gets injured, 1000x if killed.

[timendres]

23 minutes ago, webfact said:

The father said that CCTV cameras should be installed to catch people who flout the law in this manner. 

Sorry, those CCTV's are too busy being used to bump revenues from red light runners. Not enough zebra runners to make them cost effective.

[ezzra]

Where in many other countries around the world zebra crossing is a must give way, in Thailand it's an advisory and up to the driver discretion to stop or not...

[Dexlowe]

Though I've lived in Thailand for 30 years and know the drill well, I have of late been getting a bit cantankerous about pedestrian lights and have been putting my life on the line. For example, I cross Pattaya Beach Rd quite often these days to walk along the beach. I press the walk button, and when the lights change I cross. If a vehicle bears down on me and is either going too fast or looks likely not to stop, I stand my ground and don't move. It's resulted in some close calls and a lot of abuse, but stuff it, I'm sick of the callous attitudes of drivers. If I get knocked down, I expect TV members to send me chocolates. Save the flowers for the funeral.

[OneMoreFarang]

In the news and in forums it seems all people want that vehicle drivers stop at zebra crossings and especially at red lights.

But then, looking at those zebra crossings and red lights, it seems the majority don't stop.

Now do all those people who don't stop don't read the news or the forums? Or how many write they stop but then in reality they don't stop.

I wish the police would be present at every single zebra crossing. They could make a fortune from all the fines. And I wouldn't even mind if the police would keep the money - as long as they make sure drivers stop. 

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

In the news and in forums it seems all people want that vehicle drivers stop at zebra crossings and especially at red lights.

But then, looking at those zebra crossings and red lights, it seems the majority don't stop.

Now do all those people who don't stop don't read the news or the forums? Or how many write they stop but then in reality they don't stop.

I wish the police would be present at every single zebra crossing. They could make a fortune from all the fines. And I wouldn't even mind if the police would keep the money - as long as they make sure drivers stop. 

I don't stop at zebra crossings any more if someone is waiting to cross. Too many near misses when the vehicle behind had to brake hard to avoid hitting me. Sad, but true.

 

If they got as far as CCTV to monitor the crossings, they'd need to make sure the camera angle could also record the number plate of vehicles hitting the ones which did stop, and charge them accordingly.

[Katipo]

I hate to say this, but despite what the Gov might like people to think, zebra crossings in Thailand are nothing more than white stripes of paint on the road. They serve no function whatsoever. 

[Tayaout]

14 minutes ago, Katipo said:

I hate to say this, but despite what the Gov might like people to think, zebra crossings in Thailand are nothing more than white stripes of paint on the road. They serve no function whatsoever. 

They lower unemployment. Stay positive! 

[Jackie66]

There is a zebra crossing and signs outside my son's school in Bangkok.

 

Makes no difference. From hundreds and hundreds of times crossing that road last 4 years on that spot i would say maybe once or twice someone stopped voluntarily. Morning and afternoon when school stops they have to have a policeman on this small soi there to allow the kids to cross the street or nobody would ever stop. When I dare to cross and they have to stop I you get is honks and cursing. Tuk Tuk drivers and motobike taxis being the worst.

 

So i can't let my kids go to or from school alone because of this. It is a small street just one lane each way but still too dangerous.

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

Where in many other countries around the world zebra crossing is a must give way, in Thailand it's an advisory and up to the driver discretion to stop or not...

That's not the answer from the research my bachelor students did  few years back.

 

They interviewed a very senior well known Bkk cop, his answer was:

 

- By Thai law all vehicles must stop when they see a pedestrian (s) crossing the road on a zebra crossing or waiting to start crossing and the vehicles cannot start moving until all pedestrians are on the opposite footpath etc.

 

He continued; but if I see pedestrians disrupting traffic flow I will punish them.

 

 

[Inepto Cracy]

My turn to be anti, your drivers and your lack of policing. Most dangerous country in the world for driving. You sort it out.

Lucky your daughter is not lying in the road with her brain matter all over the road.

Live with it, lack of law and lack of policing, up there you are not even classed as a third world country. There is no classification for 9th place.

[PremiumLane]

45 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Crossing guards? If banks and condos can have tw@ts with a flag and whistles why can't schools. 

some schools have them, one on a very busy soi off Sukhumvit has a cop and school guards out each morning helping the kids cross.

 

The problem is, as many have said is whether to stop or not, of course when it is guards and cops flagging you to stop then not a problem, but when not, it is a problem. I have to check what is coming behind me, and always hit the hazards, but sometimes you know that idiot barreling down the road ain't going to stop, so you have to go through the crossing even through there are people waiting. 

[justin case]

the dangers in TIT are the zebra's

 

better they are NONE

 

gives false sense of nothingnesss

[Vacuum]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

Where in many other countries around the world zebra crossing is a must give way, in Thailand it's an advisory and up to the driver discretion to stop or not...

And thank god for that. Sidewalks arefor pedestrians, roads are for motorized vehicles.

[RichardColeman]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"Nong Nine" was crossing the road and the motorcycle fled the scene. She suffered a broken ankle and has to wear plaster for two weeks. 

Waiting for the picture with the rest of the family, with Nong-one, Nong-two,Nong-three, Nong-Four , Nong-five.......................

[kotsak]

3 hours ago, bdenner said:

Just a waste of paint! Damned if you stop and damned if you don't. The effin idiot behind is just as likely to overtake you and collect the pedrestion anyway.

My thoughts exactly everytime I stop to let people cross. I look both side mirrors waiting for the <deleted> (usually a motorcycle) driver to cause havoc ????

 

[Joinaman]

3 hours ago, Dexlowe said:

Though I've lived in Thailand for 30 years and know the drill well, I have of late been getting a bit cantankerous about pedestrian lights and have been putting my life on the line. For example, I cross Pattaya Beach Rd quite often these days to walk along the beach. I press the walk button, and when the lights change I cross. If a vehicle bears down on me and is either going too fast or looks likely not to stop, I stand my ground and don't move. It's resulted in some close calls and a lot of abuse, but stuff it, I'm sick of the callous attitudes of drivers. If I get knocked down, I expect TV members to send me chocolates. Save the flowers for the funeral.

Maybe carry a long iron bar while you cross, if they fail to stop, at least it would known off the bikers and damage the cars too

[Matzzon]

Good intentions do not cure ignorance.

[Puccini]

4 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Put up cameras, increase fines 100x if anyone gets injured, 1000x if killed.

 

What are the current penalties under the Road Traffic Act?

Raod Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979) - en - amended up to No. 8 (2008).pdf

 

[taken]

1. I had written earlier about Thai's not stopping at Zebra crossing. It's normal for Thai's not to stop at Zebra Crossing.
2. Question arises how many times he has stopped at Zebra crossing?

My prayers are with the girl to have speedy recovery and a lesson to this Dad to take care of the baby and make her understand that she is not in United Kingdom. 

[Tropposurfer]

poor little girl. Glad she wasn't killed! Hope her pin heals fast n well. Hope someone, somehow dobs the bum in who hit her and didn't stop.

[wgdanson]

5 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Now do all those people who don't stop don't read the news or the forums?

NO!

[mok199]

When is enough enough .....

[ttkeric]

What's scarier than stopping at zebra crossings in a car with potential idiots bearing down on you is stopping for pedestrians when out as a motorcyclist. Another potential method of meeting your maker in the land of smiles. 

[jamesmith]

I had the almost experience in Chiangmai, I was crossing the Zebra cross, the motor cycle almsot ran me down, I managed to chase the rider and told him he was wrong and almsot killed me, his answer was that he had done nothing wrong and what was the problem. You see they did not want to stop or they dont even know they should stop.

That is the Government's fault. No road education and no police to enforce the law

 

[Dexlowe]

5 hours ago, mok199 said:

When is enough enough .....

The question with no answer .... 

 

It seems impossible to believe that there can be so many supposedly educated people with so little regard for the lives of their children. But then it's not just the Thais who are so callous - many members of TV are equally so. When the Bkk authorities started clearing street stalls off pavements, I weighed into the argument and said it was a great thing because I was tired of seeing little kids being forced to walk on the roads as there was no space on the footpaths. Many TV members decried my comments - all for their own pathetic reasons (they're an institution; provide entertainment for tourists; add colour and vibrancy; etc). 

 

The kids' welfare must always be first and foremost. But "enough is enough" is not a reality here. 

[neeray]

15 hours ago, owl sees all said:

One of the worst aspects of the road abuses. 

 

There was an accident outside my daughter's school earlier this year. Three people were injured when a m/c hit a group kids crossing the road on the crossing. The culprits; a 13 year old, with 2 school mates passengers from the next school along.

 

The police could do a lot to stop this flagrant disregard for the road law, but hardly seen interested. Being strangely missing between 3-30 and 4-30 pm, when the children turn out.

 

I find myself, that stopping hardly helps things and can sometimes make things worse. M/cs simply overtake me and cars/pick-ups/trucks etc coming in the other direction blatantly ignoring anyone who tries to cross the road. 

Simply put, most police in Thailand  are not proactive.

 

I might even go so far as to say, “calling them police may be a misnomer” (as compared to the function of police in other countries).