Thailand's 'floating' crosswalk makes drivers stop and look

[GroveHillWanderer]

2 hours ago, AJBangkok said:

How long before a driver thinks it’s a real obstruction and slams on the brakes causing a huge pile up behind him. Not smart. 

Yes, because people are actually going to believe that there are a bunch of white concrete blocks defying the law of gravity and floating two feet above the ground, and that the cartoon characters are real.

 

Anyway, as the article says, "Up close the trick of perspective is lost."

[DefaultName]

4 hours ago, berybert said:

Why do they insist on putting crossing right on the junctions ?

Put them back 10 foot or so. Not so far to cross. and people coming off a main road will actually see there's a crossing before they are on it.

Might not help, but you never know.

Because the Thai's would not walk that extra 10 feet and back.

[NoshowJones]

20 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Well, it's fitting. Traffic safety in Thailand is a joke, why not the signs as well.

Once the Somchais get used to it, you can bet they won't be slowing down.

[phantomfiddler]

So Banksy is in Thailand ! ????

[Benmart]

The paint will fade in the sun, the novelty will wear out and pedestrians will scurry to safety as usual. I suppose the well intentioned have never head of international road signs and markings.

[mmushr00m]

It will work for the 1st few weeks but after that drivers will become accustomed to it and will blow through the crosswalk. After a few months with the sun, rain and traffic, the paint job will deteriorate to the point where it's simply strips on the road

[Jane Dough]

What would be really good would be to paint a 3D Prime Minister outside govt house. Surely that would cause less damage too.

 

Rooster

[Airbagwill]

 

Yet another incredibly stupid idea that may even result in death.

this idea was first mooted in the 1960s and rightly dismissed as downright dangerous.

Only in Thailand could the parochial and inept thinking revive such a profoundly flawed concept.

[josephbloggs]

10 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

Only in Thailand could the parochial and inept thinking revive such a profoundly flawed concept.

Yet another sweeping, ignorant, and incorrect statement here.  Only the Thais could do something so dumb?

 

3D painted zebra (pedestrian) crossings are in the UK, New Zealand, Iceland, China, Spain, Canada, Australia, UAE, India..........all backwards countries with parochial and inept thinking of course.  Yep, they are in many Western countries run by Western people with our superior brains and advanced concept of safety.  And they are increasing in number, perhaps because they are effective.

But carry on, look down on the people trying to do something good and feel smug about yourself with your superior culture that wouldn't consider doing something so parochial and inept.

[krobert6]

When they are drunk after 3pm just imagine the carnage

[MaxYakov]

 Good idea to paint optical illusions onto the road surface. What's next mirages and holograms?

[DaRoadrunner]

On 11/29/2019 at 12:30 PM, GroveHillWanderer said:

Yes, because people are actually going to believe that there are a bunch of white concrete blocks defying the law of gravity and floating two feet above the ground, and that the cartoon characters are real.

Imagine coming upon that zebra crossing when you have had a few beers. Looking at it does things to my eyes, and I have not had a drink yet.

 

BTW who said cartoon characters are not real?... Living in Thailand is like living in a cartoon!

 

 

Edited November 30, 2019 by DaRoadrunner

[Airbagwill]

On 11/29/2019 at 12:30 PM, GroveHillWanderer said:

Yes, because people are actually going to believe that there are a bunch of white concrete blocks defying the law of gravity and floating two feet above the ground, and that the cartoon characters are real.

 

Anyway, as the article says, "Up close the trick of perspective is lost."

Firstly yes they will...especially if they are an attentive driver.

Secondly you don't seem to appreciate what "close up" means in relative driving terms...... At 15 mph a vehicle covers 22 feet in one second.

[Airbagwill]

10 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

Yet another sweeping, ignorant, and incorrect statement here.  Only the Thais could do something so dumb?

 

3D painted zebra (pedestrian) crossings are in the UK, New Zealand, Iceland, China, Spain, Canada, Australia, UAE, India..........all backwards countries with parochial and inept thinking of course.  Yep, they are in many Western countries run by Western people with our superior brains and advanced concept of safety.  And they are increasing in number, perhaps because they are effective.

But carry on, look down on the people trying to do something good and feel smug about yourself with your superior culture that wouldn't consider doing something so parochial and inept.

Sorry I didn’t make myself clear - it is the Thai authorities I’m calling parochial…..as ever they have failed to do their research (as have other countries) and this concept, as I said was researched and dismissed in the 1960s…….. 50 years on it seems to have been ill-advisedly revived and no-one has looked at the previous thinking on the matter. It may make great ads on sports pitches but this concept on roads is just downright dangerous as will shortly be demonstrated somewhere where they are being used.

 

The Thai authorities have for decades ignored international science and advice on road safety and grabbing hold of gimmicky soundbites like this is just typical of the lack of thought that they put into road safety in 
Thailand….whereas in other countries the system will be monitored and abandoned in Thailand it is copied and then falls into disuse where the crossings will continue to cause accidents for years to come

 

To summarise - 

They are death traps - This unexpected vision could result in drastic avoiding actions by unsuspecting motorists. Bike riders may even come off.

 

It totally ignores the prevailing culture in Thailand where no-one stopd at pedestrian crossings - even with lights

 

It gives pedestrians a false sense of security - they may even walk out in front of traffic in the mistaken belief they are safe.

 

It also ignores the established patterns of road marking maintenance in Thailand - i.e. hardly anything - so after a while the crossings will degenerate into a smudge of shades that may or may not give th 3D effect but are unlikely to be noticed or adhered to be motorists.

[neeray]

TV cynicism is alive and well. No room for any new ideas or improvements. Most TV members consider Thai people too stupid to have any chance at improvement or success at anything.

[Airbagwill]

3 hours ago, neeray said:

TV cynicism is alive and well. No room for any new ideas or improvements. Most TV members consider Thai people too stupid to have any chance at improvement or success at anything.

It is not a new idea, it is at least 50 years old.

It is not the Thai people, it is those nabobs who over the last 3 decades or more have failed to introduce a compehensive road safety system. Introducing this  onto Thai roads in their current state is a mistake. The authorities seem to be under the dilusion that gimmicks like this will in some way significantly improve the situation. At best this is fiddling while Rome burns.    At worst it may càuse more death and injury.

[DrTuner]

6 hours ago, neeray said:

TV cynicism is alive and well. No room for any new ideas or improvements. Most TV members consider Thai people too stupid to have any chance at improvement or success at anything.

Probably because it's backed by experience dealing with and seeing Thais in action. The ones with brains flee the country.

[lvr181]

On 11/29/2019 at 11:06 AM, tifino said:

be distracting enough, that driver/riders diverts eyes down to gawk... not slowing down mind you! 

  - imagine the rest...

 

 

on the other hand, a Rider might simply Divert, and; bump bump bump, take the footpath escape route 

Oh ye of little faith.....

[lvr181]

On 11/29/2019 at 11:06 AM, tifino said:

be distracting enough, that driver/riders diverts eyes down to gawk... not slowing down mind you! 

  - imagine the rest...

 

 

on the other hand, a Rider might simply Divert, and; bump bump bump, take the footpath escape route 

 

Edited December 2, 2019 by lvr181
Apologies. Double posting - slow internet.

[tifino]

7 hours ago, lvr181 said:

Oh ye of little faith.....

I 'definitely' believe it this time...