VIDEO: New, improved and safer zebra crossing largely ignored by Bangkok motorists

[webfact]

VIDEO: New, improved and safer zebra crossing largely ignored by Bangkok motorists

 

Daily News Thai caption: Disciplined driving?

 

Daily News reported that comment online was more than viral after a popular page posted a video and a still picture of what happened at a new style zebra crossing at the Asoke intersection in downtown Bangkok.

 

It was on the page of "Footpath Thai Style" well known for calling out 

the Thais' lack of discipline when it comes to the roads and sidewalks of the kingdom.

 

Daily News said that the new "raised crosswalk" was put in by the state to help the people - but it was a pointess waste of time given their compatriots lack of discipline. 

 

Indeed, a caption on their picture of "disciplined driving?" was merely rhetorical!

 

The video showed one person running for their life and then a woman waiting patiently did just that....wait and wait.

 

Then she just gave up with the comment on the page saying that she decided to go and use the overhead crossing at the BTS station instead of continuing to wait pointlessly.

 

They said this is a "pilot crossing" along the style of those in London and while it was not as good as the ones there it still represented an improvement. 

 

But their assessment of how poorly it was being observed resulted in some minor swearing: they went with "sao jiphai" - just bl**dy sad. 

 

In addition to the video they had a still picture of the crossing in use - by a motorcyclist who then continued on the footpath!

 

Picture: Daily News

 

All this got the Thai netizens talking about their experiences of risking life and limb just to cross the road.

 

Many said the only way to make traffic stop was to walk out in front of drivers. 

 

Otherwise who is going to stop for you?

 

Sadly, another rhetorical question. 

 

Thaivisa notes that the position of such a crossing is an accident waiting to happen. "Zebra crossings" are routinely ignored in Thailand and with this one in a tourist area visitors to Thailand - when they eventually return - may get the wrong idea. 

 

At least the locals know the score and don't put much faith in such "improvements".

 

Tourists from countries where drivers observe traffic rules may find themselves in hospital. 

Source: Daily News

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-03-01

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

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[Patong2021]

Get real. What do they expect if there is no enforcement?   How hard would it be to station  some boys in their  too tight outfits, a bit up the road to hand out some stiff fines.  If they did legitimate  enforcement of 1000+ baht fine with seizure of vehicles that were  unlicensed or in arrears, they could  solve this in 30 days and probable save a few lives.

[sapson]

16 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

If they did legitimate  enforcement of 1000+ baht fine with seizure of vehicles that were  unlicensed or in arrears, they could  solve this in 30 days and probable save a few lives.

 

 Brilliant idea for the boys in brown, check points just past crossings and drivers fined on the spot a few hundred baht......easy end of month tea money collection and might,although unlikely educate a few dumb arrogant impatient halfwits behind the wheel.

[ChipButty]

As a law abiding citizen from Great Britain where we stop at Zebra or Pelican crossings it's some thing you dont do in Thailand not that I dont want to it's some thing you dearn't do because we know others wont and the bikes come flying up the inside of you giving the pedestrians no chance,

Over the years I have told many farangs not to cross as nobody will stop for you

[Surelynot]

Is it just me? These little videos only play for a split second then go back to the start screen?

[kotsak]

So they had the impression that changing the zebra crossing paint color will turn those infantile drivers into law abiding, responsible, selfless drivers?

[foreverlomsak]

Looked like it was a win motorbike rider that managed to use the crossing and then the pavement to continue his journey (normal for them it's safer than the roads), now we know what they what they were installed for and I always thought both were for pedestrians.

I'll continue with using the elevated walkways at least I haven't found a motorbike travelling on there, a bicycle yes, once, and at some speed too.

[worgeordie]

The only way you could get motorists to stop for pedestrians is

to put Stinger spikes 50 meters from the Zebra crossing,every

year tourists must get caught out just stepping off the curb

expecting them to stop....

regards Worgeordie

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

VIDEO: New, improved and safer zebra crossing largely ignored by Bangkok motorists

 

Daily News Thai caption: Disciplined driving?

 

Daily News reported that comment online was more than viral after a popular page posted a video and a still picture of what happened at a new style zebra crossing at the Asoke intersection in downtown Bangkok.

 

It was on the page of "Footpath Thai Style" well known for calling out 

the Thais' lack of discipline when it comes to the roads and sidewalks of the kingdom.

 

Daily News said that the new "raised crosswalk" was put in by the state to help the people - but it was a pointess waste of time given their compatriots lack of discipline. 

 

Indeed, a caption on their picture of "disciplined driving?" was merely rhetorical!

 

The video showed one person running for their life and then a woman waiting patiently did just that....wait and wait.

 

Then she just gave up with the comment on the page saying that she decided to go and use the overhead crossing at the BTS station instead of continuing to wait pointlessly.

 

They said this is a "pilot crossing" along the style of those in London and while it was not as good as the ones there it still represented an improvement. 

 

But their assessment of how poorly it was being observed resulted in some minor swearing: they went with "sao jiphai" - just bl**dy sad. 

 

In addition to the video they had a still picture of the crossing in use - by a motorcyclist who then continued on the footpath!

 

Picture: Daily News

 

All this got the Thai netizens talking about their experiences of risking life and limb just to cross the road.

 

Many said the only way to make traffic stop was to walk out in front of drivers. 

 

Otherwise who is going to stop for you?

 

Sadly, another rhetorical question. 

 

Thaivisa notes that the position of such a crossing is an accident waiting to happen. "Zebra crossings" are routinely ignored in Thailand and with this one in a tourist area visitors to Thailand - when they eventually return - may get the wrong idea. 

 

At least the locals know the score and don't put much faith in such "improvements".

 

Tourists from countries where drivers observe traffic rules may find themselves in hospital. 

Source: Daily News

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-03-01

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

What they need are push buttons for the pedestrians which trigger barriers, like railway crossings but with spikes pointing outward, and stingers which come out of the road, 10 metres before the crossing.    LOL

 

Sorry Worgeordie, only just seen yours. 

 

Edited March 1, 2021 by KannikaP

[Golden Triangle]

Thailand really needs to invest in Pelican crossings, for those that don't know, they are crossings with lights to stop the traffic when a pedestrian presses a button, they stop the traffic for a short time span to allow people to cross safely that's the theory anyway.................

 

Not sure if even they would work here ???? 

[foreverlomsak]

Even better give the pedestrians a rocket launcher to aim at the cars "STOP or else", it wouldn't even need to be loaded.

[foreverlomsak]

17 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

Thailand really needs to invest in Pelican crossings, for those that don't know, they are crossings with lights to stop the traffic when a pedestrian presses a button, they stop the traffic for a short time span to allow people to cross safely that's the theory anyway.................

 

Not sure if even they would work here ???? 

Why would they even with ordinary traffic lights red means go faster to get through before somebody T-bones you.

[seajae]

come on, everyone using the roads here is aware that the majority of road users refuse to stop anytime, red lights, stop signs, giving way mean nothing to them, they just dont like having to actually stop. Pedestrians are just fair game, if they get hit its their own fault for using the pedestrian crossing as road rules dont apply as far as they are concerned

Edited March 1, 2021 by seajae

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

Get real. What do they expect if there is no enforcement?   How hard would it be to station  some boys in their  too tight outfits, a bit up the road to hand out some stiff fines.  If they did legitimate  enforcement of 1000+ baht fine with seizure of vehicles that were  unlicensed or in arrears, they could  solve this in 30 days and probable save a few lives.

 

Agreed...  call it a ‘crack-down’ and they’ll go for it.. Thai’s love a ‘crack-down... Once cracked down we could label the Thai Initiative as the ‘Hub’ of safe road crossing... Thai’s love a ‘Hub’ as much as they love a ‘crack-down’, the ‘Hub of crack-downs’ !!!

 

Seriously though, this is one of the major methods to improve road crossing safety, but it involves continued enforcement police which rarely happens, we only ever witness a day or two of activity before things slip back to normal - everyone knows this, it never changes whatever the latest ‘initiative’ is.... 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

As a law abiding citizen from Great Britain where we stop at Zebra or Pelican crossings it's some thing you dont do in Thailand not that I dont want to it's some thing you dearn't do because we know others wont and the bikes come flying up the inside of you giving the pedestrians no chance,

Over the years I have told many farangs not to cross as nobody will stop for you

 

I heard a similar thing while at a beer bar... Don’t stop, you’ll be blamed for causing an accident... 

 

Reality - People hover next to the pedestrian crossings and when I do stop they don’t want to cross - So nervous have pedestrians become that they don’t trust you’ve stopped for them and they hesitate !!!...  

 

It could be argued that the treatment of pedestrians by the general driving public highlights the true nature of Thai society, its damning...  but not caring at all about someone outside of their inner circle of influence is modus operandi... its a damning shame. 

 

I do stop when in a car, but worry about the potential for someone to ‘rear end’ me. 

I don’t stop when on my motorcycle, because of the potential for someone to ‘rear end’ me. 

 

When I do stop in my car, motorbikes scream through - idiots. 

When I do stop in my car (for a another car turning across me), the idiots on motorcycles still try to scream through and nearly wipe themselves out....

[jvs]

I try never to stop for people who want to cross at a zebra crossing.

[Oldie]

34 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

Thailand really needs to invest in Pelican crossings, for those that don't know, they are crossings with lights to stop the traffic when a pedestrian presses a button, they stop the traffic for a short time span to allow people to cross safely that's the theory anyway.................

 

Not sure if even they would work here ???? 

Is see this here in Pattaya. Often they don't stop anyway and so many such traffic lights are switched off. They just need to install a camera there and take pictures of the violators and fine them. Could bring a lot of income. 

 

In front of the Pattaya City Police Station on the Beach Road is a pedestrian crossing with traffic lights. In addition to the traffic lights sometimes a police man tries to stop the traffic when the lights are red...

[Dmaxdan]

6 minutes ago, jvs said:

I try never to stop for people who want to cross at a zebra crossing.

Why? Because nobody stops for you?

Two wrongs don't make a right...

[Golden Triangle]

Just now, Dmaxdan said:

Why? Because nobody stops for you?

Two wrongs don't make a right...

No, most probably because those behind him won't stop, no one likes to be rear ended, well some might but that would be off topic ????????

[Wiggy]

In my earlier days of driving here I did stop. The guy behind didn't, rear-ended me and I hit the pedestrian anyway. The guy behind didn't have insurance. My insurance ended up paying for a new rear end to my car and the pedestrian's hospital bill (no serious injuries, fortunately). As a result, I feel it's safer not to stop, so I don't. The police didn't prosecute the other driver.

[RichardColeman]

Seems to me Thai zebra crossing would only work with a barrier coming down

[PatOngo]

I don't think they'll ever get it!

[holy cow cm]

1 hour ago, Golden Triangle said:

Thailand really needs to invest in Pelican crossings, for those that don't know, they are crossings with lights to stop the traffic when a pedestrian presses a button, they stop the traffic for a short time span to allow people to cross safely that's the theory anyway.................

 

Not sure if even they would work here ???? 

CM has them and so does BKK. The problem is they are entirely overlooked. If it is going to work then there needs to be a more in yo face light system like a red light that starts swinging such as used at some railway crossings in the USA. They are called wigwags and also emit a gong sound. They other problem is once one person here has crossed the traffic goes and doe not wait for the green light.

[jvs]

1 hour ago, Dmaxdan said:

Why? Because nobody stops for you?

Two wrongs don't make a right...

No that is a little bit too optimistic,some replies already said what can and will happen

but on top of that i do it for the safety of the pedestrian.

So i stop,the guy behind me nearly hits me but he honks the horn!

The pedestrian can not believe what is happening!A car stopped!

He crosses in front of me and gets hit by the car that passes me,dead.

[overt2016]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Seems to me Thai zebra crossing would only work with a barrier coming down

I would prefer one of those tank barriers with spikes.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Is it just me? These little videos only play for a split second then go back to the start screen?

That's because after the first few seconds everything looks the same anyway.

[Pique Dard]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourists from countries where drivers observe traffic rules may find themselves in hospital. 

 

and tat ( tourism authority of thailand) will pay the bill

Edited March 1, 2021 by Pique Dard

[Gandtee]

4 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

Thailand really needs to invest in Pelican crossings, for those that don't know, they are crossings with lights to stop the traffic when a pedestrian presses a button, they stop the traffic for a short time span to allow people to cross safely that's the theory anyway.................

 

Not sure if even they would work here ???? 

They don't work in Pattaya!????

[Gandtee]

4 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

Why? Because nobody stops for you?

Two wrongs don't make a right...

No. Because when you do, selfish bar stewards overtake on the inside and outside and cull the pedestrians!????

[Surelynot]

3 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

No. Because when you do, selfish bar stewards overtake on the inside and outside and cull the pedestrians!????

Plus you have to watch out for the motorbikes speeding between the queues of cars (if they ever stop).....they can easily wipe you out.