School children risking their lives daily on busy road - director calls for crossing and signage

[webfact]

Picture: Sanook

 

Sanook went to investigate after a school in Nakhon Ratchasima contacted them about the dangerous road their students have to cross.

 

Morning and evening it is a dangerous dash for kids at Ban Phon Thong school located on the four lane Mitraphap Highway in Sida district. 

 

Many of the children need to get to a housing estate opposite.

 

Sanook noted that traffic doesn't slow down at all and there is scant signage. It's a section of road that encourages fast driving coming down from a hill.

 

Director of the school Suchart Charoenwong has called for a pedestrian bridge, signage and flashing lights to be installed. 

 

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[Wiggy]

A crossing would probably make it more dangerous. 

[Asquith Production]

I would have thought an underpass was the best option for the kids.. Better protection from weather and no height restrictions for vehicles. Although I appreciate probably more expensive.

[alien365]

It would help if the speed limits were applied for school times only. Slowing down to 30 when there's no sign of activity inside doesn't help the cause. Flash a few signs at opening and closing times would work better IMO

[blackcab]

They really should have a pedestrian bridge and fixed pedestrian barriers all the way along both sides of the road to force pedestrians to use the bridge.

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Wiggy said:

A crossing would probably make it more dangerous. 

Kids lives at risk...  Put a serious of massive speed bumps. 

 

The ideal solution is of course a foot bridge with guards at either side of the footbridge, however, there is reason many of the roads and crossings in Thailand are unsafe... it comes down to basic funding.

 

Thus - the cheapest and most effective solution from the perspective of the safety of the children is forcing the traffic to slow down.

 

This is the only cost effective life saving solution... its simply and ‘would have’ / ‘could have’ been put in place already IF the local authorities value the lives of children over the convenience of the speed of traffic. 

[tompelli]

Do what they do in Prachinburi, put a policeman at the crossing to make sure the stewards stop.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Director of the school Suchart Charoenwong has called for a pedestrian bridge, signage and flashing lights to be installed.

A couple of axle breaking speed humps would work nicely.

[itsallmine68]

1 hour ago, alien365 said:

It would help if the speed limits were applied for school times only. Slowing down to 30 when there's no sign of activity inside doesn't help the cause. Flash a few signs at opening and closing times would work better IMO

Signs dont do squat ,ENFORECEMENT is the answer You put a number of officers pulling over cars in a reduced speed limit that will help

[ThaiFelix]

7 minutes ago, itsallmine68 said:

Signs dont do squat ,ENFORECEMENT is the answer You put a number of officers pulling over cars in a reduced speed limit that will help

True.  But first step would be to teach Thai drivers what crossings and signs mean!  They have no idea.

[transam]

12 minutes ago, itsallmine68 said:

Signs dont do squat ,ENFORECEMENT is the answer You put a number of officers pulling over cars in a reduced speed limit that will help

Well yes, but where would they find a cop 'working' to do it..?

[richard_smith237]

11 minutes ago, itsallmine68 said:

Signs dont do squat ,ENFORECEMENT is the answer You put a number of officers pulling over cars in a reduced speed limit that will help

Unfortunately Thailand is a perfect showcase to highlight Enforcers doing squat...   they are too lazy to enforce. 

 

3 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

True.  But first step would be to teach Thai drivers what crossings and signs mean!  They have no idea.

I’m not so sure....  The have an idea what crossings are, how they work and that they should stop at them. 

The issue is that they simply do not care. 

 

 

The drivers in Thailand are not ready for mature solutions and thus need physical barriers - the only solutions I see that would work are large speed bumps....   watching Thai drivers go over speed bumps is like watching Thai Aunties getting on an escalator - they slow to an almost unnecessary stop !... 

 

The only thing to worry about then is brake failure of the lorries following !!! 

 

 

 

[Scott Tracy]

Fundamentals... Building schools near main roads, or building main roads near schools, either way,  making children cross major roads....but, having done that, a footbridge, an underpass, or whatever it takes to separate children from vehicles. Failing that, a crossing with barriers, flashing !ights, police officers, crossing patrols, fences, walls... All sorts of options. Get it done.

[transam]

But, these schools let underage kids drive motorcycles to school, we've all seen it, 3 up, no licence, crash hat and on the phone.

NOBODY cares here, not the parents, school governors OR the police. BUT, they soon start screaming when a kid gets killed, it's somebody else's fault...????

[hamleknoi]

Last time I used a legit pedestrian crossing about a year ago, the lights turned red, some cars ran it but the ones behind soon stopped. Then bout 10 motorbikes blasted through at full speed one after the other.

[PETERTHEEATER]

6 hours ago, Wiggy said:

A crossing would probably make it more dangerous. 

No doubt whatsoever. What about a pedestrian bridge? The kids are young and fit enough to climb the hated stairs. 

[ripstanley]

3 hours ago, alien365 said:

It would help if the speed limits were applied for school times only. Slowing down to 30 when there's no sign of activity inside doesn't help the cause. Flash a few signs at opening and closing times would work better IMO

I  live near Phayao. There is  on a school on a country road which is about 200 meters of this road. All buses and parents drive in to collect the children. On the main road there is the 30km limit and pedestrian crossing. This crossing ends up in a rice field. 

[Stargeezr]

Put in signs and speed bumps to force the drivers to slow down in the area.

A simple low tech solution that would help greatly.

[RocketDog]

19 hours ago, Asquith Production said:

I would have thought an underpass was the best option for the kids.. Better protection from weather and no height restrictions for vehicles. Although I appreciate probably more expensive.

With good drainage of course. Otherwise just a swimming pool for kids who can't swim.

 

I have little faith in it being done properly.

 

The real answer is physical pivoting barricades that swing down to block the road with laser canons to pick off the motorcy clowns who try to slip through.

[VocalNeal]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

about the dangerous road their students have to cross.

These children will eventually grow up and have to cross Thai roads for the next 60 years. So they need to learn how to safely do it. 

 

An overpass may effect the movement of high loads.

 

How about some local volunteers like lollipop ladies to assist them?

[transam]

13 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

These children will eventually grow up and have to cross Thai roads for the next 60 years. So they need to learn how to safely do it. 

 

An overpass may effect the movement of high loads.

 

How about some local volunteers like lollipop ladies to assist them?

They would get run over.......????

[big dendrobenaes]

so put some BIG humps on the road to slow traffic down .....simple solution !!!!

[Nojohndoe]

On 12/28/2021 at 5:01 PM, transam said:

But, these schools let underage kids drive motorcycles to school, we've all seen it, 3 up, no licence, crash hat and on the phone.

NOBODY cares here, not the parents, school governors OR the police. BUT, they soon start screaming when a kid gets killed, it's somebody else's fault...????

You are not wrong but you are  not right. Parents  do care if their child is injured  by  another. Injured  by themself is less a concern.

It would  go a long way to satisfy many observers  of the diligence with which members of the RTP perform  duties outside the gates of  many schools, despite the  fact they are "protecting" children blatantly  ignoring "law", who would prefer instead to see  the RTP enforcing penalties .

My personal observation of the situation is that while students indirectly acknowledge the  "service " provided  by the RTP in an appreciative  manner, which may be as simple as not displaying heroic  acts until at least well clear of the school  gateways,  regardless of seemingly apparent under age or multiples of passengers on a motorcycle then it is situation normal !

The social structure and the economics of I do believe shape many aspects of Thai culture in ways that can frustrate arguable objection when compared to another .

Individual, social, cultural, administrative .........becoming sadly  blurred in accountability !

 

 

 

 

 

[tuktuktuk]

Around here those pedestrian overpasses are just a way to cross the highway in the shade.

[jacko45k]

On 12/28/2021 at 12:32 PM, Wiggy said:

A crossing would probably make it more dangerous. 

They need to build an elevated crossing over the road..... as soon as they find some cables and power poles to build it around. 

[actonion]

Signage or no signage, they still drive as dangerous. I tried to cross on a Zebra crossing outside of  Pattaya beach road  Police station, they wouldnt, and didnt stop  even though i was stranded in the  middle of the raod 

[2009]

On 12/28/2021 at 4:27 PM, ThaiFelix said:

True.  But first step would be to teach Thai drivers what crossings and signs mean!  They have no idea.

They know; they just don't care.