Thailand's modern "international" standard Zebra crossings: But will drivers actually stop?

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

I asked a Thai I worked beside who was going to uk on holiday if he was going to rent a car there.

Oh no, he said, can't do that because you have to obey all the laws and that makes it too difficult.

From original headline:

 

"... The crossing has lots of zigzag lines, something called a "refuge island" in the middle coned off..."

 

I wonder is there are plastic portable non-fixed cones or permanent cement fixtures.

 

If plastic non fixed cones they will be gone, scattered, stolen etc., in a couple of days.

 

 

1 hour ago, Dirk Z said:

In many - mainly European - countries cars will stop even when you are just approaching the crossing. No police about. It is a matter of education and decency. Thais are normally polite and modest, but unfortunately turn into selfish savages when driving a vehicle.

Camera's would help for those crossings that have lights. But only if they have consequences....

Same in Australia, 99% of drivers take zebra crossing laws very seriously, if a driver is caught the fines are very severe, 2nd time and license suspended for an extended period. 

 

One year back I was in Australia. I took my village bus to a big shopping complex, bus driver stopped for pedestrians but a car went through luckily missing a couple of pedestrians.

 

The village bus driver is a retired airline pilot. As soon as the pedestrians had all passed he followed the errant car and asked a bus passenger to take several pgotos of the errant car, them bus driver safely passed the errant car with many bus passengers taking photos of the errant driver.

 

Back at the village the bus driver asked all the passengers who had pgotos to quickly send them to him. He quickly packaged all the photos and sent them to the police.

 

The case was picked up by the media, the errant driver lost his license for 1 year and fined A$2,500-, it turned out the errant car driver was on a second offence for the same thing.   

[Excel]

1 minute ago, Reposed said:

The zig-zag lines are to guide the driver in confusing the pedestrian, who will surely be trying to jump out of the way....

 

Increases odds of impact by a good 50%!

And bonus points for hitting those in wheelchairs also perhaps ? ????

But seriously drivers stopping and being encouraged to do so by the presence of more RTP will never worked either 'cos at the end of the day they are all Thais and as we mostly know, the me me me attitude is prevalent irrespective of what uniform is being worn or civilian clothes. In fact I'm surprised the RTP don't make more use of the pedestrian crossings to extort more money from motorists who fail to give way.

[Reposed]

13 minutes ago, Excel said:

And bonus points for hitting those in wheelchairs also perhaps ? ????

 

No, that's a mere 5 points.

 

Nailing Usain Bolt would be the biggest amount of extra points....

 

Unless you are a Red Bull heir, then, well, you know........ 

 

BTW, the zig-zag lines after the crosswalK? Those are to shake the pedestrian loose.

 

 

 

.

Edited July 9, 2022 by Reposed

[superal]

55 minutes ago, scorecard said:

And plenty of pedestrians will be too lazy to climb the steps up to the overhead walkway, they will continue to run between the traffic. 

Agree but what about babies in a push chair or unfortunates in a wheel chair ?

[rudi49jr]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

But will drivers actually stop?

No. Not unless there is an actual barrier that forces them to stop.

[mackayae]

3 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

It's never going to be enough. Add Belisha beacons so drivers are aware of the crossing from a good distance and change the law to make it an offence not to stop if someone wants to cross the road

In most US states it is the law to stop for pedestrians:

You must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians

crossing the street in any marked or unmarked

crosswalk. When the light turns green, you

must still yield to pedestrians and vehicles in

intersections.

[chilly07]

Lacks pedestrian operated traffic lights. Have then on beach Rd Pattaya- why don't they roll them out everywhere?

[Road Warrior]

NO -- NOT THAIS !  they EVAN think'" that yellow cross hatch" at traffic lights is  PARKING AREA  !!!!

[sead]

Only thing that will work is a gate as in railwaycrossings

[wombat]

NO

[swm59nj]

Unfortunately it won’t help.  Because of the mentality of many of the drivers.  I think there are many more inconsiderate drivers than the ones that do the right thing. 
I live in Bangkok.  And I think it’s more like a game to them or intimidation.  Or they feel they are superior. 
There have been many a time I’m crossing at a zebra crossing.  A vehicle or motor bike is a distance down the road.  I start crossing and they  suddenly speed up. Like it’s a threat they are going to hit me. 
And I really think they don’t care if they injure or kill someone.  Because in their so called mind.  It’s all about superiority.  And just plain rudeness. 

[connda]

Thailand's modern "international" standard Zebra crossings: But will drivers actually stop?

The answer?  "No."  My first week in Chiang Mai a whole lot of years ago, I almost got killed in a cross-walk.  Why?  I applied Western "common knowledge" to a Thai road with cross-walks which had flashing lights and the whole nine-yards.  A motorcycle missed me by inches.  Literally - inches. 
From that point onward, that lesson has never been lost on me.  At crosswalks I keep my eyes on oncoming traffic, as well as looking in the opposite direction if the street is one-way.  What Thai cares if they are driving the wrong way on a major road?  .  I've slapped a few cars who failed to stop a few times as they run the crosswalk's Red Light and are with-in reach.  I'm too old to do that now.
There is no answer to this.  Thailand fails to make it a safety priority and charge those who endanger others with criminal charges when their arrogance causing injury and death.  Pay 50K THB to the injured or dead.  That doesn't offset the wage earning potential of the victim.  The offender should take care of the financial burden they imposed on the victim's family.

By the way.  My own daughter was killed in a car accident by a 20 year old who was driving like he was F1 driver.  In the US.  So I'm not giving the United State a pass. 
How did the US judicial system handle that? A $400 fine for the driver.  In civil court he filed bankruptcy. 
25 years later he has the American dream going for him with property, bling, a wife, and two kids.
What I'm I left with?  A huge, unfillable hole.
Yeah - life's not fair.  But I know that. 

So, that is about what happens here in Thailand.  Kill someone with you car and there are no real consequences. Give the deceased family 100K THB and all is good.  But it's not.  Ever.

Edited July 9, 2022 by connda

[connda]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

Same in Australia, 99% of drivers take zebra crossing laws very seriously, if a driver is caught the fines are very severe, 2nd time and license suspended for an extended period. 

Here in Thailand, if they suspend your license, virtually all Thais will drive anyway.  What's to stop them  A 400 THB fine and a ticket that is good to get you though any other cop roadblock for the rest of the day.  Considering the a huge number of Thais drive with licenses - it's no bid deal. 

[wombat]

how many people have licenses?

[Bangkok Barry]

Lack of training? How much training needs to be done to know you stop at a crossing if someone is on it? As for the 'international standard' design, drivers will just say they were distracted by the pretty tellow colour and white line pattern as they plough into the latest victim.

[scorecard]

21 minutes ago, swm59nj said:

Unfortunately it won’t help.  Because of the mentality of many of the drivers.  I think there are many more inconsiderate drivers than the ones that do the right thing. 
I live in Bangkok.  And I think it’s more like a game to them or intimidation.  Or they feel they are superior. 
There have been many a time I’m crossing at a zebra crossing.  A vehicle or motor bike is a distance down the road.  I start crossing and they  suddenly speed up. Like it’s a threat they are going to hit me. 
And I really think they don’t care if they injure or kill someone.  Because in their so called mind.  It’s all about superiority.  And just plain rudeness. 

There's also a general attitude that people in cars come/go first!

[RichardColeman]

Be kabab, fried chicken and noodle stalls all over those zig zags by nightfall

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, mackayae said:

In most US states it is the law to stop for pedestrians:

You must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians

crossing the street in any marked or unmarked

crosswalk. When the light turns green, you

must still yield to pedestrians and vehicles in

intersections.

I find it bizarre in NYC and I guess other places in the USA where there is no, say, 20-30 second period when all vehicle lights are red and pedestrians can cross safely. Instead, lights change, a vehicle wants to turn right and has to wait until people have finished crossing. By then, the lights have changed again and only one of two vehicles have completed the turn. If there was a pedestrian crossing time, then all the vehicles could make the turn unimpeded. Like in other countries (those that observe the lights that is, not Thailand where it's always Me First, the national motto).

Edited July 9, 2022 by Bangkok Barry

[Bangkok Barry]

In Thailand there is only one way to avoid risk to life on crossings and that is to remove them completely. Nearly all drivers ignore them, even going through a red light with those that have them - including the police (there are videos) - and those that don't ignore them run the risk of being hit from behind. They are also actually a hazard, as motorcycles race around anyone who has stopped and kill or injure those who thought it was safe to cross. They actually cause death and injury as very few respect them. Removing them would save lives. As so often in Thailand, reverse thinking applies.

[DUNROAMIN]

You never cross a Zebra crossing without checking L+R first even in a developed country. And never attempt to cross until all traffic has given way for you to cross. Here in Thailand using a Zebra crossing is like playing russian roulette.

[kotsak]

No point throwing money at yellow/white paint which have no effect whatsoever, throw actual money on the ground and you will have more chances to make them stop.

 

 

[peterfranks]

5 hours ago, Dirk Z said:

In many - mainly European - countries cars will stop even when you are just approaching the crossing.

In my home country that is the law.

 

Not stopping when a pedestrian is only approaching a crossing, will cost you big

[Bday Prang]

12 hours ago, actonion said:

Before they can enforce any  road law they must first have knowledge of the Highway code etc., which they dont have,  ...does any Thai have ??

I think the "highway code" is unique to the U.K so no Thai would have any knowledge of it , Why would they ?

[Confuscious]

The answer is: NO
Nobody is going to stop for a pedestrian.

The Zebra crossing can be made up to international standards, but the drivers and the vehicles are made to 3-world standards.

Will never work.

[Dalewhatdale]

What on earth are those zig-zag lines for?

I imagine they signal the proximity of a zebra crossing, but as a non-British driver (I supposed that's where they copied from) I find them ugly (not important) and distracting (important) as hell! They should've saved money on paint and kept it simple, for all the good this'll do.

[hotchilli]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

But the question is, with all the improvements will motorists and bike riders actually bother to stop?

No.

[actonion]

11 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

I think the "highway code" is unique to the U.K so no Thai would have any knowledge of it , Why would they ?

Why would they ? because their is a Thai highway code, find it  on the internet .... i presume you dont have a driving licence

Edited July 10, 2022 by actonion

[actonion]

22 hours ago, petermik said:

Many of the locals don`t understand what a red light actually means........

To hang outside every bar i would imagine...lol

 

[actonion]

6 hours ago, Dalewhatdale said:

What on earth are those zig-zag lines for?

I imagine they signal the proximity of a zebra crossing, but as a non-British driver (I supposed that's where they copied from) I find them ugly (not important) and distracting (important) as hell! They should've saved money on paint and kept it simple, for all the good this'll do.

You may find those zig zag lines important if you knew the reason they were there,  ( in most countries), in  the UK they  are  painted  either side of a pedestrian crossing to stop people parking  and  blocking the drivers view of any pedestrian  that attempts to cross, they are painted outside school entrances too, but in Thailand as  you say  a waste of paint

[Henryford]

20 hours ago, ignis said:

If you or a Thai driver stops then the motorbikes will pass on both sides, a few People have been mowed down on a Zebra crossing and some killed from motorbikes

Happened to me. I was waiting at a zebra and finally 2 cars stopped to let me cross. I was half way across when a motorcycle came speeding in between the 2 cars and missed me by inches. I NEVER use zebra crossings now.