Drivers Warned of Increased Fine for Failure to Stop for Pedestrians at Crosswalks

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK, Jan 24 (TNA) – Motorists who fail to stop their vehicles for pedestrians at zebra crossings face a maximum fine of 4,000 baht and have one point deducted from their driving license immediately under the new law.

 

Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said the new law, which was put into effect on Jan 9 increases penalties and adopts the point deduction system to ensure the safety of pedestrians at zebra crossings.

 

Each licensed driver has 12 points.

 

Full Story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-1101354

 

-- © Copyright Thai News Agency 2023-01-24

 

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[2baht]

Yes, I can see a Benz driver stopping for a pedestrian! ????

[keith101]

One point is neither here nor there but impound their vehicle for seven days and they will definately think twice before not stopping again . If its a company vehicle they will have to face up to the boss as to why it is impounded and possible dissmissal .

[Mavideol]

saw it this morning, just in front of me was a couple of motorbikes driven by Thais, foreigners/tourists walking the zebra/crossing lines, none stopped to let them pass, police officer was there, saw it and did nothing....I was at a complete stop while people still walking, then a couple of tourists riding motorbikes drove by, didn't stop drive thru avoiding the walking people but here the officer blow the whistle, signaled to his colleague and they both stop them... I didn't see how much was the fine but they were taken into the office

[ezzra]

As per my observation on the road i now see many more motorists stopping for pedestrians and ever before, which is a step in the right direction, however, red light jumping is getting worse by the day...

[keith101]

2 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

saw it this morning, just in front of me was a couple of motorbikes driven by Thais, foreigners/tourists walking the zebra/crossing lines, none stopped to let them pass, police officer was there, saw it and did nothing....I was at a complete stop while people still walking, then a couple of tourists riding motorbikes drove by, didn't stop drive thru avoiding the walking people but here the officer blow the whistle, signaled to his colleague and they both stop them... I didn't see how much was the fine but they were taken into the office

The usual rule of one for them and one for us nothing ever changes here .

[Orinoco]

Sure they will all stop ad be nice drivers and riders.

1st April comes round quick now days

 

 

[ozimoron]

I was almost hit by a farang on a scooter while crossing on a pedestrian crossing in front of central festival mall this week. The Thais driving cars had all stopped but the farang decided to pass outside the line of cars on the far lane. I'm hoping the fines will be very large.

[OneMoreFarang]

31 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

increases penalties

Low penalties or high penalties don't make a difference if nobody enforces the laws.

Some of these pedestrian crossings are directly next to police booth. And what does the police do? Nothing.

There are also every few minutes hordes of motorcycle riders who regularly ignore the red lights. What does the police do? Nothing.

TiT, nothing changes. 

[Crossy]

17 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Sure they will all stop ad be nice drivers and riders.

1st April comes round quick now days

 

Is April Fools still illegal?

 

[Freed1948]

From the report: Each licensed driver has 12 points. what about the unlicensed ones?

[worgeordie]

This could become a good earner for the government ,if

it was enforced ,maybe give 25 % to police then maybe

something would be done ,

 

regards worgeordie

[Laughing Gravy]

38 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

I was almost hit by a farang on a scooter while crossing on a pedestrian crossing in front of central festival mall this week. The Thais driving cars had all stopped but the farang decided to pass outside the line of cars on the far lane. I'm hoping the fines will be very large.

How unlucky for you. So I guess the number is 99.999% Thais doing this and you happened to get the 0.0001% farang.

 

Apologist of the worse kind.

[fusion58]

Great job. Maybe for their next act they can do something about these imbeciles who ride their motorcycles on the sidewalks.

[Neeranam]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

As per my observation on the road i now see many more motorists stopping for pedestrians and ever before, which is a step in the right direction, however, red light jumping is getting worse by the day...

It's better to be done gradually. I usually don't stop as it could cause and accident with the car or bike behind me overtaking on my inside.

[bang saen guy]

Would be nice if they could tase the offenders. 

[ozimoron]

2 hours ago, Laughing Gravy said:

How unlucky for you. So I guess the number is 99.999% Thais doing this and you happened to get the 0.0001% farang.

 

Apologist of the worse kind.

Feel better now?

[Lorry]

Death of a zebra

 

For the last decades,  there has been a zebra crossing in my neighborhood,  across a deadly road.

Nobody ever cared. 

 

Then they put some police there.  They would stop the motorists from time to time,  so that pedestrians could cross the road.

 

After the  poor doctors death, all af a sudden motorists would stop for pedestrians,  no police required. 

Very nice.

Pedestrians took notice,  and turned out in large numbers. Most people can walk,  not everybody has an engine. After a year,  there was a continuous stream of pedestrians crossing. No fun for the motorists. 

 

Now they brought back the police, so the road belongs to the motorists again. Pedestrians are forbidden to cross the zebra crossing if not explicitly allowed. 

 

 

[Orinoco]

3 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Is April Fools still illegal?

 

I would not be surprised.

[kwilco]

  

 

 

At long last Thailand is adopting normal motoring laws - it's about time but this piecemeal process won't work unless it is part of a complete holistic overhaul of road safety in the kingdom.

The main obstacle is the ignorance of the powers that be who are totally uninformed on road safety and just think because they drive they understand road safety.

All they are doing is giving a cursory glance to other countries and picking the odd bit of regulation or legislation here and there.

The problem is that imposing fines (and points) will have no significant effect unless there are systems to back it up. All bigger fines do is increase the likelihood of corrupt practices. 

It is already filtering through that people being stopped by the road side police are being asked for more money - 200 baht has increased to one thousand.

it won't be long before we hear of the wealthy and important avoiding point accumulation on their licences.

Speeding tickets will be waived and machines won't be calibrated.

The situation at present is there is no system for enforcement - police and courts are totally unprepared for this.

Roads are not properly marked and signed, and almost any offence could be up for debate by those with the money.

for an enforceable fine system to work, Thailand must reform the police, reform the courts, redesign the road, train police to operate new equipment, install reliable cameras on parts of roads that are actually designed to have cameras on them - build roads to higher safety standards and re-educate the public.

The changes required have built up over the past 3 or 4 decades largely du=e to the ineptitude and ignorance of successive authorities, the changes needed are so great as to be constitutional - maybe the measures around traffic lights are a sign of a change in attitude, but they are such a minute step in the right direction as to be insignificant or even useless.

[daveAustin]

6 hours ago, keith101 said:

One point is neither here nor there but impound their vehicle for seven days and they will definately think twice before not stopping again . If its a company vehicle they will have to face up to the boss as to why it is impounded and possible dissmissal .

Lol. Are you guys just off the boat? Try and stop at some of the crossings where I am and you will likely be killed. Many of them are right across busy highways…. poorly placed and poorly lit. We all want the roads to be safer but trying to ascribe western systems all of a sudden won’t work well. As pointed out, it needs to be brought in gradually with zebra crossings that are PROPERLY PLACED!

[ozimoron]

By and large I'm seeing more drivers stop at the light controlled pedestrian crossings. In particular the one at soi 6 on Pattaya road 2.

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Motorists who fail to stop their vehicles for pedestrians at zebra crossings face a maximum fine of 4,000 baht and have one point deducted from their driving license immediately under the new law.

That'll stop them in their tracks... 

[jaywalker]

12 hours ago, Mavideol said:

saw it this morning, just in front of me was a couple of motorbikes driven by Thais, foreigners/tourists walking the zebra/crossing lines, none stopped to let them pass, police officer was there, saw it and did nothing....I was at a complete stop while people still walking, then a couple of tourists riding motorbikes drove by, didn't stop drive thru avoiding the walking people but here the officer blow the whistle, signaled to his colleague and they both stop them... I didn't see how much was the fine but they were taken into the office

They've had traffic lights at crosswalks in Pattaya for over a decade.

 

They broke after about 2 weeks. The cops must've stole the light bulbs?

 

I was in Pathum Thani once, walking, and the BIB were out in force. Anybody whose tire was touching the white line at a traffic light got a ticket.

 

Selective enforcement never works. The BIB in Pathum Thani were just running low on Mekong money.

[Bangkok Barry]

12 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Low penalties or high penalties don't make a difference if nobody enforces the laws.

Some of these pedestrian crossings are directly next to police booth. And what does the police do? Nothing.

There are also every few minutes hordes of motorcycle riders who regularly ignore the red lights. What does the police do? Nothing.

TiT, nothing changes. 

Exactly. More hot air, which will be followed by no action. It's the Thai way, the usual way things operate. Someone has stated something but it isn't their job to ensure it is enforced so it isn't. 

[Aussieroaming]

The RTP could fill the government coffers with motorist fine money daily but they don't generally enforce these road rules unless it's a mandated blitz. The system only works when there is a reasonable chance that they will get a personal gain for the effort.

[Dazkkk]

I saw an item on another Thai forum the other day showing the Department of transportation or some such august organisation, where they had dozens of guys being taught how to paint several Zebra Crossings as a training exercise, while many officials looked on and pointed. 
Luckily these crossings were nowhere near any roads. 
 

Imagine how I laughed and laughed and laughed. ????????????

[ikke1959]

The biggest problem in THailand are not the laws and fines, but lack of enforcing by the RTP. If the police starts to work an do their job a lot will be improved  together with a proper education for a driverslicense. 

As long as kids are allowed by the police on motorcycles, no helmets , parking where ever you want, even near a traffic light or on a pedestrian crossing, and just name it, you see every day on the road /, you can fine  and threaten but everybody knows nothing will happen, as it is a few days and than back to "normal". Policeforce have to work on the streets 24 hrs 7 days a week and not from 9 to 5 and surely not busy with schools in the morning and afternoon. The only task is there to fine the ones who don't follow the rules.....And also I see many times that they stand aside the road for hours if the royal motorcade will pass....No need to stand at 12 o'clock as the motorcade passes at 16.00.... Work!!!! 

[swm59nj]

That’s if someone is there to catch them 

[Partenavia]

They could start by making all the crossings actually visible, most are not, covered in black tyre marks. Nothing at the side to indicate them either.

So make them more visible to start with.