Stopping for pedestrians at zebra crossings - Can Thai Rath change Thai driving habits?

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Stopping for pedestrians at zebra crossings - Can Thai Rath change Thai driving habits?

 

video screenshot

 

BANGKOK: -- Influential Thai news media Thai Rath have posted a "training" video on Facebook in an effort to make Thai drivers stop at zebra crossings.

 

The video of about a minute duration asks the pertinent question:

 

Why don't people stop?

 

They showed a person in a car stopping for people to cross saying that it won't take more than a few seconds out of your day - and everyone will be happy including yourself!

 

Pedestrians - who were also urged to cross in the right places in the video - were asked if they feel irritated when drivers don't stop?

 

The video - that contains one or two other tips for driving in Bangkok - ends with the noble idea:

 

We can be better as a society. It is up to the individual.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-06-15

 

[jaymbkk]

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] no way. Nobody cares

 

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

[ben2talk]

Sticking a fork up your bum when eating - can you change your dining habits?

 

Sorry, irrelevant - so try another tack here...

 

I ride 15km to take my boy to school and actually SEE at least 3 or 4 folks driving erratically because they're using a phone... This morning I was prevented from entering a soi because a woman just turning in stopped in the mouth of the road to finish whatever she was doing...

 

The police don't look for it, they don't care.

 

Why waste time even asking these questions?

Edited June 15, 2017 by ben2talk

[Wiggy]

The last time I stopped I got rear-ended and my car severely damaged. That's why I don't stop, unfortunately. Would welcome a successful campaign to make it happen though.

[Moonmoon]

While we should obey traffic rules and signs, Zebra crossings should not be placed like that on roads. This is poor planning. Instead, It should have been a Traffic light crossing 

[Wiggy]

7 minutes ago, Moonmoon said:

While we should obey traffic rules and signs, Zebra crossings should not be placed like that on roads. This is poor planning. Instead, It should have been a Traffic light crossing 

Many people don't stop at those either, which is even more dangerous. I see it almost every morning on Rama 3.

[darksidedog]

Thai Rath could put up quite literally hundreds of these videos, covering all manner of road safety and etiquette, but I doubt it will help much. Thais are way too selfish and shaving a few extra seconds off their journey is too important to them.

[chickenslegs]

A couple of times, when I have stopped to allow pedestrians to cross, motorcycles and cars have passed me on either side and nearly wiped out the pedestrians as they stepped onto the crossing.

 

This even happened once at a light controlled crossing on Pattaya beach road.

 

 

 

 

 

[CelticBhoy]

Zebra crossings are a waste of paint.

 

I often wonder how many tourists must be knocked down using them

as they probably expect cars to stop as they do in their home country.

[Moonmoon]

2 minutes ago, Wiggy said:

Many people don't stop at those either, which is even more dangerous. I see it almost every morning on Rama 3.

especially motorbikes will zoom out of the lane split anytime they can. freaking dangerous. have to be super on the toes on the road here in Thailand.

[Just1Voice]

Can't speak for the rest of Thailand, but I've noticed that in Chiang Mai, in many cases, drivers actually do stop for people to cross the road at the designated areas.  Many of the crossings have the temporary red light to stop traffic, and in most cases it is observed.  

 

Maybe the Lanna Thai of the north are more considerate than the Siam Thai of the south. lol

 

[Wiggy]

6 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

A couple of times, when I have stopped to allow pedestrians to cross, motorcycles and cars have passed me on either side and nearly wiped out the pedestrians as they stepped onto the crossing.

 

This even happened once at a light controlled crossing on Pattaya beach road.

 

 

 

 

 

I think they have now abandoned the light system on Beach Road as more people got hit. I may be wrong though as I haven't been there for a while. Sad if true.

[shady86]

Because most of the cars are speeding if the traffic is clear and stopping suddenly might actually cause car accident if car behind couldn't stop on time.

If the traffic is at standstill or moving slowly, I see most of the car stops.

 

One thing I noticed pedestrians here are lazy to walk up to the pedestrian bridge and rather take the risk to cross the road.

 

[chickenslegs]

1 minute ago, Wiggy said:

I think they have now abandoned the light system on Beach Road as more people got hit. I may be wrong though as I haven't been there for a while. Sad if true.

Yes. For a while they had police officers supervising the crossings, but then they just gave up and abandoned the idea.

[Moonmoon]

3 minutes ago, shady86 said:

Because most of the cars are speeding if the traffic is clear and stopping suddenly might actually cause car accident if car behind couldn't stop on time.

If the traffic is at standstill or moving slowly, I see most of the car stops.

 

One thing I noticed pedestrians here are lazy to walk up to the pedestrian bridge and rather take the risk to cross the road.

 

Do you know why? it is not laziness (while of cos some might be 50/50), they are afraid to get rob or snatch on top of the overhead bridge. There are many cases like that.

 

Ask any Thai if that is true

[shady86]

2 minutes ago, Moonmoon said:

Do you know why? it is not laziness (while of cos some might be 50/50), they are afraid to get rob or snatch on top of the overhead bridge. There are many cases like that.

 

Ask any Thai if that is true

 

I'm sure that is because they need to walk a few hundred meter more to the bridge and walking back to their destination. Not only night time but I see a lot of this day time too.

I guess its human nature to take the shortest route especially if the weather is hot but finally they ended up taking longer time because most cars wont stop for them.

[nakhonandy]

Brave attempt by Thai Rath, however I doubt if it will help.

 

Until comprehensive driving education/tests are mandatory and police actually enforce the existing laws nothing will change unfortunately.

[Moonmoon]

Just now, shady86 said:

 

I'm sure that is because they need to walk a few hundred meter more to the bridge and walking back to their destination. Not only night time but I see a lot of this day time too.

I guess its human nature to take the shortest route especially if the weather is hot but finally they ended up taking longer time because most cars wont stop for them.

I like walking up the overhead bridge, provide free (legs day) exercise for me. But my wife always warns me to be careful of snatch thieves or robbers.

[fruitman]

I hope the ones driving against traffic also stop for zebra's.

[kaiyaibob]

Good luck with that Thai Rath in a country where it pays you to look both ways crossing a one way street..I am not convinced anything will change ...

[richard_smith237]

IMO it is a sign or an indication of how uncivilized Thailand can be sometimes. 

 

I've often heard that the true measure of a country is in its driving standards and consideration for others on the roads. 

 

The 'me first' attitudes here and what I call the '<deleted> switch' which people turn on when they enter a vehicle is in stark contrast with the advertised relaxed 'jai-yen' way of life people like to portray of Thai's. 

 

What I see... this Jai-Yen and Kraeng-Jai is especially strong within the circle of those known, but once people step outside of this 'circle of those known' people stop caring, they stop respecting, they stop having any concern for consequence, they start thinking me, me me... 

 

I see this as a fundamental flaw in the culture here, an underlying current of moral questionability which is ultimately devastating when combined with isolation when traveling in vehicles - People ultimately die because of this self centered attitude where people and society forget their humanity as the lowest common denominator 'selfishness' takes over. 

 

 

[spermwhale]

This complete disregard for pedestrians will only be changed when police start ticketing people for the infraction and when they substantially increase fines. Thailand is too backward to updated their moving violation fines and police are too lazy to actually do their job. I've been here 14 years and the Thai mentality has not changed an iota. 

[Mattd]

But cars do stop...................... usually right on the crossing blocking your path, so then you must go around them only to nearly be killed by the motorbikes going on the inside and outside!!

The reason that they do not stop is because the thought does not even enter their head.

Same as when they walk through a door in a public place and never look around to see if anybody is following, or walk around whilst doing the oh so important line chat on their mobile, look, why do that, everybody can move for me............ spacial awareness is virtually zero............ sorry, rant over!!!

[dotpoom]

The problem with stopping for people at an Zebra crossing is that for people who don't know better about the driving standards in Thailand ,will assume it is safe for them to cross because if one car stops they think all the cars will stop and march straight out, leaving themselves lightly to be hit by your "normal" driver who thinks the white lines were there to use up the last bit of paint in the tin. But good luck with the video, have to start somewhere.

   The next one can be about the proper way to light up at night time.....let's start by saying...."your vehicle should have lights to begin with", and if it does they should be at "dip" while driving in lit up areas (not  every light at full blast, including the "fog lights"  when there is no fog). But I'm convinced the majority of Thai drivers would not know what you are talking about if you asked them to point out the "fog lamps" on the vehicles.

[dexjnr555]

Education is required, simple as that. It will be tough to change a multi-generation mentality though. I have always found that puzzling, Thais are generally nice but once inside a vehicle, it's a different story altogether.

[greeneking]

Every time I hear of police being sent to inactive posts I think of the important jobs they could do instead such as

1) spending their shift crossing pedestrian crossings and giving honest fines for any unsafe driving they witness

2) spending their shift in popular pick up areas trying to get a taxi in areas such as MBK, Sukhumvit, bus stations etc and fining the taxis with 'non functioning' meters

[ukrules]

55 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

A couple of times, when I have stopped to allow pedestrians to cross, motorcycles and cars have passed me on either side and nearly wiped out the pedestrians as they stepped onto the crossing.

 

This even happened once at a light controlled crossing on Pattaya beach road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the reason why I never stop to let people cross, there's always going to be someone in the other lane who will drive right through them.

[observer90210]

The easiest thing would be to put road bumps a bit before that would force cars to slow...and further, just before the crossing to put a trafic light....if not, worthless... many a city in Europe having similar rash  and irresponsable drivers as in Thailand, tackled the problem in this manner...

[Tilacme]

55 minutes ago, CelticBhoy said:

Zebra crossings are a waste of paint.

 

I often wonder how many tourists must be knocked down using them

as they probably expect cars to stop as they do in their home country.

I have had personal experience of young farangs in bkk throwing themselves out onto zebra crossing in the mistaken belief that they have a pedestrian right of way.  I lean on the horn and get dagger looks but hopefully they will get a wake up call that this is not their home country.

[stubuzz]

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

A couple of times, when I have stopped to allow pedestrians to cross, motorcycles and cars have passed me on either side and nearly wiped out the pedestrians as they stepped onto the crossing.

I have experienced the same.