Blind to the zebra crossing
IT is a shame that one of the most seemingly useless things in Malaysia is the zebra crossing.
A Malaysian Zebra, The Star
There is definitely confusion among many Malaysians on how zebra crossings work. Of course, it is generally accepted that you don’t simply cross the street until you look both sides to see if it’s safe to cross. But many times in Malaysia, the zebra crossing (those not located at traffic lights) especially in business districts is seemingly a white elephant. It might as well not be there.
I work in Bangsar Baru where there are a few zebra crossings in the business district. According to the traffic rules, pedestrians have the right of way once their foot steps on the zebra crossing.
This means drivers of any vehicle must slow down and come to a complete stop before the zebra crossing and they, by law, cannot cross any part of the zebra crossing until the pedestrian(s) fully reach the other side.
Drivers also blatantly stop on the zebra crossing when traffic is slow or when there’s a jam, hence blocking pedestrians from crossing to the other side (an offence that will get you fined in Western countries).
There have been numerous near accidents because drivers fail to understand how the zebra crossing works and they see it as a non-entity.
In Bangsar which is frequented by expatriates and tourists who, in their own country, usually get the right of way and all vehicles will slow down and stop anytime they are about to cross, this is a recipe for disaster. In Western countries, pedestrians can cross the street with a full sense of security and comfort knowing that drivers will slow down and completely stop. Of course, one must be vigilant while crossing but drivers almost always observe the proper traffic rules at zebra crossings in these countries.
Traffic laws should be universal and based on good principles, and drivers cannot say the rules or driving culture are different in Malaysia. Why do we even have zebra crossings here when 80% of the time nobody follows the rule? (Or signal indicators on cars for that matter, but that’s a different story.)
In China where the same problem of drivers not respecting the zebra crossing is prevalent, the authorities recently carried out a massive enforcement crackdown. The Star carried a story on this last year, “You’ll never walk alone in Beijing” (July 3). In the article, it was stated that those who do not slow down as they approach a zebra crossing or stop for a pedestrian will be fined 100 yuan (US$15) and will lose three points from their driving licence, as stipulated by the law. Although the fine is paltry, the three points could be the deterrent. A Chinese driving licence has 12 points, and if all of them are lost within a year the motorist must take a road safety class and sit for a test to have the licence reinstated.
I implore the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), Road Transport Department, police and municipal authorities to look at this problem especially in this day and age of driving while distracted. Fifty percent of drivers who drive through Bangsar do so with one hand holding their phones. If you don’t believe me, just come and observe.
I use Bangsar as an example because I work here but this is a problem everywhere in Malaysia. Perhaps one solution is to have the zebra crossing light up (like running lights) and emit a sound (similar to traffic light crossings) whenever a person steps on it. Others would be to have signs and boards reminding drivers, and road safety message advertisements (I haven’t seen them in a while).
Perhaps the Government should make it compulsory for all TV and radio stations to allocate one percent of their airtime to produce and air road safety messages for which they can get tax deductions. Whatever it is, something needs to be done, and quickly before something bad happens.
