Bangkok highlights urgent need for pedestrian safety at crossings
Road safety measures at pedestrian crossings in Bangkok are being highlighted as essential, following findings that most road accidents occur near schools and hospitals.
Chamaipan Santikarn, who manages the Social Mobilisation for Motorcycle Safety Project at ThaiHealth, emphasised the need for improved safety after a recent incident where a 68 year old South Korean tourist was struck by a motorcycle at a crossing outside the Kidney Institute Hospital on Phaya Thai Road, Ratchathewi district. This location was also the site of a fatal accident involving an ophthalmologist two years prior.
Chamaipan stressed that the repeated incidents at the same location, despite visible stop lights, underscore Thailand’s shortcomings in road accident prevention. She highlighted the role government agencies could play in implementing effective safety measures.
In many countries, rumble strips are installed before pedestrian crossings to slow down vehicles and prevent accidents. Chamaipan cited China’s ELLUMIN Intelligent Pedestrian System, which enhances crossing efficiency with illuminated signs, smart sensors, and sound alerts for waiting pedestrians.
In South Korea, a smart crosswalk system features ground-level crossing lights for those distracted by mobile phones or when larger vehicles block normal lights. This system includes audio alerts and illuminated crossing signs visible even at night, alongside cameras and sensors that capture the licence plates of rule violators.
Recent CCTV data from Bangkok pedestrian crossings have identified 20 high-risk locations, predominantly in front of schools and hospitals. Some of these areas include Bangkok Intercare School, Yothinburana School, Kidney Institute Hospital, Buengthonglang High School, Rattanakosinsompoch Bangkhunthian School, and Big C on Itsaraphap Road.
In similar news, for over a month, a revised speed limit has been in place in Bangkok, yet traffic police are awaiting the installation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) security cameras by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to effectively enforce it.
On December 23, the BMA implemented a new speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour (kph) on most city roads, with exceptions for 13 major roads, and set a 50kph limit around the Grand Palace.
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