Laws At Pedestrian Crossing

[eyepea]

someone told me that the law says - at a pedestrian crossing with a trafic light (whether it is only a pedestrian crossing or a junction), even if the light is green for the motorist, a pedestrian has the right to cross and the motorist has to stop for the pedestrian!.

Is this true ?

All this time I thought the pedestrian should not cross when the light is green for the motorist.

This is a crazy law for a country like sri lanka where indicipline is the norm

Also it is very dangerous!

many a time I have seen situations where the traffic light for the motorists turn green and the vehicles start to accelerate and move away. Then some dumb pedestrian jumps across the road forcing the vehicals to slam on the breaks!

Could someone who is familiar with the law, pls clarify this matter.

Thanks!

[EXMAC]

Yep Pedestrian RULZZZ @ the pedestrian crossings......

[Nuwan007]

I thought there is WALk and NO WALK signals near traffic lights, which pedestrian has to obey. It has to be there. I don't think crossing the road when having green light to the motorists, is a good idea. Because u know most people going like hell when they see a green light.

[harshansenadhir]

I thought there is WALk and NO WALK signals near traffic lights, which pedestrian has to obey. It has to be there. I don't think crossing the road when having green light to the motorists, is a good idea. Because u know most people going like hell when they see a green light.

true, though pedestrians has to obey not only walk and no walk signals but road rules which ensures their safety, if something goes wrong mostly the blame goes to motorist. If the accident involves injured people, the motorist will send behind bars until the person discharges or 14 days. So don't even think of knocking down a pedestrian even at green light.

We're talking about bunch of idiots whom cross the baseline at borella junc where subways exist ensuring safest and easiest crossing to any of 5 roads, not to mention there was a period cops used to charge (through courts of course) pedestrians esp at borella and infront of fort station for crossin the road bypassing the proper setup.

[DVT]

true, though pedestrians has to obey not only walk and no walk signals but road rules which ensures their safety, if something goes wrong mostly the blame goes to motorist. If the accident involves injured people, the motorist will send behind bars until the person discharges or 14 days. So don't even think of knocking down a pedestrian even at green light.

We're talking about bunch of idiots whom cross the baseline at borella junc where subways exist ensuring safest and easiest crossing to any of 5 roads, not to mention there was a period cops used to charge (through courts of course) pedestrians esp at borella and infront of fort station for crossin the road bypassing the proper setup.

Just to make a note of an incident happened about six month ago.....

Someone I know tried to bypass the subway at Borella junc. was knocked by a bus driver and died instantly. But still the bus driver had to be behind bars and go through a major hastle.So careless pedestrians is not an excuse..... u got be careful

[Kavvz]

Yep Pedestrian RULZZZ @ the pedestrian crossings......

Pedestrians rule regardless of where the incident / accident is and usually motorists end up being at fault. The severity of the offence increases if it occurs at pedestrian crossings or other designated community safety zones.

[Ripper]

Yep it very irritating to say the least where you have to waiting for the damn light to go green only to find out some mor0n decides to take a cool stroll across the crossing line this happens to me daily in fort near hsbc hq and near fort cop shed...

but i dont make their lives easy and always hit me horns hard at least to irritate them back

and a good trick i do on the bike is to come swerving in like you're out of control and man all of a sudden those slow strolls across the crossing line becomes a mega speed race buggers must be cursing me but at least i have the last laugh

[EXMAC]

Also notice at a main junction, Why in gods sake do they have 2 have a pedestrian crossing right there @ a right or a left turn!!

& 2 make it worse whenever the light turns green & ur making the turn a pedestrian will be crossing & ur stuck in a junc. with the green light creating a jam so that u cant do any bloody thing till the pedestrian crosses.....& u cant purely blame the pedestrian b'cos as mentioned, the law is favoring the pedestrian specially @ the crossing & he can do whatever @ the crossing....

It's purely the fault of the dumb ppl who design these junctions.....no common sense @ all....Y the bloody hell cant these ppl have a crossing a few yards away....

[Ripper]

IMHO...ideally pedestrians too should be "fined" in someway for not respecting their walk-no walk signs...

jaywalkers run riot on our roads without any consequences for their actions where motorists have to abide by all rules or risk getting a ticket...

that somehow aint fair isn't it...

sometime ago i saw on CNN in one asian country if you get caught jaywalking..you gotta stand at attention by the roadside and sing that national anthem

that's a good way to get people to not jaywalk

aha....here's the link

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/636804.stm

and it was bbc

[Saturn]

sometime ago i saw on CNN in one asian country if you get caught jaywalking..you gotta stand at attention by the roadside and sing that national anthem

that's a good way to get people to not jaywalk

If that became a law here, we'd have to declare a national holiday...

[Kavvz]

Might as well for it seems we have a national holiday for everything else under the sun.....

Edited March 8, 2010 by Kavvz

[SimpleAuto]

I thought there is WALk and NO WALK signals near traffic lights, which pedestrian has to obey. It has to be there. I don't think crossing the road when having green light to the motorists, is a good idea. Because u know most people going like hell when they see a green light.

Well, there is a catch COS WALK and NO WALK lights may not work as expected and they may have to walk even if it is green for motorists. So motorist should be aware of such incidents and give priority to pedestrians. All in all, DON'T even think of knocking down a pedestrian COS the subsequent events will be the worst in your life time. ;-)

[Saturn]

Could someone who is familiar with the law, pls clarify this matter.

Thanks!

practical summary is that the pedestrian is right/has right of way, you are wrong/don't have right of way.

this applies to all interactions with pedestrians.

Edited March 18, 2010 by Saturn

[MkX]

Just to make a note of an incident happened about six month ago.....

Someone I know tried to bypass the subway at Borella junc. was knocked by a bus driver and died instantly. But still the bus driver had to be behind bars and go through a major hastle.So careless pedestrians is not an excuse..... u got be careful

I don't know the pedestrians side of the law in this case. But in Sri lankan law (may be other countries too) driver is supposed to be carefully drive and should have the ability of controlling/avoiding any damage to public in general. So in this case drive can be punished/fined below 3 cases by default (fairness is not agreed by me though)

1. Not avoiding the accident

2. Doing damages to public (properties/humans,etc)

3. Careless driving

I got one classic example how low acts. And case is filed in courts on coming Tuesday as well.

1. My relatives car was parked well spaced area but closer to bend with double line

2. A bus driver over take another bus not considering the double line while the biker is coming in front of him

3. Biker also came fast so he took the bike off the road and hit the rear end of the car. Not touched by the bus.. so bus just went away.

Since biker is injured and car has some damages we reported to police. Now police has filed a case against biker under the above 3 rules and poor guy has to pay 6K - 8K fine while baring the physical damages to him and staying about 3 days in hospital. The real cause of accident (the bus driver) went just like nothing.. and police guys says "BUS KARAYO OHOMA THAMA"

[Edward]

someone told me that the law says - at a pedestrian crossing with a trafic light (whether it is only a pedestrian crossing or a junction), even if the light is green for the motorist, a pedestrian has the right to cross and the motorist has to stop for the pedestrian!.

Is this true ?

All this time I thought the pedestrian should not cross when the light is green for the motorist.

This is a crazy law for a country like sri lanka where indicipline is the norm

Also it is very dangerous!

many a time I have seen situations where the traffic light for the motorists turn green and the vehicles start to accelerate and move away. Then some dumb pedestrian jumps across the road forcing the vehicals to slam on the breaks!

Could someone who is familiar with the law, pls clarify this matter.

Thanks!

I don,t think so, when the light is red for the pedestrian he should not cross, when the light is green only the pedestrian can cross. But the pedestrians think, if there is a crossing, it is there right to cross whether it is green or red. Otherwise what is the point in fixing the colour lights in the crossings?

[John Cowdell]

All vehicles have to stop if a pedestrian is on a pedestrian crossing.This is the law as it is in all countries.

Many sri lankans don't seem to abide by this law and I have seen pedestrians,when on a crossing,smash wing mirrors,windows and scrape vehicles that have not stopped.

Good for those pedestrians.Drivers have to obey the rules of the road or be forever banned from driving.