Zebra crossings

[Honest]

I thought according to the Finnish law you were not legally bound to give way to a pedestrian at a zebra crossing on a straight road if the person hadn't stepped on the crossing yet. I think people simply followed the rule while giving way to the people who had stepped on the road. Then what's the news in it? (People could be more polite but I think Finnish law is better where people can use their judgement according to the situation)

http://yle.fi/uutiset/mondays_papers_se ... ks/7484193

[Upphew]

I thought according to the Finnish law you were not legally bound to give way to a pedestrian at a zebra crossing on a straight road if the person hadn't stepped on the crossing yet. I think people simply followed the rule while giving way to the people who had stepped on the road. Then what's the news in it? (People could be more polite but I think Finnish law is better where people can use their judgement according to the situation)

http://yle.fi/uutiset/mondays_papers_se ... ks/7484193

It doesn't matter if the road is straight or not. Vehicles must be able to stop before zebra crossing if pedestrian is crossing or about to cross. Even if pedestrians stand still, they can take step and then it is the driver who has to be able to stop. If you don't slow down, to a point giving a way to pedestrian, how can you do that?

[Honest]

It doesn't matter if the road is straight or not.

It does matter. While you are turning you have to give way to pedestrians even if they are still not on the zebra crossing, or even if they are standing and waiting for you to stop, if you don't stop you are breaking the law. But on a straight road, no law is broken if you don't give way to a pedestrian who hasn't stepped on the crossing yet.

I am not saying you shouldn't stop but I think the Yle site is wrong in stating that people were not stopping even they should have stopped by law.

[harryc]

Do you have to wait for them to finish a sentence on the phone before you hit them?

I mean is the fine any higher if they didn't get to finish?

(Black humor aside - it's becoming totally ridiculous how idiots are crossing streets gabbing on phones - and if you toot or anything - you get the finger - the latter is the same with bike riders who pay no attention whatsoever to traffic regulations - and there's a SLEW of them too)

[Upphew]

(Black humor aside - it's becoming totally ridiculous how idiots are crossing streets gabbing on phones

You can talk on the phone while crossing the street, if you do it at zebra crossing, nothing wrong with that. Idiot or not, if you are driving car/truck/bus, by law, you yield to pedestrian crossing the street. Sure, that is not how it goes in practice, but that is how it should be done.

edit.
"32 §
Kuljettajan suojatiesäännöt

Suojatietä lähestyvän ajoneuvon kuljettajan on ajettava sellaisella nopeudella, että hän voi tarvittaessa pysäyttää ennen suojatietä. Kuljettajan on annettava esteetön kulku jalankulkijalle, joka on suojatiellä tai astumassa sille.

Jos ohitettava ajoneuvo tai raitiovaunu on pysähtynyt suojatien eteen tai peittää näkyvyyden suojatielle, sitä ei saa ohittaa pysähtymättä, ellei ohittajan ja ohitettavan väliin jää suojakoroketta tai vapaata ajokaistaa."

edit2. and some reading: http://www.lintu.info/SUTI_en.pdf

[harryc]

Sorry - these idiots are just walking straight from whereever - not even a GLANCE at traffic and think there is some automatic Star War device that is going to stop cars. There is NO WAY anyone driving can anticipate such moronic behavior (they are many steps from the crossing when their path to death begins).

Mind you - an hour ago I almost got clipped on a zebra who didn't like that I was slowing his 'progress.' I'm just asking for some kind of common sense and I really do wonder what a court case would come to if the 'phone-idiot' gets hit - with proper witness testimony of course.

[Upphew]

I really do wonder what a court case would come to if the 'phone-idiot' gets hit - with proper witness testimony of course.

Most likely pretty slam dunk cases: pedestrian on zebra -> driver is at fault, pedestrian not on zebra -> pedestrian at fault

[Pursuivant]

That would be on the UK, where there isn't actually any proper zebra crossings. In Finland if the pedestrisn gets beamed onto the crossing by Scotty, the driver must yield.

[harryc]

Most likely pretty slam dunk cases: pedestrian on zebra -> driver is at fault, pedestrian not on zebra -> pedestrian at fault

Hope someone gets their money's worth anyhow - but in any case the 'phone'jerk' will be a candidate for the Darwin Award!

[Honest]

Suojatietä lähestyvän ajoneuvon kuljettajan on ajettava sellaisella nopeudella, että hän voi tarvittaessa pysäyttää ennen suojatietä. Kuljettajan on annettava esteetön kulku jalankulkijalle, joka on suojatiellä tai astumassa sille.

Jos ohitettava ajoneuvo tai raitiovaunu on pysähtynyt suojatien eteen tai peittää näkyvyyden suojatielle, sitä ei saa ohittaa pysähtymättä, ellei ohittajan ja ohitettavan väliin jää suojakoroketta tai vapaata ajokaistaa."

edit2. and some reading: http://www.lintu.info/SUTI_en.pdf

So again, driver is not legally required to stop and give way to a pedestrian who is patiently standing (is not already on the zebra crossing or going to step on it) but his speed should be slow enough to stop in case the pedestrian starts walking on the zebra crossing- So Yle (Hesari) is wrong in stating that the drivers should have STOPPED according to the law.

So my point is still there that people just followed the law during the experiment mentioned in the news. They really didn't find anything illegal as they appear to be suggesting.

[Upphew]

So again, driver is not legally required to stop and give way to a pedestrian who is patiently standing (is not already on the zebra crossing or going to step on it) but his speed should be slow enough to stop in case the pedestrian starts walking on the zebra crossing- So Yle (Hesari) is wrong in stating that the drivers should have STOPPED according to the law.

I'm effing annoyed about pedestrians loitering near zebras. People do that, because drivers don't usually yield even if they saw people trying to cross.

[orys]

That would be on the UK, where there isn't actually any proper zebra crossings. In Finland if the pedestrisn gets beamed onto the crossing by Scotty, the driver must yield.

For the record, there are proper zebra crossing in UK. Apart from the zebra, they are marked with flashing yellow bowls, and pedestrians have priority there at any time.

[sinikala]

That would be on the UK, where there isn't actually any proper zebra crossings. In Finland if the pedestrisn gets beamed onto the crossing by Scotty, the driver must yield.

For the record, there are proper zebra crossing in UK. Apart from the zebra, they are marked with flashing yellow balls, and pedestrians have priority there at any time

Belisha beacons

[riku2]

There does seem to be a big difference in how pedestrians are expected to cross roads between UK and Finland:

UK: there are not many marked crossings (zebra crossings or light controlled ones) and pedestrians can legally cross anywhere. Zebra crossings (not controlled by traffic lights) are now a bit out of favour and light controlled ones are more likely (due to increasing traffic volumes).

Finland: In cities pedestrians are supposed to use crossings, otherwise it counts as jay walking (a concept not recognized in UK law). So there are a huge number of crossings. They are not marked as well as in the UK often with the white lines rubbed away (or not even painted in the first place). Certainly no flashing orange globe.

Generally as a pedestrian (and driver) I feel much safer in the UK. Spend a week there and you might see one person driving a car while on the phone. Watch 10 cars go past traffic lights in Finland and two drivers will be on the phone.

In Finland no thought is put into where pedestrian crossings are placed (right at roundabout exit points or on T junctions) although junction design is generally a disaster (done by 5 year olds??)
This is my favourite mess up: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@60.46918 ... !2e0?hl=en Look carefully and what appears to be a roundabout suitable for nothing wider than a moped is actually a T junction and not a roundabout at all despite all the block paving making it look like a roundabout.

[harryc]

Found these kinds of things in Sebastopol, CA this summer - quite effective:

http://www.tapconet.com/solar-led-divis ... -solutions