Zebra crossings

[Honest]

Police cannnot give you a fine for not stopping and let people across,because they are the first that don't do it.....plenty of checks to see if you are driving while pissed,but never seen anyone being fined for talking over the phone or pedestrian crossing issues

People are fined for breaking the rules of zebra crossings as quoted by CH in one of his posts. But you are not breaking any law by not giving way to standing pedestrians.

[Tiwaz]

Police cannnot give you a fine for not stopping and let people across,because they are the first that don't do it.....plenty of checks to see if you are driving while pissed,but never seen anyone being fined for talking over the phone or pedestrian crossing issues

People are fined for breaking the rules of zebra crossings as quoted by CH in one of his posts. But you are not breaking any law by not giving way to standing pedestrians.

No you are not, but you MUST at ALL TIMES be able to stop and let pedestrian cross first when they imply interest to cross.

I can lean against the signpost, scratch my arse and draw bad version of Sammon Ryöstö in the street with spit, but the moment I turn and start to step on the crossing, you MUST be able to stop in time to let me do that.

It does not matter if speed limit on that street is 20, 40, 50 or 120km/h, or if road is straight, bendy or anything. Driver always, ALWAYS has to be able to give way to pedestrian on or stepping on zebra.

[Honest]

If majority of Finns learns and understands this law as some of the natives are claiming here then I don't have any other option than reaching to this sad conclusion that most of the Finnish drivers are terribly uncivilized. From my observation vast majority doesn't give way always.

[Pursuivant]

I remember being a Helsinki boy and driving in Porvoo the first times with their wide 1 1/2 car lanes and one-way-streets. I swear the old ladies waited 1/2 hours in front of a zebra and waited for me to be 5m and then jumped in front! I swear it was not once, all this long road and she could have gone 2 blocks already and she waits and waits.... And then if you stopped in Helsinki you started eventually yelling "ska du gumma åk öfve nu, eller kommer jag o bära dej öfva gatan?" Before realizing the old ladies in Helsinki were a different breed..

[AldenG]

I generally settle for the stare and the rude whole-body gestures as they go by.

That's their reward.

It's the one moment of every day in their angry, frustrated, above all powerless, and generally meaningless existence when they get to see the world give some flicker of recognition that they exist and react in any form to what they do or refuse to do.

It's downright Brechtian once you think about it.

I miss that guy.

[Tiwaz]

If majority of Finns learns and understands this law as some of the natives are claiming here then I don't have any other option than reaching to this sad conclusion that most of the Finnish drivers are terribly uncivilized. From my observation vast majority doesn't give way always.

That is common complaint all over. Letter of law is as we have told you, practice does not however follow it. Had we enough policemen to enforce this law all over, odds are that fines would balance the Finnish budget in short order.

[Rick1]

Easily solved: halve of eduskunta away, halve is not there anyway (also better decision making) this will give you more than 200 policemen/women (1 helper less also). We save and we get more in. Ofcourse this idea will never get through (A little bit like EU letting their own salaries deciding).

[onkko]

I have always, in 4 different places + places where i have visited in finland including one major in south where i lived about decade, used my right to walk in zebra and almost never had problem. One lock breaking and yelling in 20 years (he somehow didnt notice that i, in full summer light with bright clothes, moved towards to zebra and started walking ower it, he had way more than needed time to slow down (police took his licence away month after that, nothing to do with me)).
Im not afraid of car when i see it can stop, i wont jump front of someone already coming on 50kmh 10m from zebra etc.
If you yeld then you stay where you are rest of your life, walk over and cars will stop.

[Honest]

Im not afraid of car when i see it can stop, i wont jump front of someone already coming on 50kmh 10m from zebra etc.
If you yeld then you stay where you are rest of your life, walk over and cars will stop.

That is exactly the purpose of the law according to my understanding. Instead of cars always stopping to give way, drivers and walkers should use common sense as well. If a walker is in a hurry or thinks that a car can easily stop( sufficient distance or car already slowing down), he can cross while keeping an eye on the car, and he has the right to cross. But at the same time a driver can make his own judgement keeping an eye on weather, traffic situation and pedestrian (age, ungency etc).

[harryc]

As long as we've gone this far on this wuestion --

I've noticed last couple of evenings that people can be coming onto zebra from the left side (normal two lane road with no island between - btw - how does the existence of an island affect driver responsibillity?) - but remain unseen because there is a wide and high vehicle parked 'correctly' on the left that 'conveniently' obscures a driver on the right - approaching the zebra - from seeing them in time to do anything.

There have been a bunch of 'legal' interpretations on zebras up to here - what's the deal on this situation where the driver really can't see someone coming from the left?

[onkko]

As long as we've gone this far on this wuestion --

I've noticed last couple of evenings that people can be coming onto zebra from the left side (normal two lane road with no island between - btw - how does the existence of an island affect driver responsibillity?) - but remain unseen because there is a wide and high vehicle parked 'correctly' on the left that 'conveniently' obscures a driver on the right - approaching the zebra - from seeing them in time to do anything.

There have been a bunch of 'legal' interpretations on zebras up to here - what's the deal on this situation where the driver really can't see someone coming from the left?

Driver has to see or he is going too fast, no questions. If you have to crawl to zebra then you have. If other car is parket correctly, or even if its not (when responsibility may be settled in court), its drivers responsibility to make sure he wont hit any pedestrians.

[harryc]

Interesting.

Seems there should be some regulation as to how close a vehicle on OPPOSITE side of the street can be parked to the zebra.

[Upphew]

Interesting.

Seems there should be some regulation as to how close a vehicle on OPPOSITE side of the street can be parked to the zebra.

Right next to it. You do have a one lane more to see the pedestrian. Or rather other way around.

[harryc]

Just saying that the way the Urban Cowboys are driving these days (together with our Estonian friends) there isn't much margin for error when one of these phone-speaking jerks starts across a 2 lane road from behind a nice fat and high van parked just next to the zebra.

Sure - the driver is in the wrong - but it doesn't help the dead or very badly injured pedestrian much.

[Upphew]

Just saying that the way the Urban Cowboys are driving these days (together with our Estonian friends) there isn't much margin for error when one of these phone-speaking jerks starts across a 2 lane road from behind a nice fat and high van parked just next to the zebra.

I have no experience what so ever, but I have the impression that one stops cars nicely in Estonia by stepping on to the zebra.