Killed on a Marked Zebra Crossing — Why Won't Sri Lankan Drivers Stop for Pedestrians?

On Nov 4, four pedestrians died in separate accidents in Avissawella, Mattegoda, Colombo and Kalutara in a single day. In Avissawella, a 65-year-old woman was hit by a lorry while crossing at a marked pedestrian crossing right in front of the hospital. Police data already showed over 555 pedestrian deaths this year, inside a total road toll that passed 2,000 by early October. One side says the problem is simple: a painted zebra crossing means nothing here because drivers treat it as decoration, not a stop signal, and nobody gets fined for blowing through one with a pedestrian already on it. The other side says it's not that one-sided — many crossings have no lighting, no signage, no footbridge alternative nearby, and pedestrians cross mid-block, with headphones in, misjudging how fast traffic actually moves. So who's really failing here — the drivers who won't stop, or the roads and habits that never built pedestrians in? Have you ever almost been hit standing on a crossing, or been a driver who stopped and nearly got rear-ended for it? zebra crossing එකක ඉඳගෙන ඉන්න එක ආරක්ෂිතද? ඔයාගේ අත්දැකීම කියන්න.