Motorists who fail to stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings will be fined up to 4,000 baht and have one point deducted immediately from their licence under new traffic laws now being enforced.

Increased penalties and a point deduction system for traffic violations apply under new traffic laws from Jan 9 and are now being enforced by police, the government said on Tuesday.

The new laws focus on improving safety for all road users, particularly pedestrians using zebra crossings.

Failure to let pedestrians walk on zebra crossings carries an increased penalty of a fine of up to 4,000 baht,  up from 1,000 baht previously, and an immediate one point deduction from the driver's licence.

Under the points deduction system every driver starts with 12 points, with deductions for each traffic violation. Once they reach zero, the license will be suspended for 90 days. Driving during the suspension period means a jail term of up to 3 months and fine of up to 10,000 baht.

Four suspensions in three years will result in cancellation of the driving licence.