The SGI traffic safety spotlight for April was vulnerable road users, which includes motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.
Manager of Media Relations for SGI, Tyler McMurchy explains that "throughout the month of April, police across the province were on the lookout for pedestrians jaywalking or disobeying traffic signals, cyclists not following the rules of the road, motorcyclists not wearing the proper gear or following the rules of the road, and vehicles not driving safely around cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians."
When they got their results back, McMurchy noted there were a number of tickets issued.
"Police issued 12 tickets during the traffic safety focus. Seven of those tickets were for drivers failing to yield or stop for a pedestrian or for passing a vehicle who has stopped for a pedestrian. Four of the tickets were for pedestrians disobeying crosswalk signals or walking into the path of a vehicle and there was one ticket also issued for a motorcyclist who was failing to wear a helmet."
"The numbers are pretty low and that's a good thing. But we thought it was still important to issue this reminder now that the weather is nice, that people are going to be out there enjoying the weather. They are going to be walking, they're going to be cycling, they're going to be on their motorcycles so it's important for everybody to look out for one another."
He added that even though the focus may be off for the rest of the year, drivers still need to pay attention to those who is sharing the road with them.
"It's important for if you're in a vehicle to realize that there might be people walking across the street, hopefully they are using a crosswalk but maybe they aren't. And it's also important to pay attention when they are turning because they may be turning their heads to look for other vehicles and pedestrians could cross in front of them."
It's also important to watch for other vehicles stopped in a multi-lane road because they might be stopped for a pedestrian and watch your speed when you are passing a pedestrian.
"And for pedestrians," he noted, "never assume that since you have the right of way that drivers will stop for you. Make sure that you make eye contact with the driver as you're crossing the street. It's a good idea not to jaywalk because a driver might not be expecting you to walk out in the middle of a street so stick to those crosswalks."
"Wear reflective clothing if you are going to be walking at night or when the light is low at dawn or dusk to give drivers a better chance of seeing you."
One final tip he gave was to be extra cautious in school zones.
"Children don't always obey the rules of the road. They're often excited to get to school and see their friends so they might dart out into the street. It's very important to keep your speed low in school zones and watch out for those little kids."
Wed, Apr 24, 4:00 PM
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