Pedestrian Safety Top Priority As Police Launch Advisory Campaign
Posted November 10, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Roaring tires, hydraulic suspension and a remote-controlled Crown Vic doesn’t sound like a recipe for safety – but Toronto Police hope a simulated environment will help drivers avoid the real thing.
Operation “Be Seen” launched Monday, reminding motorists to keep an eye out for pedestrians, especially seniors.
“I don’t care how good a driver you are, if you’re going too fast, you’re going to lose control,” admonished Cst. Steve Donovan of Toronto Police.
The demonstration was held at the Police Vehicle Operations training facility. The Skid Car System, as the suped-up model is known, shows drivers exactly what it looks like to lose tire traction – at speeds of up to 40 kilometres an hour. The coming winter weather gives poignancy to the pleas.
“Winter conditions mean everybody has to slow it down,” said Traffic Services Sgt. Tim Burrows. “The extra bit of time you give yourself can be the difference between someone else’s life and death.”
But it’s not just drivers that police are worried about.
Statistically, pedestrian fatalities represent approximately 50 per cent of the yearly traffic deaths in the City of Toronto. So far this year 25 people have been killed. Of those, 13 were seniors.
“Pedestrians really have to do what they can to make sure that they’re seen,” Sgt. Burrows adds. “Stop, look and listen. As parents we try to instill that in our children and for some reason as adults we forget it.”
Part of the problem, officers say, is that drivers are only paying attention to the area a short distance in front of their car. They need to look further down the road and at the sides so they are prepared if someone steps in front of them.
The other issue is “stop time.” For example, if a vehicle travelling at 100 km/h slams on the breaks, it will take the length of a football field before it comes to complete stop.
Police will be keeping a close eye on pedestrian crossovers, crosswalks, and intersections, looking for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians themselves who commit offences – like jaywalking – in these areas.
November 8: Arrest Made In October Hit And Run
October 27: Woman Struck By Bus At Downtown Corner
How To Escape Skids
Rear Wheel Skids
1. Take your foot off the brake if the rear wheels skid due to hard or panic braking.
2. Ease off the gas pedal if the rear wheels lose traction due to hard acceleration.
3. Shift to neutral.
4. Look down the road in the direction you want the front of the car to go and be sensitive to the feel of the car and how it’s responding to your steering.
5. To regain control of the vehicle, steer gently in the direction of the skid of the rear of the vehicle. Just before the skid ends, bring the front wheels straight. Sometimes the vehicle will skid in the opposite direction, so you may have to repeat the movement until the vehicle stabilizes.
6. Once the vehicle is straight, return to a driving gear and accelerate gently so that engine speed matches road speed.
Front Wheel Skids
1. If the front wheels skid from hard braking, release the brake. If the wheels spin from loss of traction due to acceleration, ease off on the accelerator.
2. Shift to neutral.
3. If the front wheels have been turned prior to the loss of traction, don’t move the steering wheel. Since the wheels are skidding sideways, a certain amount of braking force will be extended.
4. Wait for the front wheels to grip the road again. When traction returns, you’ll regain steering control.
5. Return to a driving gear and gently steer in the direction you want to travel. Gently accelerate until engine speed matches road speed.
Four Wheel Skids
1. Remove your foot from the brake or accelerator.
2. Shift into neutral.
3. Look and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go.
4. Wait for the wheels to grip the road again. As soon as the wheels regain traction, you’ll wind up in the direction you want to go.
5. Return to a driving gear and maintain a safe speed.
ABS Braking
This one’s the opposite of the others. If you have the ABS System in your car, don’t pump the brakes or take your foot off the pedal. The system is designed to stop your wheels from locking if you slam to a stop, and allow you to continue to control the car.
If you do wind up pumping the brakes out of habit, they may pulse back against your foot as a reminder you’re not riding them right.
