24 pedestrians killed in Toronto this year
Posted September 6, 2013 12:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto police say 24 pedestrians have been killed in the city so far this year – the same number as in all of 2012.
What’s even more concerning is that the city hasn’t even hit the worst part of the year for pedestrian fatalities. Typically, there are more pedestrian fatalities between early October and mid December, because there’s less sunlight, police tell CityNews.
The worst year in recent memory was in 2009, when 31 people were struck and killed.
So far this year, 19 of the 24 people killed were older than 45.
People in this age bracket often feel like they can move at the speed when they did when they were 20, police warn, which often isn’t the case.
While they may wait for a walk sign to proceed through an intersection, they may miss a truck backing up or other nearby incidents.
Crashes are worse for pedestrians who are older than 65, police say, because they are less likely to recover from their injuries.
Of the 24 pedestrians killed, 14 of them were older than 65, police tell CityNews.
Earlier this year, as part of their ‘Do The Bright Thing’ campaign, Toronto police encouraged pedestrians to wear bright-coloured or reflective clothing when possible. They’ve also conducted blitzes meant to educate pedestrians about the dangers of using electronic devices while crossing streets.
