Seniors account for close to 70% of pedestrian fatalities this year: police
Posted April 1, 2016 12:44 pm.
Last Updated April 1, 2016 1:56 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Pedestrian deaths in Toronto are up slightly this year with seniors accounting for a majority of the fatalities.
This comes as police search for a hit-and run driver that struck and killed a 56-year-old woman near Markham Road and Nashdene Road on Thursday night.
Thursday night’s pedestrian fatality in the city’s east end brings the number of pedestrians killed on city streets to 13 so far this year, compared to 12 at this time last year.
Of that number, nine are seniors, accounting for 69 per cent of the pedestrian fatalities.
“This is obviously a concern, especially with the change in demographics,” Toronto police Const. Clint Stibbe told 680 NEWS.
Marie Smith, with the United Senior Citizens of Ontario, said that number is disturbing.
“[It] tells me that there isn’t time at the lights crossing or the crosswalks are too far apart,” Smith said.
Smith also said some drivers are just not watching out for pedestrians when they are turning.
Police said four of this year’s pedestrian deaths were due to pedestrian error, while the other nine were due to driver mistakes. So far this year, a further seven people have died in car crashes, for a total of 20 fatal collisions.
This time last year, there were 14 fatal collisions with 12 being pedestrians. In all of 2015, 38 pedestrians were killed on city streets.
According to Toronto police most fatal collisions in the city happen on clear, dry days.
Most fatal crashes happen between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., with spikes during the morning and afternoon rush hour commutes.
The most deadly months for pedestrians are September, October and November, while March and April are among the least deadly. Fridays are the deadliest day on the roads, with Sunday being the safest.
At the start of this year, new rules went into effect across the province aimed at keeping pedestrians safe.
Under the Making Ontario’s Roads Safer Act, drivers are required to remain stopped at pedestrian crossovers with overhead lights or at school crossings with guards – displaying school crossing stop signs – until everyone is off the roadway.
Also, pedestrians will be prohibited from entering a crossover if the vehicle is so close that the driver cannot stop.
