Police Worry As Pedestrian Deaths Soar On City Streets

The chicken in the world’s oldest joke did it to get to the other side and chances are you’re forced to traverse the G.T.A. streets at some point in your day, too. But sadly, unlike that fowl, not all of us make it.

There are more fatal pedestrian accidents in a year than deadly shootings. And the numbers are growing.

The latest tragedy took place on Friday, when a car hit a man walking near Islington and Dixon, knocking him over a bridge.

The victim has been rushed to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre with serious injuries. The car, said to be a green Honda piloted by a woman, reportedly sped off after the impact and police are still looking for it.

Authorities have seen the scenario all too often this year. As of late July 2006, there were 35 fatal traffic incidents in the city, up from 24 at the same time last year.

“We’ve had 20 pedestrians killed on our streets this year and two cyclists,” complains Sgt. Brian Bowman. “If there was 35 people that died on our streets for an unknown cause, we’d be in a panic. But because they’re traffic collisions, we seem to accept that.”

John Moore can never accept it. He lost his brother to someone who was speeding.

“It came exactly one month after losing my youngest sister to cancer, so our family didn’t even really recover from that, and then we were faced with this totally avoidable, senseless loss,” he laments.

Bowman sympathizes, noting those stories affect him, too.

“Several times in the last year I’ve had to knock on somebody’s door and tell them that their loved one wasn’t coming home,” he relates. “And a needless, preventable incident has taken them away.”

But while it’s easy to blame drivers who go racing through intersections and sometimes run red lights, stats tell a far different and more revealing story.

Of all those who lost their lives in collisions between people and cars, the pedestrian was at fault more than half the time.

But there are ways to protect yourself. Experts say making eye contact with a driver before you cross the street to make sure he sees you is the biggest key to survival. Here are some others:

Drivers

Slow Down. Take time to scan the roadway ahead for pedestrians, especially for children and seniors.

Be prepared to stop. Expect children to act unpredictably, after all they’re children. Young children think if they can see a car, the car can see them.

Be patient. Older pedestrians need more time to cross the road. Half of all pedestrians killed in Toronto each year are age 65 or older. Respect their right to cross the road safely.

Be especially alert at intersections. Almost half of all car-pedestrian crashes happen at intersections, exactly where drivers and pedestrians should be expecting to encounter each other.

Look for pedestrians before turning especially when turning right on a red light.

Always yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk or pedestrian crossover.

Check for pedestrians before passing a stopped vehicle. The driver ahead may be stopped for a person crossing the roadway. Never pass a stopped car when approaching a marked pedestrian crossover.

Watch for pedestrians crossing mid-block. No matter who has the right of way, always be prepared to stop to avoid a collision. It’s legal for pedestrians to cross mid-block. If it’s not a marked crosswalk or pedestrian crossover, the pedestrian must yield to vehicles on the roadway.

Pedestrians

Make eye contact with drivers before stepping off the curb to cross the street. Just because you see the car, doesn’t mean the driver sees you.

Cross at traffic signals, crosswalks and stop signs on busy roads.

Cross at the beginning of a solid green light or walk signal to give you more time to cross.

Wait for vehicles to stop before crossing in front of them. Cars take longer than you think to stop.

Always look left and right when crossing the street. Only cross when you have enough time to make it to the other side. If you are unsure, wait or go to the nearest pedestrian crossing.

Teach your children to understand and obey traffic signals and signs

  Courtesy Toronto Police and Toronto Transportation Services

Other Crossing Stats 

Of the 20 pedestrians killed this year:

9 were seniors

7 were killed at intersections by turning vehicles

6 were jaywalking

6 ran or walked into traffic, trying to catch a bus, walking off a streetcar Island, etc.

More than 2,300 pedestrians are injured every year in traffic collisions, an average of six per day.

Worst time to cross the street: between 5 and 7pm, when there are more people and cars on the road.