DANGEROUS GAME OF LUCK
SCOTT Wallace has cut through the pain of grief to make a telling observation about attitudes.
Mr Wallace lost his wife Suzy almost a year ago when she was struck by a car while on a morning bike ride. She suffered catastrophic head injuries and as the Bulletin reports today, her shell-shocked partner and doctors made the heartwrenching decision after 48 hours to turn off the life-support machines.
In talking about Suzy’s death this week, Mr Wallace said: “Everyone is impatient, we’re in a society where everything is instant. If we’re not patient and take more time, the consequences are … this.’’
It is a message that applies equally to the game of Russian roulette played daily by pedestrians on Gold Coast streets, deciding they are far too busy to wait for a green walk signal or chance their luck when, despite the flashing signs that warn the light is about to turn red, they launch out across the road anyway.
Gold Coast statistics show that between July last year and April this year, 69 incidents involving pedestrians resulted in three deaths, 45 cases that went to hospital and 17 others needing medical help.
The city council has been trialling countdown timers to warn pedestrians how many seconds they have left to cross the road. They are a good idea that has been around elsewhere for many years.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk pledged a $1 million, 300-timer program for his city back in 2012, backing his campaign with the experience of San Francisco where a 52 per cent reduction in pedestrian accidents was reported after they were installed. Perth began its trials of the timers in 2014. Cairns already has them. They have been on trial at five Gold Coast crossings. Many Gold Coasters will not be familiar with them, but the city is poised to roll many more out, costing ratepayers about $10,000 at each.
Installation is a sign of the times as the population soars and traffic volumes increase. It is surprising though that in a city as progressive as ours, they were not introduced years ago when they first began appearing in major cities around the globe.
That said, the trial at the handful of crossings here has revealed a percentage of pedestrians ignore warnings, even as the countdown timer reveals they have just one or two seconds left or indeed have run out of time, and step into harm’s way.
It is important to add a safety feature that will protect children and the elderly in particular, but people must learn to be patient. On the roads, drivers have to ease off the accelerator and look out for cyclists and pedestrians.
On the footpaths, pedestrians have to take responsibility for their safety too.