Back to school means sharing the road safely
Heads up, folks. The kids are back in school.
While the overall Transport Canada figures for 2015 (latest available) suggest a slight downward trend in pedestrian fatalities, some places, such as Ontario, are posting sobering numbers.
“Pedestrian fatalities in OPP jurisdiction increased significantly in 2016, with 38 deaths last year, compared to 25 in 2015.” (opp.ca.)
While it stands to reason that urban centres will produce more pedestrians and cyclists making contact with vehicles, there are still things that everyone can do to push these numbers down.
Most of the pedestrians who die are in the senior (65+) age category. A Toronto Public Health study released last year showed that 67 per cent of those pedestrians involved in a collision with a car had the right-of-way; drivers are usually at fault. Seniors are overrepresented for several reasons, though leading the pack is the difficulty in recovering from injuries as we age.
Little ones don’t fare well, either. While traffic planners drop speed limits and introduce traffic-calming measures, drivers are still speeding and still interacting with their phones and on-board systems. Front-collision avoidance systems on many new cars — those that automatically apply the brakes — will save pedestrian lives, but what is needed far more than every safety feature manufacturers can dream up is a competent, engaged driver.
Do one thing behind the wheel: drive.
Remember that when your children are your passengers, they’re learning from you. Driving lessons don’t begin when they’re 16; they start from the moment they’re in the car, observing how you handle the ever-changing streetscape as well as the in-car distractions. Don’t get drawn into squabbles and sulks, and don’t take your eyes from the road.
You’ve been driving through school zones all summer without having to slow down. Take this into consideration on your route, and accept that it’s going to take you some extra time to get where you’re going. Anticipate increased speed monitoring in these areas, and not just during back-to-school week.
Constable Clint Stibbe, with Toronto Police Services, told me of busting a woman doing double the posted limit one morning last year in a school zone, then busting the same woman the very next day going the same speed. Sometimes, laws are not enough.
Pedestrians, cyclists, skateboarders, motorcyclists and those on scooters are all on the dangerous end of the equation upon meeting with a vehicle. All road users have a responsibility to know the law and obey it, and stay focused on what they’re doing.
Our cities are going to see more pedestrians and cyclists, not fewer. Share the road.