Question the Constable is a segment the Sunshine Coast RCMP is featuring weekly. Submit questions via email: [email protected] OR via Twitter: @COAST_RCMP.
Question: What is the correct procedure for pedestrians walking along a roadway, when there is no sidewalk?
Answer: Most drivers have likely had to take evasive action because a pedestrian was walking dangerously close to traffic, perhaps paying attention to their phone, and being unaware of the danger they are in of being struck by a passing car. Most pedestrians have also likely had to take evasive action because someone was driving dangerously close to the shoulder of the road, and paying attention to their phone instead of the road ahead of them.
The Motor Vehicle Act has requirements for pedestrians, just as it does for drivers.
• If there is a sidewalk that is reasonably passable on either or both sides of a highway, a pedestrian must not walk on a roadway;
• If there is no sidewalk, a pedestrian walking along or on a highway must walk only on the extreme left side of the roadway or the shoulder of the highway, facing traffic approaching from the opposite direction.
• For those who are interested, this section of the Motor Vehicle Act (182) also governs hitch-hiking, but that’s for another week.
Although we are by all accounts coming out of our Sunshine Coast winter, mornings and evenings are still dark, and visibility is further reduced when it is raining. Pedestrians need to be mindful of how visible they are when walking along the side of a road, and carrying a flashlight, or even a reflective armband dramatically increases visibility to drivers.
Drivers also need to be mindful of pedestrians. Even though they should be walking facing traffic when there is no sidewalk, that will not always be the case, and it is important to look ahead and give pedestrians plenty of room.
The important thing to remember is to expect the unexpected. Will that car suddenly veer towards the shoulder? Will that pedestrian wander out into the lane? Drivers and pedestrians share the roadways, and there is generally plenty of room for both, as long as everyone shows due diligence for the safety of themselves and others. After all, safety is a two-way street, so to speak.
