While we all try to dry out from this week’s commotion from Mother Nature, it is also a practical time to think about driving and pedestrian safety along our roadways.
After all, heavy rain, wet roads and speeding cars seem to go hand in hand on the Coast.
As is evident by the stormy weather, winter is clearly here. The daylight hours are few and the darkness consumes our car headlights as we drive down Highway 101. Pedestrians can be tough to see.
How many times so far this winter have you come around a blind corner — blinded even further by the rain and headlight glare — only to see a dark object to your right or left, and you quickly move the wheel to make sure you don’t hit the person?
And to those pedestrians walking down the road, we ask, do you have a death wish? How about some reflective clothing, maybe a flashlight or headlamp? And don’t get us started on folks riding their bikes. That’s a dark moving target that no one can see for trying. Countless times in the past few weeks we’ve seen many on bikes with no reflectors whatsoever. It is a miracle that no one has been killed or injured yet this year on the Sunshine Coast. And we stress yet, because sadly it is bound to happen.
Want some proof? Just ask the BC Coroners Service that is urging both pedestrians and motorists to take extra care following five deaths of elderly pedestrians at intersections in the Lower Mainland and Interior in the past two weeks.
The deaths are in line with a recent review by the BC Coroners Service of 142 fatal pedestrian incidents, which occurred from 2010 through 2012.
The need for extra care increases in the winter months when longer hours of darkness and frequent poor road and weather conditions lead to an increased number of pedestrian incidents. The review showed that more than one-quarter of the deaths took place in January and February.
The numbers don’t lie. The studies and reviews are clear. Let’s ensure Sunshine Coast drivers and pedestrians are not the next to be added to the statistics.
Drive responsibly and safely according to driving conditions. And to pedestrians, grab a flashlight and some reflective gear before you head out for that walk.
