I read Ron Baker’s letter on pedestrian safety in Sidney and wish to offer a counterpoint.
I am 80 years old, and when in town, I park on James White or Bevan and walk from one end of town to the other to do my errands, leaving any grocery shopping to the end. I agree it can sometimes be dodgy at the various crosswalks, but let’s look at this from a driver’s perspective as well.
Time and time again, you will see people standing at a crosswalk just chatting with others. Often, as soon as they are done, they step out into the crosswalk without looking. How are drivers expected to anticipate what these folks will do?
Recently, at 5th and Beacon by the TD bank, a family of four, including two small children, stood in the crosswalk debating what they were going to do as I waited to turn left from Beacon onto 5th northbound, and stepped out without looking. At Fairway, a family was crossing, and a four-year-old was wandering across while her mother was sauntering across ahead of her and paying no attention to the child’s safety.
Time and again, people just step out under the impression that since they have the right of way, drivers have to and will stop.
The only spot worse than Sidney for this behaviour is Oak Bay Avenue, where it seems there is a crosswalk every 100 feet and people just step out with no consideration for the drivers.
Under B.C. law, a pedestrian must not step into the path of a vehicle that cannot reasonably be expected to stop in time, whether in a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crossing. Yes, there are yahoos who will charge through a crosswalk, and all the laws on the books are never going to change that.
Road safety for both pedestrians and drivers is a shared responsibility. We should all exercise situational awareness when crossing the street and be prepared to yield.
As our parents taught us when we were very young, look both ways before crossing the street to ensure the way is clear. Good advice.
Alex Currie
North Saanich
