More must be done now to make Toronto’s roads safer for pedestrians, says a safe streets advocate, after three people were struck by drivers while walking in this city on Wednesday morning.
Dylan Reid, co-founder of grassroots organization Walk Toronto, said lowering the speed limit, installing more crosswalks, adding more photographic radar cameras and even banning right turns at red lights are important steps that could help save the lives of vulnerable road users. .
Many of these road safety measures are described in Toronto Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, which prioritizes the safety of Toronto’s most vulnerable road users through a range of broad, proactive, targeted and data-driven initiatives. Launched in July 2016, this plan focuses on reducing traffic-related deaths and serious injuries on city streets.
“The city’s Vision Zero plan needs to be accelerated. It’s too slow to move forward,” Reid said, adding that while fatalities involving vulnerable road users tend to get the most attention, incidents where people are injured are just as important.
“Being hit by a moving vehicle can forever alter a person’s life. It is a life-changing event, a traumatic experience both physically and mentally.”
Wednesday’s collisions involving pedestrians occurred in less than three hours.
The first accident occurred just before 7:30 am near Elm Street and University Avenue. Police said the pedestrian was seriously injured and was transported to hospital by paramedics.
The second was just 30 minutes later at the intersection of Dufferin Street and St. Clair Avenue West. Paramedics took the victim to a trauma center with serious injuries.
Shortly before 10 a.m., Toronto police tweeted that a third pedestrian was struck by a driver near Steeles Avenue West and Martin Grove Road. Details were not immediately available about the victim’s injuries.
So far, police have charged one of the drivers, Const. Sean Shapiro of Traffic Services said CP24.com.
He said that improving road safety is a shared responsibility.
“(Today’s) collisions could have been prevented by being cautious and making better decisions,” said Shapiro, who hosts the popular #AskATrafficCop livestream show.
“In two cases, pedestrians were crossing in the middle of the block. … Saving a couple of seconds is not worth your life.”
Shapiro said police want all road users to arrive at their destination alive and in one piece, especially pedestrians and bicyclists, who are the most vulnerable.
“It’s not about who’s to blame, it’s about making sure you get home safe and sound,” he said.
“If we all take a few minutes to plan ahead and are very cautious, we may all be able to avoid tragedy.”
Reid stressed that three vulnerable road users being hit by vehicles in such a short time show that “our streets are dangerous for pedestrians.”
“When three pedestrians get hit in one morning, it’s a reminder that these crashes happen all the time,” he said.
So far this year, Toronto police have investigated dozens of non-fatal personal injury collisions, as well as 31 fatal collisions.