Pedestrian Safety Day brought reminders for residents to keep their heads up, their cellphones down and their earbuds out when walking or cycling Nanaimo's streets this fall and winter.
On Wednesday, Nov. 13, city staff, community policing volunteers and RCMP members were out and about in the downtown promoting pedestrian and cycling safety and handing out free feather reflectors.
As the days shorten and the weather turns cold and wet, pedestrians are less visible and at higher risk of collisions with vehicles, noted the City of Nanaimo in a press release. During the darker hours, drivers are asked to pay extra attention to their surroundings, slow down and stay focused, particularly at intersections, the city noted.
Pedestrians and cyclists should also take extra care by not assuming they can be seen by drivers, and wearing high-visibility clothing, reflectors and even lights to make themselves as visible as possible, staying focused on traffic and their surroundings and making eye contact with drivers before crossing the road.
The city also asks drivers to respect B.C.'s legislation enacted just this year regarding safe passing distances around vulnerable road users. Drivers must always take proper precautions and maintain a safe distance around cyclists, pedestrians and others on public roads. The minimum passing distances on highways with posted speed limits of 50 kilometres per hour or less is one metre. Highways with speed limits of more than 50km/h require a minimum safe distance of one and a half metres.
The city also reminds drivers that they should be ready to yield to pedestrians near crosswalks, transit stops and at intersections.
"We are striving to make walking a safe and comfortable way for citizens to move about Nanaimo," said Mayor Leonard Krog in the release. "Pedestrian Safety Day brings awareness to the importance of seeing and being seen especially as our winter weather descends on us. Be bright, be visible and please, stay safe."
