Pedestrians

I received a detailed email recently from a local resident describing a terrifying experience on her morning walk. Before dawn, she was walking southbound beside Willingdon Road in North Saanich. Reaching the intersection where Canora Road diverges to the northeast, she did exactly what any cautious pedestrian would do: she paused, checked for traffic, and utilized a small concrete traffic island as a refuge to cross the single lane of traffic.

Few people leave their homes without paying some attention to how they are dressed. When we choose our clothing to suit our personality, are we thinking about how we will appear to other road users when we are pedestrians after dark? The right choice of clothing for your next walk at night could be critical!

Question: My father wants to know about the rules for mobility scooters in B.C. The one that he is considering is completely covered so he can drive it in Comox and Courtenay all winter long.

Our driving centred culture and the recent decision to end the spring and fall time change have raised an important issue. It's going to be dark while children walk to school and the province and municipalities have failed to create safe pedestrian infrastructure to protect them. Forming a Walking School Bus group may be a quickly implemented short term answer until complete street upgrades are made.

Question: As a pedestrian in Vancouver I am feeling increasingly at risk says a visitor to this web site. Drivers want to maneuver behind pedestrians as soon as they can. What is the law about proceeding when the pedestrian is still on the street?

This case examines the duty of care that drivers and pedestrians have when the pedestrian is crossing the street outside of a crosswalk. Even when one has the right of way, there is still a requirement to keep a proper lookout and take reasonable precautions in response to apparent potential hazards.

A teen stepped off of the sidewalk as I approached, hopped onto his skateboard and began to weave slightly along the curb in front of my vehicle. He either trusted me with his life or had not given much thought to his own as he was far enough into the lane to be a hazard and had his back to overtaking traffic. I had to slow and crowd the centre lane to get by.

My question regards the right of way of pedestrians who are in the roadway illegally, i.e. they have disobeyed a control signal or have failed to yield to traffic as per section 180. The thought came to me after watching a YouTube clip from the United Kingdom, intended to illustrate proper horn use.