Respect pedestrians crossing
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Updated: July 31, 2009 4:13 PM
In accordance to the BC traffic rules, when there is a pedestrian crossing a crosswalk, a driver must wait until the pedestrian reaches the other side, before making a turn. At an intersection when the light is green and a vehicle is waiting to make a left hand turn, there will be a walk sign and the wheels of the car are supposed to be straight.
The above is rare. As a pedestrian these days I am constantly dodging cars that don’t obey simple driving rules making walking rather unpleasant, like today when I was crossing a crosswalk and a car made a left-hand turn from behind and brushed my arm. I am already disadvantaged when it comes to walking; what I don’t I need is to be hit by a car on a quiet street.
What about those busy intersections? The reason you don’t turn your wheels when waiting to turn left is to avoid driving into a pedestrian or oncoming traffic in case someone rear ends you. It’s all in a defensive day of driving. But please, tell me what kind of defense the elderly and children have, just because you haven’t been ticketed yet for driving that is unbelievable in a community that claims to be tight knit?
The rules are there for a reason but if you don’t use them and drink and drive-get off the road as people do value their lives even if you pay little attention to pedestrians.
Dawn-Marie Tytherleigh
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