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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Review crosswalks
There but for the grace of God... Many motorists and pedestrians will relate to the tragedy that unfolded when a Winnipeg driver's momentary lapse while moving through a pedestrian crosswalk resulted in the death of a young woman last year. The driver pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Most motorists and pedestrians have witnessed close calls in pedestrian corridors, either because a driver did not stop or because a pedestrian walked into the pathway without first ensuring it was safe.
Inattention, however, is not an excuse for motorists, who are responsible for following the rules of the road and giving way when pedestrians have the right of way, which the victim in last year's accident clearly had. As such, the minimum jail sentence was necessary to reinforce the principle of driver responsibility.
There is no evidence that pedestrian crosswalks are more dangerous than controlled intersections -- they may even be safer, statistically -- but that's not the same as saying they are as safe as they can be.
Some crosswalks, for example, were poorly situated and it was only after a series of accidents that the city shut them down or replaced them with traffic controls. The point is there are enough mishaps and near misses to justify a review of how the corridors can be made safer for pedestrians and motorists.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 3, 2012 A12
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