The BC Coroners Service is urging both pedestrians and
motorists to take extra care in the wake of five deaths of elderly
pedestrians at intersections during the past 11 days.

In four of the five cases, the pedestrians – who ranged in age from 73
to 87 years – were struck by vehicles which were making left-hand
turns. (In the fifth case, the vehicle was going straight through the
intersection.) Two of the incidents took place in Vancouver, and one
each in New Westminster, Kelowna and Oliver.

The deaths are in line with a recent review by the BC Coroners Service
of 142 fatal pedestrian incidents which occurred from 2010 through
2012. The review showed that persons over the age of 70 were at more
than double the risk of dying in a pedestrian incident than those in
any other age group. It also showed that in cases where pedestrians
were crossing at an intersection on a green light, more than two-thirds
of the drivers who struck them were making a left-hand turn.

The need for extra care increases in the winter months when longer
hours of darkness and frequent poor road and weather conditions lead to
an increased number of pedestrian incidents. The review showed that
more than one-quarter of the deaths took place in January and February.

A factsheet follows.

* Enhance your visibility, especially after dark. Wear light-coloured
or fluorescent clothing, or attach a light or a reflective strip to
your clothing.
* Stay alert. Watch out for drivers turning into an intersection from
left and right. Try to make eye contact with all nearby drivers before
stepping out onto the street.
* Don’t assume a crosswalk or a green light at an intersection makes
you safe. Ensure drivers see you before you step out from the curb.
* Especially if you know you may be slower in crossing a road, give
yourself the most time to cross by waiting for a newly turned green or
walk signal.
* Look left, right and left again before crossing the street, and be on
the lookout for turning or backing vehicles.
* Keep scanning for vehicles as you cross.
* Hold your hand up or do whatever it takes to make yourself more
visible to drivers.

And for motorists:

* Stay alert. Don’t be distracted by activities that take your mind off
driving or your eyes off the road. Watch carefully for pedestrians when
approaching any crosswalk or intersection.
* Ensure all pedestrians have cleared the road before proceeding.
* Take special care to watch for pedestrians or other vulnerable road
users when making a left-hand turn.
* Watch especially carefully for the elderly or mobility-challenged.
Recognize it may take them longer than average to complete a safe
crossing.