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Proposal to better light pedestrian crossings has merit
By:
Deutschmann Personal Injury & Disability Law (Lawyers)
| Published 10/18/2015
A recent Toronto Star article raised the idea of better lighting pedestrian crosswalks to make them safer for the people using them. It really does seem that many of them are inadequately lit. Having driven at night in the ROW I would agree it's a widespread problem.
It becomes increasingly hard to see pedestrians in the winter when we tend to shed our more brightly coloured clothes and move into dark coloured parkas, pants and hats - bundled up for the worst of winter weather. Turning circles, some of which already make seeing pedestrians difficult, are also an area of concern in the dark. Those who walk or run at night have begun, in many cases, to wear fluorescent or day-glo clothing. These articles provide some protection but most of us when crossing at a crosswalk rely on the walk/don’t walk light to as a cue to when crossing is safe.
There is an easy fix to this problem of course. Every crosswalk already has a light standard and power. We could easily place downward facing lights to help light the pedestrian crossing better without distracting drivers. I hope there is some thought given to these suggestions.
