September road safety: pedestrians, cyclists and intersections

[guest]

Ottawa’s Road Safety Action Plan addresses the most common cause of fatal or major injury collisions during the month of September – collisions involving pedestrians, cyclists and collisions at intersections.

It’s back to school time, a time when our most vulnerable road users can find themselves the victim of a serious collision. Each month the City of Ottawa Road Safety Action Plan’s communication efforts focus on specific areas that are determined based on trends in data collected for fatal and major injury collisions. Educating the public and building awareness is one of the ways we try to make our streets safer for all road users. The themes for the month of September are pedestrians, cyclists and intersections.

Young children walking home from school may not always be paying attention to what’s going on around them. That makes it all the more important for you, the motorist, to be on the lookout for their safety. Between 2019 and 2023, there were 153 collisions involving pedestrians that resulted in a fatality or major injury.

Motorists:

• Be alert for pedestrians
• Pay attention when making a right or left turn at an intersection
• Slow down when driving through school areas and residential areas
• Watch for Community Safety Zones. Fines are doubled in these areas.
• Yield the entire width of the roadway at pedestrian crossovers, or school crossings where there is a crossing guard

Pedestrians:

• Remove headphones; put away cell phones or other electronic devices when crossing the street. Use your full attention so you’ll be able to see, hear and respond safely to what is happening on the roadway.
• Cross at marked crosswalks or traffic signals, not in the middle of the block where there's traffic or between parked cars.
• Cross when traffic has come to a complete stop.
• Make sure drivers see you before you cross.
• Watch for traffic turning at intersections or entering and leaving driveways.
• At a traffic signal, cross at the beginning of a “Walk” light. Do not cross once the “Don’t Walk” signal begins to flash or once the solid “Don’t Walk” is displayed.
• Wear bright or light-coloured clothing or reflective strips when walking in dusk or darkness.

Parents and caregivers:

• Teach and reinforce the proper techniques for crossing the road safely with your child.
• Stress the importance of walking on the sidewalk, or where there are no sidewalks, of walking facing traffic as far away as possible from the travelled portion of the road.
• When waiting to cross the street, stop before the edge of the sidewalk.

In many areas, the City of Ottawa has built infrastructure called pedestrian crossovers. These are designated areas where pedestrians have the right of way when crossing the road. Vehicles must stop for pedestrians who are crossing and wait until the pedestrian has completely crossed the road before continuing.

Pedestrian crossovers are much like crosswalks. They are found at intersections, roundabouts and midblock, often where a pathway intersects a road.

All road users have a responsibility to keep our roads safe for everyone. As a driver, regardless of what kind of vehicle you are driving or riding, you need to:

• Watch for and prepare to stop at pedestrian crossovers.
• Wait until the pedestrian has completely crossed the road (curb to curb) before proceeding.
• Vehicles must not pass any other vehicle within 30 metres prior to a pedestrian crossover.
• Cyclists must dismount and walk their bike across the road.

As a pedestrian, to stay safe, remember these tips:

• Wait for traffic to stop.
• Try to make eye contact to ensure the driver sees you.

The City has more information about pedestrian crossovers online or you can watch this pedestrian crossover video.

Cyclists are road users too

As summer vacation draws to a close, motorists are likely to encounter more young children riding their bikes as well as adults who are cycling along our roadways.

Riding responsibly is the key to keeping yourself safe. Make a point of avoiding motorists blind spots. Stay back and stay safe. The City of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario both have extensive information on how to keep yourself safe while cycling.

Between 2019 and 2023, there were 62 collisions in Ottawa involving cyclists that resulted in a major injury or fatality, and an additional six involving e-bikes. Even one incident is too many.

Motorists have a responsibility to keep cyclists safe and should:

• Follow the rules of the road at all times.
• Bicycles are considered vehicles under the Highway Traffic Act, so treat them as you would any other vehicle on the road but remember that they are more vulnerable to serious injury in the event of a collision.
• People who ride bicycles are not obligated to use bike lanes or pathways and are permitted to cycle on all roads in Ottawa except the Transitway, Highways 416, 417 and Regional Road 174 (to Orléans).
• Motorists are prohibited from driving or parking in all designated bicycle lanes.
• When passing a cyclist, the Highway Traffic Act requires that you leave a safe distance between your car and the bicycle. Extra passing distance should be given when slippery road conditions exist.
• Cyclists are permitted to ride in the centre of a lane when they feel it is too narrow for a motor vehicle to pass them, or if they feel their safety is compromised.
• Slow down or avoid puddles when passing cyclists.
• Cyclists can ride on either the paved road, paved shoulder or unpaved shoulder in rural areas.
• Drivers of larger vehicles should be cautious of blasting a cyclist with winds when passing, especially on dusty roads.

Cyclists

• Follow the rules of the road at all times
• Do not ride on sidewalks
• Remember that pedestrians have the right-of-way on multi-use pathways
• Be bright at night! Use a headlight, taillight, reflectors and light-coloured or retro-reflective clothing so motorists can see you.
• Motorists may not anticipate a cyclist, so ride defensively.
• Know where blind spots are so you can stay out of them. Stay in front or at the rear of the vehicle where you are visible.
• Where possible, ride in a straight line and avoid dodging between parked cars, into bus bays or around obstacles.
• Know where you are going and look ahead to position yourself in the correct lane.

Intersections: safety at a crossroads

Whether you’re a pedestrian on a sidewalk, or a cyclist or motorist driving along the street, at some point everyone’s paths will cross. It will likely happen at an intersection.

With everything coming together at intersections, it’s important for everyone to pay attention, whether the intersection has stop signs, pedestrian crossover signs, traffic signals or is a roundabout.

Between 2019 and 2023, 54 per cent of all fatal or major injuries that occurred in Ottawa happened at or near an intersection.

Here are some tips to keep everyone safe when using an intersection.

Motorists

• Do not stop in crosswalks since that forces pedestrians into traffic
• When turning, always check for cyclists, e-scooters and pedestrians, especially on one-way streets; while vehicles can only travel in one direction, pedestrians can travel both ways
• Between 2019 and 2023, 26 per cent of collisions resulting in fatal or major injuries to pedestrians involved a left turn movement. When making a left turn, watch for motorcycles in the opposing lane – their speed and distance can be hard to judge.
• Only proceed through an intersection if the way is clear and you have plenty of time for the turn; don’t rush and watch for pedestrians crossing in the crosswalks.
• Make full stops at stop signs and red lights – no rolling stops
• Be aware of vulnerable road users in your vehicle’s blind spot
• Before proceeding through an intersection, make eye contact with other road users who may not see you
• Sound your horn to alert other road users who may not see you

Cyclists

• Ride defensively, as vehicles can’t always see you well
• Never stop in crosswalks since that forces pedestrians into traffic
• To cross at a crosswalk or traffic signal, dismount and walk your bike across
• Signal your turns or if you are stopping
• Make full stops at stop signs and red signals– no rolling stops
• When stopped near a truck, you may be in the driver’s blind spot; assume the driver does not know you are there and move out of the blind spot
• Before proceeding through an intersection, make eye contact with other road users who may not see you, especially if they are turning your way; if the car’s windows at tinted you can look at the driver’s location in the car to catch the driver’s attention
• Be visible in lowlight conditions with:
  • A white light at the front of the bike
  • A red rear light or red rear reflector
  • Two strips of white reflective tape on front forks (each strip to be 125 millimetres by 25 millimetres)
• Have a bell or horn on your bike and use it to alert road users near you, though keep in mind drivers may not hear it

Pedestrians

• Cross in the marked crosswalk and keep your eyes on the road; don’t look at your phone or be otherwise distracted
• Before proceeding through an intersection, make eye contact with drivers who may not see you, especially if they are turning your way; if the car’s windows are tinted you can look at the driver’s location in the car to catch the driver’s attention
• Learn where a vehicle’s blind spot is and stay out of it
• Make yourself visible at dawn, dusk and after dark by wearing light-coloured clothing or something reflective or carry a small light
• Visit these web pages from the City and the province of Ontario for more safety tips

The City of Ottawa continues to make improvements to the safety of our roads and pathways with an emphasis on protecting vulnerable users – pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The City’s 2020-2024 Road Safety Action Plan guides these engineering, education and enforcement initiatives. But even the safest transportation network requires that everyone follows the rules of the road for their mode of transportation.

For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

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