Mounties in Richmond are reminding pedestrians that making themselves seen on the road can save their life.
A number of volunteers and officers were handing out light reflectors and talking to pedestrians Wednesday night.
The warning comes after a number of crashes involving pedestrians in the Lower Mainland in the last few weeks.
An 81-year-old man died this week after getting hit by a car near Stevenson Highway last month. His death marked Richmond’s eighth traffic fatality of the year.
Just last night, a 16-year-old was struck down in a marked crosswalk in front of Elgin Secondary School in Surrey.
According to witnesses, she was wearing dark clothing and had just stepped into traffic when the accident happened.
“I can’t say enough about how important it is for us to get the message out to the public that you need to wear something that helps you to be seen when you are out on the road,” says Cpl. Stephanie Ashton with Richmond RCMP.
Ashton says with many more dark days ahead of us, members of the public can drop by any community police station in Richmond and pick up a reflector that they can attach to their outerwear.
“As soon as pedestrians get off their buses near the homes, the lighting is not as good because they are side streets. Those reflectors can make all the difference in whether or not a driver can see them,” says Ashton.
According to ICBC, an average of 45 people are struck and injured between the months of October and December in Richmond alone.
“Just because you see that person coming down the road, and you have the right of way to cross the street, that driver might not be paying attention, they might be distracted or they might not see you because of weather, you have to make eye contact,” says Joanne Bergman with ICBC.
But Ashton says drivers need to do their part and slow down, especially when the roads are icy.
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