HALIFAX – There were an alarming number of accidents last year involving vehicles and pedestrians in Halifax. Now the city’s Crosswalk Safety Advisory Committee is looking at new ideas to help cut down those rising numbers, including the establishment of a school for those who break the rules.
There were 262 accidents last year involving motor vehicles and pedestrians in the Halifax area. That’s up from 169 the previous year.
Janet Barlow, who chairs the Halifax Crosswalk Safety Advisory Committee, says they have a plan.
“The committee is recommending that Halifax write a letter to the province to increase non-monetary penalties,” she said. “If you violate crosswalk safety laws – if you’re a pedestrian, a cyclist, or motorist – then maybe you are required to go to crosswalk safety school.”
Barlow suggests the crosswalk school would last one day. A police spokesman says it has worked before – when bicycle helmets became law.
“Helmet use went up,” says Sergeant Steve Calder, the Head of Metro Integrated Traffic Unit for Halifax Police adds the increase happened, “Once people got to actually sit down and listen to doctors and educational persons explain to them and showing them pictures the results of accidents on bicycles without helmets.”
Sgt. Calder says people may not realize how expensive the fine is for a crosswalk safety violation.
“The entry level fine would be just under 200-dollars, but typically in the relation to the crosswalk, they would be in the range of 4-to-600-dollars would be the fine, along with demerit fines.”
“What we really want is not the money,” says Councillor Reg Rankin, who heads the Transportation Committee, “it’s not the fines we’re pursuing, it is appropriate behavior at crosswalks, so I’m sure we can accomplish more, by education alternative.”
February is crosswalk safety month. Police have upped their presence at crosswalks as part of their own safety campaign. They’ve done 144 crosswalk checks for education and issued tickets for violations.
“There’s actually been 32 tickets issued to either pedestrians or drivers for infractions, specifically related to a crosswalk,” says Sgt. Calder.
This afternoon, the Transportation Committee accepted the crosswalk school recommendation. It now goes before city council.
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