The last ten days of November in Toronto see far more pedestrian accidents than other times of the year, city data shows. By the end of the month, almost a dozen Toronto pedestrians are hurt every day, nearly twice normal average.
Of the ten worst days of the year for pedestrian collisions, eight fall between November 21 and November 30. (The other two are November 2 and December 22.)
The worst dates, November 28 and November 30, are tied with an average of 11.8 collisions each, almost double the normal daily average of 6.1.
Global News obtained data showing the dates and locations of 22,292 pedestrian accidents from 2000 through the end of 2009 under access-to-information laws. (You can download the data here.)
The answer may be connected to sunlight. In late November, the time of sunset slides toward 4:45, and evening twilight, the dying of the last bit of natural light, moves more and more into the afternoon rush hour, near 5:15. At the same time, the earlier part of the morning rush hour starts to be in darkness, as sunrise moves toward 7:30.
“We have this adjustment,” says Ottawa-based traffic expert Barry Wellar. “It gets darker sooner … these kinds of things. We may not adjust to them all that well.”
After early December, the pedestrian injury rate starts to fall, though never to the lower rates seen in warmer parts of the year. The answer may lie in a shift to more cautious cold-weather driving, as driver adjust to limited traction and darkness.
“I think it’s more a period where people learn not to be complacent,” explains Toronto Const. Clint Stibbe. “By that time, they’ve been doing it for a couple of months, they’ve maybe had a couple of close calls, and they’re starting to be more aware.”
As well as limited daylight Wellar and Stibbe point out seasonal dangers that appear around this time of year: poorer traction, low sunlight, pedestrians’ winter clothes restricting vision, winter grime on windshields.
Most fatal pedestrian collisions in Ontario happen after dark, a coroner’s study of 2010 pedestrian deaths found.
“I’m not surprised,” says Dylan Reid, former co-chair of the Toronto Pedestrian Committee. “People can’t see each other. Cars can’t see pedestrians, pedestrians can’t see cars, and they’re not changing their behaviours to watch out for each other.”
The safest date is Christmas Day, with an average of two accidents. Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Canada Day are also at the bottom of the list.
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