Police and ICBC were out on the streets of Vancouver Friday to highlight the importance of pedestrian safety.
Paul Goodman with the Insurance Corporation of B.C. said the end of daylight saving time, which is set for Nov. 7, means it will be darker during evening commutes, further reducing visibility on roads.
He added 44 per cent of crashes involving pedestrians occur between October and January.
A collision in Maple Ridge served as a reminder to drivers and pedestrians of the need to exercise extra caution. A teen who was walking to school suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries on Friday morning after being struck by a car near the intersection of Laity Street and 121st Avenue.
Police officers and ICBC road safety coordinators handed out 3,000 free reflectors at Vancouver’s Joyce SkyTrain station and urged pedestrians to stay safe.
“We tell pedestrians, ‘Look left, look right, look left again,'” Goodman said.
“Same thing for drivers. Make sure you’re looking… to make sure that somebody is not crossing.”
— with files from Andrea Macpherson