36 pedestrians killed this year and most could have been avoided: police

By News Staff

It’s been a deadly year for pedestrian deaths on city streets, according to a Toronto police report.

Police say 1,600 people have been struck and 36 pedestrians killed this year and with the Christmas season here, the roads and sidewalks are that much busier.

Clint Stibbe with Toronto police says if you’re crossing at a crosswalk, including those with flashing lights, make sure traffic has stopped first.

“Quite often, what we do see is individuals that push the button and immediately step out into traffic,” says Stibbe. “But you have to wait until traffic comes to a stop.”

Stibbe says they’ve seen a jump in people being struck while crossing mid-block. While it’s not illegal, crossing mid-block is dangerous.

“Twenty-one of the 36 fatalities involved a person that was crossing mid-block,” said Stibbe. “So, we could have actually saved almost two thirds of those individuals.”

Stibbe adds avoiding these types of collisions is a shared responsibility but it ultimately comes down to paying attention and there are things both drivers and pedestrians can do, like putting away that cellphone.

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