Jaywalkers, curb jumpers be warned: police are watching
Five days ago, a VPD officer stopped a young woman who was crossing the busy intersection at Cambie and West Broadway against the pedestrian light.
About a dozen officers were stationed at all four corners outside the city hall SkyTrain station, part of a joint safety blitz with ICBC.
Vancouver police spokesperson Const. Jason Doucette says after the officer patiently explained crossing the street when the flashing hand or countdown had begun was illegal, the woman politely thanked him, wished him a nice day and proceeded to run into the intersection again, against the light.
"She was issued a violation ticket for that," said Doucette. "In total, we handed out 15 pedestrian tickets ... for disobeying the wait or don't walk sign. And we did 65 warning tickets."
According to ICBC, 43 per cent of all pedestrian-vehicle crashes happen between October and January when rain and darkness wreak havoc with visibility.
Additionally:
- One out of five people killed in a car crash in B.C. are pedestrians.
- 81 per cent of all Lower Mainland pedestrian-vehicle crashes occur at intersections.
- Pedestrian crashes happen most frequently between 3 and 6 p.m. on a Friday.
- Top contributing factors are driver distraction, driver failing to yield to a pedestrian and weather.
ICBC suggests both pedestrians and drivers look twice before crossing a road or making a turn.
Doucette says the VPD is always on alert for bad pedestrian behaviour and will be targeting other intersections in the future.
"Cambie and Broadway is a target-rich environment for sure, but we will react to other high crash areas as well," he said.
A pedestrian violation ticket comes with a $109 fine in Vancouver.
