(Photo credit: Elvert Barnes/Creative Commons)
Winter is a dangerous time on Ontario’s roads, with drivers navigating ice, snow, sleet, and the questionable decisions of fellow motorists. But with spring coming to Toronto, road users will face new challenges, chief among them the fact that the city’s residents are more likely to walk from point A to point B than during the dead of winter. Unfortunately, an influx of pedestrians on city streets often means a rise in fatal car accidents involving Toronto’s walkers.
To help pedestrians reach their destination safely, and with hopes of reducing the number of fatal accidents on Toronto’s streets this year, local police recently launched “March Break, March Safe,” a road safety campaign designed to educate pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists on issues of pedestrian safety in the city’s core. During the program, officers will patrol the streets on the lookout for traffic violations that could endanger pedestrians, including intersection related offences, pedestrian crosswalk violations, and dangerous parking violations.
Of course, drivers aren’t alone in creating dangerous road conditions – sometimes pedestrians put themselves in danger. A classic example of this is jaywalking. When it comes to jaywalking Toronto drivers are well aware of the act’s prevalence. So what should the city’s pedestrians and motorists know about Ontario jaywalking laws?
A Legal Gray Area
“Nowhere is it defined how far from a crosswalk you need to be to have to use the crosswalk,” Rose Leto, a member of Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers experienced team, told Global News Toronto. “Nowhere is it defined what ‘yield right of way’ means and how far that car has to be. So it’s a very ambiguous area.”
Strictlyy from a safety perspective, jaywalking is a dangerous activity. Wherever possible pedestrians should always cross the road at a crosswalk. Due to vehicles travelling at faster speeds, collisions involving pedestrians who jaywalk mid-block are five times more likely to be fatal than those occurring at intersections, a professor at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management told Global News.
Even when pedestrians do cross at crosswalks, however, they should always look both ways. This applies especially to timed countdown crosswalks, which may contribute to more motor vehicle accidents than they prevent.
Despite its risky nature, jaywalking is sometimes legal – when a pedestrian crosses mid-block where there is no available crosswalk and they do not interfere with traffic, for instance.
In other cases, pedestrians may receive a ticket for jaywalking. They can also be charged under the Ontario Provincial Highway Traffic Act or under one of the City of Toronto’s bylaws. The amount of the fine depends on the legislation you’re charged under. The provincial fine is $35 with an additional court fee and victim surcharge, whereas the municipal fine is $85, according to the Toronto Star.
Despite the safety and legal risks, jaywalking is a habit for many Torontonians. Between January 2012 and June 2013, Toronto police officers issued 9,310 jaywalking tickets, the Toronto Star reports.
According to a collision analysis performed by the Toronto Police, an average of 50 to 60 per cent of fatal collisions in the city involve pedestrians. By mid-March of 2015, 71 per cent of all fatal collisions in Toronto involved pedestrians. In 2014, pedestrian fatalities accounted for 61 per cent of all fatal traffic accidents. These results in 31 pedestrian deaths.
The year 2015 has been particularly violent for the city’s pedestrians. Just weeks ago, four pedestrian-vehicle leading to three fatalities occurred in a 24-hour span.
These issues are precisely what Toronto Police’s “March Break, March Safe” initiative are hoping to address. However, it will require a prolonged, committed effort from police, pedestrians, motorists, politicians, and road safety activists to enact meaningful, lasting change.
If you or a member of your family have been injured in a collision on the streets of Toronto, contact Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers today to arrange a free no-obligation consultation with an experienced Toronto car accident lawyer. Accident benefits are available to anyone involved in a car accident, regardless of their role in the event. For the past 45 years, our team has helped seriously injured Ontarians on their path to recovery. We know how important financial compensation is to this process, and have the experience and expertise to secure the compensation you deserve. Call us at (416) 920-4242 to learn how we can help.
Greg Neinstein
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