ICBC, Vancouver Police warn of upcoming spike in pedestrian crashes

ICBC, police, and provincial leaders are urging pedestrians and drivers to be extra cautious as a seasonal spike in pedestrian accidents approaches.

"We want to remind drivers to look out for pedestrians and, working together on this, to remind pedestrians to be alert and stay safe on the roads," said MLA Moira Stilwell, on behalf of Transportation Minister Todd Stone.

"We all need to be more aware, and remember what makes a good driver is thinking about other people and thinking about their needs and possible actions."

The change in weather and the decrease in daylight leads to almost twice as many accidents involving pedestrians from November to January compared to June to August, said ICBC, which launched its annual safety pedestrian campaign on Wednesday.

Dr. Kelly Barnard with the B.C. Coroners Office said that while traffic fatalities ha dropped across the country in the past ten years, the number of pedestrian fatalities has remained the same. 

She offered the following tips for pedestrians to stay safe:

• Make eye contact with drivers.
• Increase visibility by wearing bright or reflective clothing. 
• Stay alert at intersections.

She also said pedestrians should be cautious even if they're in a marked intersection and have the right-of-way.

"It doesn't help you to have been right if you've been hit by a car," she said. 

More enforcement needed: advocate

But the message wasn't well received by those who advocate for pedestrian safety.

"Until we stop [giving drivers the benefit of the doubt], until there's enforcement, until there's true penalty for the aggressive behaviour going on, nothing's going to change," said transportation critic Bev Ballantyne.

ICBC said drivers were completely at fault in 61 per cent of crashes involving pedestrians from 2009 to 2013.