Map details 16 years of Calgary pedestrian-vehicle collisions
CBC News | Posted: February 24, 2014 10:33 PM | Last Updated: February 24, 2014
City in midst of creating strategy as 3 pedestrians have died since January
A map of Calgary pedestrian collisions shows the problem happens across the city.
Local engineer Dustin Jones made the map that shows collisions involving pedestrians from 1996 until 2012 with Calgary police data.
There have been three pedestrian deaths this year alone.
- Woman charged in elderly pedestrian's death
- Convicted drunk driver charged in fatal hit and run
- Pedestrian dies after being hit by a van in downtown Calgary
"It looks daunting," says Staff Sgt. Paul Stacey. "It's got a lot of points plotted on there. But one has to remember that it's 16 years of data that's included on this map. And you know, in Calgary we get between 35,000 and 40,000 total collisions a year, so we are bound to have some conflict between pedestrians and vehicles."
The map highlights some intersections that seem to have more accidents, including 45 collisions at 17th Avenue and Fourth Street S.W., 41 at Macleod Trail and 64th Avenue S.W. and dozens along a stretch of International Avenue in the southeast.
City strategy coming
The city says they are working to put in place a new pedestrian strategy.
"We need to look at driver attention and ensure that people drive when they're driving," said Ward 7 Coun. Druh Farrell.
"We've got an average number of people being hit, and average number of pedestrian fatalities. I don't think that's acceptable. We should have a goal to reduce it to zero."
- Calgary bystanders try to lift car off trapped pedestrian
- Separate pedestrian-vehicle crashes keep paramedics busy
A report on the issue is due back in about six months. For now police are urging everyone to share the responsibility.
"What we're really asking is that each start paying attention," says Stacey.
"Drivers look out for pedestrians, pedestrians please try and be responsible for yourself as much as you can. I know what the laws say, where the pedestrians have the right of way, and it's true, they do. But at the end of the day, everybody needs to share that responsibility in order for everybody to stay safe."
Pedestrian collision map
Click here for a larger and mobile-friendly version of the map.