Number of pedestrian deaths so far this year at 8-year high: OPP
CBC News | Posted: November 20, 2016 12:14 AM | Last Updated: November 20, 2016
Ontario Provincial Police say number of pedestrian deaths are 'alarming'
The number of pedestrian deaths in Ontario so far this year rose even higher on Friday night when a 22-year-old man was struck and killed in East Gwillimbury.
The death the latest in what Ontario Provincial Police say is an "alarming" number of pedestrian fatalities in 2016 on roads that it patrols in the province.
Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, spokesperson for the OPP's highway safety division, said in a news release that pedestrian deaths have reached an eight-year high.
Between January 1 and November 13, this year, 30 pedestrians have died due to motor vehicle collisions. That number is 66 per cent more deaths than during the same time period in 2015.
Schmidt said while people might expect shorter, darker days to contribute to pedestrian fatalities, 65 per cent of deaths this year actually happened during daylight.
Only seven per cent occurred in the dark, and the remaining 28 per cent happened at dawn or dusk.
Schmidt said the ages of deceased pedestrians vary widely from children under four to seniors over 75 years old.
Man dead, woman injured in East Gwillimbury
On Friday, the 22-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman were walking on Highway 11 when they were struck by a vehicle around 9 p.m. The man died at the scene and the woman was taken to a trauma centre with serious injuries, York Regional Police said.
"The OPP want to remind all road users of their personal responsibilities in road safety," Schmidt said.
"As a driver, be alert, avoid distractions, continually scan for pedestrians and always be prepared to stop. As a pedestrian be aware of your surroundings, do not become distracted and do not assume a driver sees you even if you can see them."