Police focusing on pedestrian, cyclist safety

During the month of May, Greater Sudbury Police Service charged 47 people for offences relating to motor vehicle equipment modifications.

That was the focus of the monthly initiative. While that many people were charged, the idea was to focus on education, providing warnings and information to drivers, said Greater Sudbury Police Service. Enforcement was conducted throughout the city to address equipment modifications that are not approved and/or unsafe for motorists.

Drivers must ensure that safety standards are met prior to making any alterations to their vehicles. It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that aftermarket equipment purchased conforms to the standards as set out in the Ontario Highway Traffic Act and the Canadian Motor Safety Standards.

With their focus now on the month of June, officers will be targeting pedestrian and cyclist safety.

With better road and weather conditions, there is a tendency for higher volumes of pedestrian and cyclist traffic on area roadways, said police.

Last year, there were 80 collisions involving pedestrians and 29 involving cyclists, according to Greater Sudbury Police Service collision reports.

The Traffic Management Unit is reminding the public of the following with respect to pedestrian and cyclist safety;

Motorists:
-Do not drink and drive;
-Eliminate distractions while driving;
-Reduce speeds in residential or high traffic areas where there are pedestrians;
-Share the roadway with cyclists;
-Be aware and use caution for school buses and public transit for individuals entering/exiting;
-Be aware of other vehicles stopping for pedestrians to cross;
-Perform circle checks of your vehicle prior to leaving a parking spot or driveway;
-Reverse into your parking spot or driveway so that you can exit with better visibility;
-Drive according to the road and weather conditions;
-Yield to pedestrians at cross walks;
-Abide by the rules and regulations of the road;

Cyclists:
-Ensure you have all required safety equipment for your bicycle;
-Wear a helmet; it could save your life;
-Use clear hand signal directions;
-Operate your bicycle as close to the edge of the pavement as you safely can;
-Wear reflective clothing at night; have a light on your bicycle;
-Abide by the rules and regulations of the road;

Pedestrians:
-Cross at cross walks only; never jaywalk;
-Avoid distractions while walking or cycling including cellphones and music devices;
-Wear reflective clothing at night

For additional safety tips go to www.gsps.ca in the Traffic section or the City of Greater Sudbury website.

June is also Brain Injury Awareness month, which is a provincewide awareness and prevention campaign. The Traffic Management Unit in partnership with the Brain Injury Association will be handing out $20-off cards toward the purchase of any sporting helmet that can be redeemed at several local businesses which are listed on the back of the card.

For more information about this initiative and others such as the DONT, Drive Only Never Text campaign visit www.biasd.ca and www.idontpledge.com.