100% safety campaign : SPVM steps up efforts to improve pedestrian safety

30 april 2014

When spring arrives, pedestrians and cyclists surge on to the streets to take advantage of the good weather, to move, breathe and enjoy the city. There are more and more people sharing the roads with cars and heavy vehicles. As part of the 100% safety pedestrian safety campaign, the officers of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) will hold a variety of prevention and control activities, from April 28 to May 25, under the theme
“I make sure I’m seen and that I can hear and see.”

 

“I make sure I’m seen and that I can hear and see

These activities are designed to reduce the number of pedestrians, and especially elderly pedestrians, who are involved in collisions in the territory of greater Montréal. Police officers will work with pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to develop their awareness of safe behaviours they should adopt and they will impose sanctions regarding careless or delinquent behaviours by enforcing the Highway Safety Code (HSC). On the roads, everyone must obey the specific traffic rules that apply to them. Safe travel around the city depends on all users respecting each other and behaving appropriately, in compliance with the HSC.

 

A campaign that targets recommended behaviour

With pedestrians, the police officers will insist on crossing at intersections and obeying pedestrian lights or traffic lights, as appropriate. They will remind pedestrians to make eye contact with cyclists and drivers before crossing and to stay a safe distance away from heavy vehicles such as buses and trucks. The police will also meet with seniors to encourage them to be more visible in the dark and they will reiterate to cyclists and drivers that they must yield to pedestrians, who have the right of way at intersections.

 

Ongoing safety efforts for active transport

In 2013, there were twelve fatal collisions involving pedestrians in the territory of Montréal, six fewer than in 2012, for an improvement of 33.3%. As for collisions with injuries, the number fell from 1244 to 1189, an improvement of 4.4%. In 2013, 98 pedestrians sustained serious injuries and 1079 minor injuries. So far in 2014, five people – all pedestrians – have lost their lives on the streets of Montréal. Four of them were involved in accidents at intersections when the driver was making a right or left turn.

 

Since pedestrians and cyclists are more vulnerable than drivers in a collision, SPVM officers step up their efforts every year from April to November, to improve the safety of people who use active transport. With financial assistance from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), the SPVM has been running the 100% vigilant campaign since 2012. This campaign does not target users, as such, but rather the behaviours they must embrace to improve their safety and show respect to one another. The cyclist safety portion of the campaign will be held from June 2 to August 24.

 

Find out more

Road safety : pedestrians - SPVM

Behaviours and road users - SAAQ