Youngsters on Sidewalks - Beware the Driveways

photo courtesy of looknyc.org

When we purchase a bicycle for a child we watch their joy expressed through their enthusiastic response.  We watch and encourage their persistence to ride this two wheeled machine searching for balance and continuing to strengthen their skill as they ride close to home.  They find their first breathe of freedom.  A chance to feel speed as the wind rushes past them while they ride.  We remind them to be alert to the dangers of their surroundings.  Some parents are so worried for the safety of their child in traffic that they insist that they only ride on the sidewalk.  This cycling practice is continued by some into adulthood.

[Editor's Note:  Mississauga traffic by-law 555-00 section 43 states no bicycles with wheel sizes greater than 50cm (19.6") shall ride on sidewalks. This provides an allowance for young cyclists to use sidewalks while learning to ride and to keep adult cyclists on the roads and bike trails for the safety of pedestrians.]

A cyclist’s greatest fear is to be hit by a vehicle.  A parent’s greatest fear is losing a child.  My heart is filled with sorrow for both the parents and child for whom this accident has occurred.  I know that accidents happen, but we should take every step possible to greatly reduce the chances of this happening.  Our society needs to develop a better awareness of their surroundings and not be as concerned about time restrictions.  We rush without thinking about the consequences of our hurried behaviour.  I can not imagine the pain the driver must feel after hitting a young child.  It is a horrifying accident and a driver’s worst nightmare.  The pedestrian is supposed to be safe on our isolated sidewalks.  This is not always the case.

A simple remedy

One simple way to greatly reduce these types of accidents is to reverse a car into parking spaces or driveways.  Being able to drive forward from a parked position provides much better visibility and is more efficient for the vehicle.  A cold engine takes a few minutes to reach an efficient operating temperature.  The start and stop action of backing out of a parking spot with a cold engine uses more fuel and causes more wear to the engine.  By appealing to young drivers when they are first learning to drive and emphasizing the benefits to older drivers we should be able to change their behaviour.  Our society has developed this notion that we need to complete every task as quickly as possible; so we multitask while driving. For safety’s sake, we need to simplify and make wiser choices.

Unsuspected danger

Photo courtesy www.rodolfoclix.com.br

Hurried behaviour and complex distractions have made us forget about the dangers that linger when we drive our vehicles.  We are safe within our encased moving package of steel, but those unprotected souls that surround us can become victims of this lethal machine:

• A vehicle approaches a stop sign and cyclist exits the curb of the sidewalk and the two intersect at the pedestrian cross walk.
• A vehicle exits a driveway not being able to see pedestrians because the visibility is reduced by the hedge along their lot.
• A vehicle exits the parking lot of a plaza and checks for the oncoming traffic, but crosses the sidewalk without stopping and checking for those slower occupants who have right of way, and another tragic collision occurs.
• A driver is watching for a break in traffic so that the left or right hand turn can be made safely through the intersection, the cyclist rides through the intersection by right of way and they collide.

We know that these instantaneous accidents can occur.  It is a privilege to own a car.  It is our responsibility as drivers to always take extreme caution in our decision making.

Pedestrian and cyclists always, always, always have right of way.  We study the driver’s handbook so that we can be granted the privilege to experience the next greatest freedom of mobility that the child victims of these accidents might never get.