Do you know what the pedestrian signals on Toronto streets mean? According to police, pedestrians are breaking the law – and putting their safety at risk – thousands of times per minute:
Green means go. Amber means proceed with caution if you can’t stop safely. Red means stop.
But it’s not nearly as obvious when you observe pedestrians at a controlled intersection. Toronto police say thousands of pedestrians violate the letter of the law every minute of every day. They’re either indifferent to or ignorant of the law.
Constable Clint Stibbe tells Global News you are not supposed to step off the curb into the intersection if the countdown clock has begun or you see the flashing red hand. But most people we spoke to for our story thought the clock and the flashing hand was simply a warning to let you know you were running out of time…
While it may sound trivial, Toronto Police say pedestrians who disregard the rules actually contribute to the traffic congestion problems in the downtown core. Among other things, pedestrians racing against the countdown clock often delay vehicles attempting to make right turns from clearing the intersection.
Safety becomes a concern in these situations because if a pedestrian rushes to beat the clock against a turning car, disaster can result.
Take care on the roads and follow the rules in order to avoid an accident, whether you are a driver or a pedestrian.