Sue Gerrard returns to the crosswalk where she was nearly struck by a car with Gary Bloomfield and her dog Sophie Eloise. (Richard McGuire photo)
Anyone who has ever been a pedestrian in Osoyoos knows you take your life in your hands when you cross Main Street at a crosswalk.
Many drivers, especially when the roads are busy in the summer, are simply in too much of a hurry and can’t be bothered to stop.
Prudent pedestrians know to inch out carefully onto the street until they are sure that traffic has stopped.
But what about cars that appear suddenly and want to drive right through when a pedestrian is already halfway across the street?
And what about cars and motorcycles that pass on the right of those vehicles stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian.
The first of these scenarios happened last week to Sue Gerrard, best known as the owner of Dirty Hairy’s Barbershop and several times Osoyoos Idol winner. And she wants this frequent situation addressed before someone is killed.
And we’ve seen the second scenario numerous times.
The problem is that Main Street is also provincial Highway 3 and it’s the provincial government, not the town, that needs to address road design and crosswalk issues.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is notoriously reluctant to impose new barriers that would impede traffic flow.
The Town of Osoyoos and the RCMP, to their credit, have recently revived a dormant Traffic Safety Committee and are again holding meetings to discuss road design and signage and other safety measures.
They’re hoping to be able to present a list of issues affecting Highways 3 and 97 to a provincial official at a meeting this Thursday.
While some drivers speed through crosswalks choosing not to stop for pedestrians, others simply don’t see them. They may be distracted, the lighting may be poor (as was likely the case with the driver who nearly struck Gerrard) or they simply can’t see past the larger vehicles that are angle parked.
We’d like to see push-button signal lights at most crosswalks where visibility might be an issue, which is pretty much every crosswalk on Main Street.
In some places, better street lighting may also be needed.
Of course there’s an onus on pedestians to actually use the signals and ideally to wear bright or reflective clothing at night.
The idea of curb bump outs, which was suggested by both Gerrard and Jim Dinwoodie, Osoyoos director of operations, also makes a lot of sense. Main Street is very wide.
Oliver did this recently. They not only reduce the distance that pedestrians have to walk in front of cars, but they also draw drivers’ attention to the intersection and make it harder for vehicles to pass stopped vehicles on the right.
No amount of street re-engineering, however, will fix the problem of drivers who choose to driver irresponsibly. And unfortunately, those drivers aren’t usually the ones who respond to driver safety messages.
Enforcement must also be part of the solution.
