Three Pedestrian Traffic Accidents in Week Provoke Questions - Part II

Mr. Gilhooly:        Yeah.  Let's talk a little bit about pedestrians.  In our news today we're quoting RNC sergeant Paul Murphy and he's talking specifically about the accident in which the 85 year old man was killed in Long Pond the other night.  He's saying that it should serve as a wake-up call to pedestrians who chose to run the risk of crossing streets, crossing the streets not at crosswalks.  What do you think of that?

Mr. Brazil:             Well the crosswalks are there for a reason, and I think that there's some common sense that needs to be applied here as well.  If you're out in the dark in poor visibility then it, you know, it's important for you to consider that you want to make yourself as visible as possible, either with reflective clothing, carrying a flashlight with you, just to make sure that the driver does see you, and that's what you want to make sure happens, that you are visible to them.  And if you're not in a crosswalk, and there are places in Newfoundland and Labrador where there aren't crosswalks, and the Highway Traffic Act is very clear you cross that roadway when it's safe to do so, so really what you need to make sure is that there isn't any traffic when you cross that roadway.

Mr. Gilhooly:        You teach defensive driving courses, you're about to go to one now, I mean that's why we've got you in here early this morning.

Mr. Brazil:             Yes.

Mr. Gilhooly:        How popular are they; enough people taking them?

Mr. Brazil:             Well typically what you will see is we have clients, corporate clients, the oil companies, the businesses that use vehicles for their business purposes, that will come in, will ask that we do a driver education program and defensive driving course, often times these same companies will ask that we do assessments of their drivers to provide them with some sense about what we're seeing with their drivers in the road system.

Mr. Gilhooly:        How long does it take before a new driver starts forming bad habits?

Mr. Brazil:             Well often times new drivers form bad habits right off the bat simply because they're learning from their moms and their dads, and moms and dads have picked up the poor habits.  What we try to do is we try to make sure that we refine their skills so that they can see that the poor habits mom and dad have aren't the sort of habits that they want to have, to keep themselves safe, to keep their passengers safe, and really when it's all said and done, to keep other road users safe as well.  You know, what I mean though, that as soon as you get your license, I remember mine, I remember some other young people that I know I mean the first, I don't know, hundred days or maybe even the first year, you're really careful, but in time things start to change, we get complacent, we think because we've gotten away with it this long, we'll get away with it the next time, and really what it comes down to Jeff, honestly is keep in mind that you're in a piece of machinery that's probably the riskiest thing you will do in your lifetime is drive a vehicle, if you're not a skydiver, if you're not catching crab off the sea, then it's probably the riskiest thing you'll do in your lifetime.  And that's why we try to make sure our students understand that this is their responsibility, your license is not a right, okay, it is a privilege.

Mr. Gilhooly:        So driver's heads up, pedestrians up and of course if the weather keeps on the way it is I'm pretty sure we're going to have a lot of bicycles and motorcycles out around.

Mr. Brazil:             I think that that needs to be pointed out as well.  Most of us as drivers seem to think of other road users as simply being other drivers.  The pedestrians have a right in the road system, the cyclists have a right, the motorcyclists have a right to be in that system.  The Highway Traffic Act allows for it.

Mr. Gilhooly:        Thanks for coming in.

Mr. Brazil:             You're welcome.

Mr. Gilhooly:        Jim Brazil, Manager of Traffic Safety for Safety Services, of course used to be known as the Newfoundland Safety Council.