Pedestrians, drivers warned to be vigilant as daylight time comes to an end this weekend
Police are warning pedestrians to be vigilant about safety with the end of daylight time this weekend.
Evening commutes will be getting even darker, further reducing visibility on our roads.
ICBC, police, and volunteers handed out free reflectors outside of the Joyce-Collingwood Skytrain station Friday morning as part of a safety campaign.
The goal is to give pedestrians another tool to make themselves more visible.
Nearly half of all pedestrian crashes occur between October and January as the weather changes, daylight hours decrease, and visibility worsens.
Studies have shown the time change may make drivers less alert, which could lead to more accidents.
“With that extra hour of sleep that we're all looking forward to this weekend, there's a tendency to stay up an hour later and change our sleep cycle. So it's really important to stick to what we've been doing already and take that full benefit of that extra hour of sleep,” said Harvey Kooner, a spokesperson for ICBC.
ICBC says pedestrians should be cautious even when they have the right of way, as more than three-quarters of crashes involving pedestrians occur at intersections.
Because of that, drivers are being urged to pay special attention before turning, particularly near transit stops.
Those on foot are reminded to make eye contact with drivers and always use designated crosswalks.
“With pedestrian collisions yearly we see 2,700 collisions with pedestrians in B.C. 2,400 pedestrians are injured in those collisions and unfortunately 52 pedestrians pass away on a yearly basis in British Columbia,” Kooner told CTV News.
B.C. passed legislation to allow the province to observe permanent daylight saving time back in 2019.
However, it’s unclear when that could take effect.
The province says it will only make the change once the rest of the West Coast agrees to do so. Washington and Oregon have passed legislation and California voters have directed lawmakers to do the same, but it hasn’t been a priority because of COVID-19.
The clocks roll back an hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.