Our Personal Injury Lawyers Discuss Community Safety

​Accidents can happen anytime, anywhere and people are distracted more than ever. An accident can happen when you’re driving or even when you are not. This is why it’s important to always be alert when doing anything – especially when crossing the road.  As we embrace warmer weather, people are getting out of their homes to exercise and we have recognized that there are more and more pedestrians on the road.  Accidents involving pedestrians—and sadly, often children—remain all too common in Ontario. Pedestrians are particularly vulnerable in road accidents as they are unprotected and if struck by a vehicle, are more likely to sustain a serious injury or worse.

Pedestrians cannot rely solely on drivers to keep them safe when crossing or walking along the street.  The primary cause for pedestrians getting hit or killed on our roads is driver misconduct, vehicle speed and deficient infrastructure that allows pedestrians to cross the street safely.  All vehicles must look for, and yield to, pedestrians regardless of where and when they are on the roadway.  In order to assist in providing safe crossing to pedestrians, municipalities are required to build infrastructure that allows them to do so. Not only should they assist in allowing all individuals to safely cross, they must pay particular attention to areas where children play and the elderly live.

When Drivers Ignore Stop Signs
One example of a traffic control device to protect motorists and pedestrians is a stop sign. A STOP sign is one of the most valuable, low cost, and effective traffic control devices when used at the right location and under the right conditions.  The purpose of the STOP sign is to clearly assign right-of-way between vehicles approaching an intersection from different directions.  The STOP sign requires the driver to STOP the vehicle before entering the intersection, yield to any traffic in or approaching the intersection and then proceed when SAFE to do so.  When misused, the STOP sign can create an inconvenient, and even dangerous situation for motorists and pedestrians.

Stop signs may often seem like a good solution to neighborhood speeding, but when stop signs are installed to slow down speeders, drivers may actually increase their speed between signs to compensate for the time they lost by stopping. Some drivers tend to accelerate rapidly after a stop, possibly creating an even more dangerous situation. In fact, most drivers reach their top speed within 100 feet of a stop sign. Too many stop signs could cause motorists to ignore the right of way rule, and some may simply choose to ignore the stop sign all together.

Road Safety is Important in a Community
It is crucial to raise awareness about safety at our intersections in order to create safer communities.  In all cities and towns, citizens elect an individual to act as a representative for their neighborhood or ward in their local government. This individual is responsible for ensuring the concerns of their citizens are heard and, where necessary, acted upon. If you notice that there is an issue with road safety in your community, it is important to connect with your local Councillor and/or Mayor to share your concerns.  Don't be afraid to connect with them as municipalities have the responsibility to keep our communities safe and you could potentially stop a tragedy from taking place.

If you are a pedestrian injured in an accident caused by the negligence of a driver, Iacobelli Law Firm has extensive experience representing families who have been injured as a pedestrian and we realize how difficult and life-changing it can be for your family.  We are a dedicated Ontario Personal Injury Law Firm that provides compassionate and competent legal counsel for the injured and we offer a FREE Consultation so please feel free to call us at 1-866-234-6093. We are honored to serve our clients and our community.

​Andrew Iacobelli is an experienced personal injury lawyer who established Iacobelli Law Firm with offices located in Ontario, Canada as well as offices in Florida, U.S.A. Andrew restricts his practice to the representation of personal injury victims in claims involving serious injuries and wrongful death.

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