Ontario Has Almost Zero Tolerance For Pedestrian Accidents

Ontario’s government-sponsored insurance offers accident benefits to anyone that has become involved in an on-road incident. That includes any pedestrian that has been hit by a moving motor vehicle. Because occurrence of such an incident can cause the pedestrian to suffer severe and costly injuries, the Province has sought to reduce greatly the number of such accidents.

Government authorities in Ontario have identified the situations that are most apt to aid occurrence of a pedestrian accident. An unexpected move by someone that is driving a motored vehicle, or someone that is crossing the street.

• Car fails to come to a stop at a traffic light or at a STOP sign.
• Children run onto the street.
• Pedestrian’s chosen path takes him or her onto major highway.
• Motorist has chosen to engage in the practice of drunk driving.
• Vehicles on a driveway back onto the sidewalk.
• Constructions workers are doing road repairs at a time when many cars are passing.
• School children cross the street to border a school bus.
• A day-dreaming walker steps from the curb onto the street.
• A drunk walker stumbles from the curb onto the street.
• A tourist that is driving down the street makes a sudden turn off the road, after spotting a specific point-of-interest.

Preventive measures adopted in Toronto, Ontario’s largest city:

• Lower the posted speed limits.
• When training drivers, put a greater emphasis on the behaviors associated with defensive driving.
• Provide pedestrians with more time in which to cross the street.
• Distribute and post online helpful information, regarding what actions should be taken by someone that gets hit while walking across the street.

Follow-up to the measures that have already been tried:

Cities will keep analyzing the data from each pedestrian accident. Then the city will use that data to guide the development of other ways by which pedestrians can feel safer, when crossing the street. Consider supplementing punishment of drunk drivers with a fine for any person or business that serves alcoholic beverages, and then fails to provide guests/customers with a means for securing a safe passage to their home, after becoming intoxicated.

Details on the actions that must be taken by a pedestrian that has been hit by a motored vehicle.

• Get medical help as soon as possible; if necessary, have someone call an ambulance.
• Call the police, or ask someone else to contact the police.
• Gather as much evidence as possible; if you have an iPhone, take pictures.

Get the driver’s information: The driver’s name, insurance company and contact numbers. If the driver has left the scene, visit any retail stores or parking lots in the area, and see if any of them have a video camera that is focused on the area where the accident took place. Your injury lawyer in Leamington will require the evidence as proof of the injuries.