Category: Pedestrian accidents

Autumn Changes – Advanced Pedestrian Lights and the new Traffic Safety Act

by Mark Raftus

As summer moves into fall, many seasonal changes take place. Children return to school, days are not as warm or long, leaves change color and we prepare for the long winter ahead.

Change is a constant and quite often, is for the good. The positive aspect of change can be seen in recent developments implemented by HRM and the Provincial government aimed at protecting pedestrians and motorists in Nova Scotia.

HRM statistics reveal in the first eight months of 2018 there were 120 vehicle-pedestrian collisions in HRM with 61 percent of them happening in a crosswalk. In an effort to improve safety for these pedestrians, HRM has installed what they refer to as “advanced pedestrian lights” at six high-pedestrian traffic intersections in the City – five in Halifax and one in Dartmouth.
Allowing Pedestrians a Head Start
These new lights came into effect on Thursday, October 11, 2018. How they work is the green pedestrian “walking man” signal comes on for several seconds before the green traffic light changes permitting vehicle traffic to proceed ahead through an intersection or turn. In this way, pedestrians are given a head start to proceed forward into the crosswalk and establish their presence. Vehicle drivers will see the pedestrians more readily and allow them to complete their right-of-way crossing. HRM advises they will monitor this initiative and if it works to reduce collisions HRM will add more of these advanced pedestrian lights at other intersections in the City.

Let’s help make pedestrians safer on Spring Garden Road in Halifax

by John McKiggan

We have been trying to raise awareness to make Halifax a safer city for our pedestrians. See for example Mark Raftus’ recent article: Protecting Pedestrians with Innovative Ideas

Petition to Lower Speed Limit on Spring Garden

Spring_Garden_Road_at_Queen_StreetHalifax City Council recently approved a plan to improve streetscaping and lighting along Spring Garden Road to make it more pedestrian friendly. We believe that pedestrians should be able to safely walk the streets of Halifax. However, there were 208 pedestrian accidents last year (2015) and a disproportionate number happened on Spring Garden. There are three intersections on Spring Garden that have averaged 6 pedestrian-car collisions over the last few years. As business owners on this Road, we’ve launching a petition to reduce the speed to 30km per hour, ensuring a safer street for everyone.

Protecting Pedestrians with Innovative Ideas

by John McKiggan

(By Mark Raftus)

Pedestrians will be pleased to hear there are new and innovative ideas emerging to make foot travel safer.

In three prior blog posts I have recommended increased vigilance on the part of both pedestrians and car drivers as the number one factor in reducing collisions and injury.
Good news in the battle against pedestrian-car collisions
WEATHER WATCH – WINTER WALKING and DRIVING in NOVA SCOTIA

Good news in the battle against pedestrian-car collisions.

by John McKiggan

(By Mark Raftus)

Pedestrian-car “accidents” are decreasing in Halifax!

As reported in my December 23, 2014 post “Pedestrian-Car Collisions: An Epidemic in Nova Scotia” the number of pedestrian-car collisions in Halifax [and indeed throughout Nova Scotia] increased from 2013 to 2014 with the attributed causes ranging from poor weather to poor visibility such as dark lighting conditions. In order to combat this rise in “accidents” I suggested increased vigilance on the part of both pedestrian and car drivers. One consumer advocate suggested that if more tickets were issued collisions would decrease based upon data from other provinces who went the route of issuing more tickets. I will keep an eye out for updated information on that front.

Let’s Try This Standing: Car accident victim’s one woman show a triumph.

by John McKiggan

(Review by Mark Raftus)

Being a personal injury lawyer means we see countless cases where injured victims overcome huge odds in their recovery. It is rare that the details of these inspiring stories become public.

But a new play running this week at Neptune Scotiabank Studio Theatre provides a glimpse into the experiences of one motor vehicle accident victim and how she dealt with, and prevailed over, the injuries she suffered in the collision.

Happy Crosswalk Safety Awareness Day!

by John McKiggan

(By Mark Raftus)

Did you know that today, Wednesday, November 4, 2015 marks the second annual Crosswalk Safety Awareness Day?

red hand-thumbI have been following the issue of pedestrian collisions and traffic safety for some time. For example, on December 23, 2014 I posted PEDESTRIAN – CAR COLLISIONS: AN EPIDEMIC IN NOVA SCOTIA.  A few months later after we started getting socked by some nasty winter weather I posted WEATHER WATCH – WINTER WALKING AND DRIVING IN NOVA SCOTIA.

WEATHER WATCH – WINTER WALKING and DRIVING in NOVA SCOTIA

by John McKiggan

More winter weather on the way

Looks like we are in for another blast of winter tonight and tomorrow. Makes you wonder when it will end. Our senior associate Mark Raftus has been getting a lot of calls the last few days from people who have been injured due in part to the severe winter weather we have been having.

Mark has written this article to provide some advice to Nova Scotian’s on how to protect themselves from injury as we struggle through this latest storm. Take it away Mark…

Halifax Police Looking for Hit and Run Driver after Woman Hit in Crosswalk: Hit and Run Injury Claims in Nova Scotia

by John McKiggan

Halifax Regional Police are looking for a hit and run driver who struck a 22 year old pedestrian who was crossing North Park Street at a marked crosswalk. She was hit by a car turning left from Cogswell Street that left the scene of the accident.

CTV News reported that the pedestrian was taken to the hospital with “non-life threating injuries.”

Fortunately the pedestrian in this accident does not appear to have been seriously hurt. But even non-life threatening injuries can cause long term pain, inconvenience and income loss.

How Old is Too Old to Drive?

by John McKiggan

They say that you’re only as old as you think you are, but the older I get the more I realize my body hasn’t heard that saying.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have a while to go before I am officially considered to be a “senior citizen”, but I do understand that as we get older we begin to experience driving ability warning signs including loss of certain physical abilities like hearing and eyesight, our reaction times begin to deteriorate, and we tend to require a wide array of medications for various medical conditions which can have any number of effects on older adults’ mental capacity.

This combination of issues can be particularly concerning when older people get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. But how do we get our loved ones and other older drivers to give up their prized driver’s license independence and hand over the keys?