‘Its not getting any better’: Concern over rising pedestrian-vehicle collisions in Halifax

Halifax has seen dozens of pedestrian-vehicle collisions so far this year.

Emergency officials were on scene of a vehicle-pedestrian collision in Halifax Tuesday morning.

“At approximately 10 after seven this morning, our officers responded to a pedestrian-vehicle collision, on the ramp, on Barrington Street the ramp to the Macdonald Bridge. The pedestrian was taken to the hospital by EHS with serious but non-life-threatening injuries,” Cst. Martin Cromwell, public information officer for Halifax Regional Police, told CTV News Atlantic.

According to police, the incident marks the 25th pedestrian-vehicle collision this year.

In January, a 72-year old man was struck in Dartmouth while in a marked crosswalk. He later died in hospital.

A 21-year-old woman also succumbed to her injuries after she was hit at an intersection just two weeks later.

Police say the investigation into the cause of Tuesday’s collision is ongoing.

“Each collision is unique but what I can say is road safety is everyone’s responsibility, both drivers and pedestrians,” says Cromwell, who also said he wouldn’t call the incidents a trend.

Norm Collins, president of the Crosswalk Safety Society of Nova Scotia, says the problem is prevalent.

“It’s not getting any better. That’s clear…Every collision has its own unique circumstances. The improvement that we all want to see is just not happening,” says Collins.

Collins says the onus is ultimately on drivers.

“Can pedestrians be less distracted, can pedestrians be more attentive? Of course. But the ultimate responsibility, in my view and in our view, is that drivers need to be more attentive (and) less distracted,” he says, noting that police enforcement of speeding has diminished. “I think we all believe that speeding is more prevalent that it used to be, so enforcement is not happening.”

He says the municipality needs to do more to keep people safe.

“The city’s goal is to make pedestrians feel comfortable when walking and to be safe. Not only to feel safe but to be safe,” says Collins.

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