A BCAA-CAA study monitoring 30 school crosswalks in 11 Canadian cities recorded 660 pedestrian near misses over five school days.
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A new study by the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) and the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) estimates there are an average of about 4.5 pedestrian near misses per day at crosswalks near schools.
For the research, BCAA and CAA used video cameras and AI analysis to monitor 30 school crosswalks across 11 Canadian cities over five school days, including two locations in Vancouver.
Across the country, 660 near misses were recorded during the monitoring period, which the study said equates to about 1 in 84 people using school crosswalks coming close to being hit by a car.
The study found that factors such as speed, signage and other road safety features were linked to lower near-miss rates. In areas without school zone or speed reduction signage, it said people were 67 per cent more likely to be involved in a near miss.
Where a traffic signal, stop sign or roundabout was present, the near-miss rate was 20 times lower than areas without those features.
The study also reported that crosswalks with zebra markings saw 56 per cent fewer left- and right-turn near misses.
It added that near-miss concerns extended beyond school hours, with 242 incidents recorded between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The highest number of incidents, 94, happened between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Linda Lawlor, associate manager of community impact at BCAA, said the research provides “solid evidence about what we can all do to keep people safer,” and that while multiple factors affect risk, “our own actions are important and do make school zones safer for everyone.”
The study’s findings echoed practical steps for both drivers and people walking or riding near schools, including slowing down and using marked crosswalks, which it said can “more than halves” the risk of a near miss.
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