New rules governing how motorists must navigate through pedestrian crosswalks seem not to be sinking in.
Two pedestrians have been struck and injured this week at crosswalks staffed by school crossing guards. In both cases minor injuries were suffered.
Guelph Police reported Tuesday that a pedestrian was struck at the intersection of Willow Road and Westwood Road, again at a school crossing. In that case, the pedestrian received a minor leg injury, and the driver of the vehicle failed to remain on the scene. Police have issued a summons for a 17-year-old male for failing to yield, after receiving information from the public.
On Monday, a crossing guard was struck and sustained minor injuries near St. James Catholic High School on Victoria Road. The motorist left the scene in that incident as well.
“It’s hard to say if people do not understand the new law, or they are just not abiding by it,” Guelph Police spokesperson Mike Gatto said in an email Wednesday morning.
Police are reminding drivers that new legislation governing school crosswalks, which came into effect on Jan. 1, requires them to wait until both the pedestrian crossing the street and the school crossing guard have completely moved off the roadway before they can proceed. Under the old law, drivers only had to yield half the crossing.
Motorists who break the rules can be fined up to $500 and be given three demerit points. Targeted enforcement will be carried out by traffic officers to ensure compliance.
“Our officers are looking to do enforcement of these school areas for that law, and for speeders and people passing buses,” Gatto added in the email. “It’s hard though as there are so many of these zones, so you pick the ones you pick and you try to do it as often as call volume allows.”
A school crossing is any pedestrian crossing facility where a school crossing guard is present and displaying a school crossing stop sign.
There are also new rules for pedestrian crossovers - crossing facilities with specific signs, pavement markings and overhead lights, along with pedestrian-activated flashing beacons. Drivers and cyclists must wait until pedestrians have completely crossed the road.
A crosswalk at an intersection with traffic signals and pedestrian signals does not fall under the new rules.
