Dear Editor:
As a regular driver on the North Shore and around the Lower Mainland I increasingly experience the majority of pedestrians not looking up or around while in a crosswalk or even when they are jaywalking. Very, very few acknowledge vehicles.
The new pedestrian culture is not “stop and look both ways” before entering a crossing or street but simply ignore the fact that they are in a public place where vehicles are everywhere.
Pedestrians are putting almost all responsibility onto drivers to see them and to stop for them as they talk on their phones, (have their) head down texting or reading their email, wear earphones blocking out essential safety signals, and even read a book, as I recently encountered on a four-lane major road.
Until pedestrians understand that they have a major role to play and to practise safe rules of the road, we will sadly and tragically see more and more injuries and deaths.
Laurie McNeil
West Vancouver
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