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Did you know that the most oft accident cases included pedestrians and cyclists? However, to ensure their safety, as of the 1st of January 2016, drivers as well as bicyclists have to stop and yield the whole road way at crosswalks and school crossings, if a crossing guard is holding a stop sign. The new regulations are part of the Making Ontario Roads Safer Act. The new regulations pertain to pedestrian crossing and they set forth provision of identifying them with special and specific road markers, lights as well as signs. However, the new rules won’t apply to pedestrian crosswalks which are located at intersections that already have stop or traffic signals unless there is a crossing guard who is currently present.
What the new regulations provide is that the cyclist or the driver has to proceed only after the crossing pedestrian as well as the school crossing guards have already stepped safely on the sidewalk. This particular regulation was set forth in order to make the road conditions safer for pedestrians, children and school crossing guards as these particular members of society are considered to be the most vulnerable and therefore susceptible to pedestrian accidents. The law is a thorough response to a request and recommendation that was made from a lot of municipalities and safety organizations.
In order to provide the law with a sanction, the drivers who fail to abide by the newly set regulations are going to be thoroughly fined between $150 and $500 and are going to get three demerit points on their license. The fines are going to be doubled in the Community Safety Zones which are duly marked as well as near public areas and school areas.
Every driver is being thoroughly encouraged to look around for crossing pedestrians, especially when they are making a tern. The laws are a result and reaction to the disturbing Road Safety Annual Reports of Ontario which stated that about 19% of all of the road fatalities involve pedestrians. They are the most susceptible and vulnerable participants in the traffic and with this in mind they have to be provided with the necessary legal protection.
What is more, pedestrian accidents are going to impact the victim as well as their families and that’s why the seriousness of this matter is tremendous. Furthermore, if you’ve been involved in an accident of the kind, it’s highly recommended that you seek out the assistance of a personal injury lawyer. The claims have to be filed accordingly and in a swift and prompt manner in order to ensure that you get your compensation rewarded as soon as possible so that you could meet your pending medical and other hospital bills. In any case, professional assistance is definitely recommended. You can ask your family or friends for referrals or search for an injury lawyer online.