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Distracted driving, primarily through the use of cell phones, identified more than 200 people putting themselves, their passengers and others on the road at risk. Autumn MacDonald photo
More than 200 potential accidents identified by provincial survey team AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter It took six hours, three days, and 5,380 drivers for a provincial survey team to note a “chilling” pattern with Gold Pan drivers. “As mothers took children to and from school and people returned from a hard day’s work, 201 people drove while distracted, putting the citizens of Quesnel in very grave danger,” noted
the Northern Brain Injury Association (NBIA) document. “That was potentially more than 201 injuries or deaths in just six hours!” It’s not all bad, from the 5,380 people observed during the survey, the Safety Council noted 5,061 drove safely, observing motor vehicle laws. However, 16 drivers were not wearing seat belts, 99 disobeyed provincial motor laws and three failed to restrain their children.
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The Safety Council also observed Gold Pan cyclists, recording a total of 52, noting 25 infractions. Seventeen did not wear a helmet, three failed to stop at stop signs and five operated their bike incorrectly (riding against traffic, on sidewalks etc.) “These numbers show most Quesnel cyclists practice safe cycling in northern B.C. and the community should be very proud of itself,” the document states. “Every injury prevented
saves money and stops lives from being forever altered due to a crash.” Lastly, observers documented 208 pedestrians with 42 exhibiting risky behaviours. Seventeen chose to jaywalk, one person failed to look before walking onto a roadway, 18 chose not to use the crosswalks properly and one pedestrian was distracted by a device while attempting to cross. “This means that while Quesnel roadways do
present many dangers, most of the community’s cyclists and pedestrians exhibit absolutely awesome safety behaviours,” the report says. Lead observer Bernadette Peebles said she would like local politicians, regional representatives, MLAs and MPs to become more involved in the survey and its findings. “If they could see what I saw in six hours, perhaps some changes could be made to solve some of the safety issues,” she said,
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noting the increase in the number of large rigs and bus-sized motor homes travelling through communities, which could become a concern in the future. Other communities involved in the survey include Terrace, Burns Lake, Prince George and Mackenzie. The report was a collaborated effort between NBIA, Northern Health Imagine Grants and the United Way. For a full report, www.nbia.ca.
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