Elderly man hit by car
A man of 93 is in critical condition after getting hit by a car* Wednesday evening at Park and Prince Arthur. No indication here of rights or wrongs in the matter – police simply blame the weather conditions.
Toula Drimonis has some cromulent remarks on this topic this week.
Update: This Thursday evening article about pedestrian safety implies the man has died, although I don’t see any mention of his decease elsewhere.
* For “hit by a car” please see this recent comment.
Michael 10:58 on 2019-11-28 Permalink
I was driving home in the bad weather last night and I have to say that the visibility was awful.
A few things struck me:
Some city lights (possibly new LED?) may reduce light pollution, which is great, but they don’t seem to light up the road at all. It looks like they create more light around the bulb itself rather than the ground. Then I realized that the newer car lights give off massive glares and don’t help either.
Last, I had to honk like a madman at 2 different cars turning left while pedestrians were crossing. The first time the van did not see the ped and the poor woman ran for her life (this was on de Lorimier and Belanger) The second time the SUV stopped in the middle of the intersection when they finally saw the woman and stroller. Pure stress to be honest.
Chris 11:18 on 2019-11-28 Permalink
If the weather conditions are poor, it is the responsibility of the driver to adjust his behaviour to be even more careful: reduce speed, etc. Re: some of Michael’s examples: If you can’t see, don’t turn!!! Wait until you can see. Crawl through the intersection. Cars are deadly, and drivers need to start behaving as if they are operating a deadly tool (because they are) and not on some joyride like in a car commercial.
Tim S. 13:11 on 2019-11-28 Permalink
Does anybody know who is responsible for regulating car headlights? Is it a federal transport issue, or a SAAQ responsibility? Because like Michael I’ve noticed in the past couple of years that they’ve become really strong. For example, when I’m driving and facing an SUV or whatever at an intersection, I can’t see anything except the glare. Even if the SUV can see the pedestrian crossing in front of it, I can’t. That said, Chris is correct that it’s still the drivers’ responsibility to not charge into the unknown.
Kevin 15:17 on 2019-11-28 Permalink
@Tim S.
It’s both.
Transport Canada allowed brighter lights a few years ago, so cars designed for them are fine. The problem is people who just put in new bulbs without realizing the housing is not designed for the brighter bulb, and so everyone in front of them is blinded.
Or they may just be a jerk with their high beams on.
Blork 15:44 on 2019-11-28 Permalink
I’m not so sure about that (people putting new bulbs in old housings). I think the problem is more wide-spread, which implies that a lot of cars are coming out of the factory like that. It’s particularly bad with taller vehicles like SUVs and pickup trucks, where the vehicles headlights are as high or even higher than the eyeballs of drivers in a sedan or compact car.
I get blinded by tall vehicles with super-bright lights on a regular basis, and I don’t think it’s just jerks with their high beams on.
jeather 15:57 on 2019-11-28 Permalink
Yeah, I get blinded by new cars which are, theoretically, designed for these brighter lights (also by being stuck at a weird angle in front of them at a red light). And SUVs and trucks are just disastrous, their lights are exactly at my eyeline in a small car. Trucks were always an issue, but there weren’t and aren’t so many of them, it’s the proliferation of SUVs that is the worst.
qatzelok 20:03 on 2019-11-28 Permalink
@Chris: “If the weather conditions are poor, it is the responsibility of the driver to adjust his behaviour to be even more careful: reduce speed, etc.”
Unless he’s in a hurry, having a bad day. Today, I saw two drivers taking turns beeping horns and then passing one another in tight traffic on St. Patrick. I guess he didn’t get your memo.
Perhaps being a good driver yourself simply isn’t enough, and we all need fewer drivers overall, and less space for them to drive in.
Spi 21:37 on 2019-11-28 Permalink
Sure it’s the drivers responsibility to adapt their driving when the conditions are poor, but there is a limit to what can be done. When it’s raining or the road is wet it creates this effect where you lose the “texture” and the sense of distance and contrast with the surroundings, “modern” headlights do nothing to help because all it does it create glare which makes things worse. In cities that don’t paint the roads with f@cking crayons, the dashed lines are reflective and help create a sense of depth.