So sad, condolences to his family and friends.

Very sad news for the family! Undoubtedly a very tough thing for the driver of the vehicle as well!

A really bad location. It’s not the first death on that cross walk. A boy died there about twenty years ago as well. They put in a median after that accident to try and make the cross walk safer, but it’s the sight lines I think being at the crest of the hill and pedestrian traffic comes off the adjacent side streets often with out even stopping. I once had a close call there and often warn my wife about that spot because the kids on their bikes often don’t even realize they are about to cross such a busy street.

It’s a high traffic crossing and probably a candidate for a crossing light. Same with that other crossing further up 5th near the dental clinic.

Condolences to the family and the driver. Devastating accident for both.

We have had a review of how to make this city safer for bicyclists and have spent money on implementing a plan.

It seems it is time we do the same for pedestrians: improved sidewalk surfaces; utility pole relocations from middle of sidewalks; improved crosswalks with better visibility through overhead signs; awareness programs for both pedestrians and drivers of proper rules around the use of crosswalks and cautions of passing a car stopped at a sidewalk on a four lane road.

Condolences to the family.

So sad… condolences to the family.

Yes bike lanes were created to make a safer place for people to walk but the reason cyclists don’t use them is quite obvious. It puts cyclists in harm’s way.

With the horrendous amount of distracted driving these days due to cell phone usage, medical distress, and adjusting the volume of the stereo etc… cyclists are now put in an extremely dangerous position that a lot of them don’t want to be in.

Before distracted driving was ever an issue riding your bike on city streets came with certain risks, one of them being struck by a car. Today however that risk has risen so drastically that a fair amount of cyclists are now reducing that risk by staying out of the bike lanes.

they should tickets walkers and bikers using those plugs listening to music or whatever for they are not paying much attention to the laws of the road

What is the difference between a green light and a red light….

Absolutely nothing to a cyclist.

There are no bike lanes in Prince George. There is parking lanes with bicycles painted on them. If they do ban parking on Ospika, those would be the only true bike lanes. Currently any bike lane that has parking banned, is because it is too narrow to park on, so it’s an impeding flow of traffic issue, not a cycling lane issue. Anywhere a bike lane is wide enough to park on, you can park on it except for bus stops. So for the cyclist, you can ride it as long as there isn’t a car on it, then you have to go into traffic, and hope you don’t get hit from behind, or doored by a parked car. Frankly, this Ospika decision is ill advised because all it’s done is made PG motorists hate cyclists more.

Like newtechie, I no longer cycle in the city – too dangerous. When I started cycling, part of my reasoning was the save the planet from global warming. But when I realized I would be saving the planet by dying, I went back to commuting in my big safe pick up truck. I much prefer mountain biking – no tree has ever deliberately ran into me. On the other hand, I have…

As for the tragedy on the crosswalk – you need two things to successfully cross at a cross walk. Eyesight, and a rock. You must make eye contact with each driver, wait till they stop – some of them believe they can keep rolling toward you slowly – don’t trust them – make them stop, or let them go by. When you get to end of each lane, stop, and look to see if another car is coming. It’s not uncommon that when one car stops for you, the car behind him whips around to pass him. Make sure you do the same thing for the traffic on the other side as well. The rock? Well, RCMP I talked to assure me they have no interest in pursuing broken window complaints.

BTW – the driver here may be faultless. It’s also not unusual for pedestrians to just turn and cross – without stopping or looking. I think we should wait to see what the police turn up – assuming the conclusion to the story is ever reported. That said, you are required to consider pedestrians nearing a crosswalk as a potential hazard and drive accordingly – which would mean doing the speed limit or less as you approach. It’s buried somewhere in the driving manual I read 40 years ago.

Prince George seems to be going backwards when it comes to byick lanes. I rode a bick in PG for a number of years and never had a problem and there were no bick lanes. Now you have bike lanes that cars park in so why wouldn’t you have a problem?
Cheers

As a Child I was told to look left and right before stepping into the Street and to dismount from my Bike if I used the Crosswalk and never,never ride on the Sidewalk and today some People with Entitlements think it’s ok to ride your Bike on the Sidewalk and Crosswalk, if you think it’s not safe to ride on the Street ,stay Home and use your Car if you want to go out! Don’t have a Car, take the Bus, no Money for Busfare, what can I say?

A big d–k

The day after this happened, I was stopped in the left hand lane of the same intersection waiting for a pedestrian. The guy beside me was coming & wasn’t going to stop. The pedestrian slowed down and looked before he went out in front of him & the guy in the car had to slam his breaks on. If you are a pedestrian in this town, you really are taking your own life in your hands because drivers do not look nor do they care. They would prefer to mow you down because “you’re in the way”. Best defense, always make EYE CONTACT with the driver so they know you are there. If you don’t, you take your chances of getting hit.

Sightlines at the crest of a hill? BullCrap. It’s about driving defensively, it’s about situational awareness, it’s about peripheral vision. The roads are there, crosswalks are there, slow down, look ahead to what you coming up to.