The 14 pedestrians killed so far this year in Greater Toronto have generated as much grief and caution on the streets as speculation from armchair urban planners, pop sociologists and water-cooler analysts.
It's difficult to take a series of random events and impose reason, but that hasn't stopped minor-league Malcolm Gladwells from trying. Neo-Luddites blame excessive iPhone use, while millenarians point to the downright apocalyptic “end of civil society.” The highly elaborate, global-warming-has-eliminated -snow-which-allows-cars-to-speed-up-at-a- time-of-year philosophy has also generated a vanguard of support.
The truth, however, is more complicated. For starters, the numbers have been somewhat distorted in the press. The City of Toronto proper has had seven fatalities this year – up from two in 2009. The suburbs, which account for the other seven deaths this year in the GTA, have yet to report how their numbers this year compare to last. And as Mike Brady, the city's manager of traffic safety, explains, analysts have been wrestling for decades with the bigger question of why pedestrian collisions have remained constant while other types of collisions have steadily dropped over the years?
At The Globe's request, traffic and safety experts drill down on data and explain why Toronto has the country's highest pedestrian-collision rate, why you should avoid your coffee run at 3 p.m., and why “hump day” could be called “bump day.”
Experts
Emile Therien, past president of the Canada Safety Council
Mike Brady, manager of traffic safety with the City of Toronto
Bryan Bowen, urban planner with Toronto firm Urban Strategies
Constable Scotty Parrish, Toronto police officer and traffic data analyst
Bruce Bell, Toronto historian and walking tour guide
TIME FACTOR
Why is 3 p.m. such a popular time for pedestrians to be struck by a car?
Emile Therien They feel that 3 p.m. is the least busy time, just before the rush hour, serenity and peace, you know. … That's why people are doing it, because they think it's the time to do it. What you see here is a need for a massive public education program to tell people that.
Bryan Bowen The more relevant question is why collect and report this information? A quick review of the historical data reveals a moving statistical target: 3 p.m. in 2004 and 2005, 6 p.m. in 2006, 5 p.m. in 2007. The numbers seem to confirm what we feel – that our streets are more dangerous during rush hour.
Bruce Bell I work on the streets … I always do my tours early in the morning, and if someone says they want a tour late afternoon, I tell them it works better in the morning. For me, I feel safer
DAY OF THE WEEK FACTOR
Why is it that so many pedestrians are struck on Wednesdays?
Emile Therien A lot of things are done on Wednesday, believe it or not. Ask retailers, Wednesday is a very busy day. It's a good time to do it, and it breaks the week up. They don't want to do these chores on Saturdays or Sundays because that's their free days.
Bruce Bell Interesting. Two hundred years ago Wednesday was a shopping day here at St. Lawrence Market. The market was only open Saturdays and Wednesdays. It was the only game in town at the time. Maybe it's from those days.
Const. Scotty Parrish You would think it would be Friday when people are thinking more about the weekend and less attentive, or Monday when people are tired from the weekend. … It's busy. Everyone works or goes to school that day. Very few people take a Wednesday off.
STATE OF MIND FACTOR
The overwhelming majority of drivers and pedestrians in a collision say that they were in a “normal” condition when the accident occurred – as opposed to being distracted, intoxicated or tired. How can that be?
