Pedestrians
Each year, around 50 pedestrians are killed and over 1000 are hospitalised on NSW roads.
From 2015 to 2019 there were 102 crashes on the Willoughby road network involving pedestrians. In around half of these crashes the pedestrian was seriously injured or killed.
We all must accept road safety as a shared responsibility, but no road user is more vulnerable to serious injury or death on the roads than pedestrians.
The Chatswood CBD is a pedestrian road safety ‘hot spot’ – from 2015 to 2019 there were 40 casualty crashes involving pedestrians in the Chatswood CBD. Pedestrians aged 65 and over were involved in 30% of these crashes – even though this age group makes up only 14% of our population. Older people are more vulnerable to serious injury if involved in a pedestrian crash.
The ‘Cross safely. What’s the rush?’ campaign is Willoughby City Council’s Chatswood CBD pedestrian safety campaign. We want you to enjoy the Chatswood CBD, but to cross at the designated crossing points and to use them correctly. When on foot, allow plenty of time to cross. Because, what’s the rush?
- Always use the safest route – use the footpath, and plan to cross the road using infrastructure including the lights, pedestrian ‘zebra’ crossings, and other facilities like footpath extensions or refuges designed to give you a better view to properly judge the best time to cross.
- Be in the moment, remove distractions and concentrate on what you are doing when crossing the road.
- When using the traffic lights, cross when the pedestrian signal is green. When the flashing red ‘Don’t walk’ signal is displayed, you may complete your crossing, but do not start crossing. Wait until the next phase.
- Never assume a driver has seen you. Ensure vehicles have come to a full stop before you step off the kerb.
- If you need to cross away from pedestrian crossing infrastructure take the shortest most direct route so as you are on the road for the briefest possible time. Cross in one go – don’t be tempted to wait in the middle.
- At intersections, check for turning vehicles before you step off the kerb.
- Remember the footpath is a busy place – be considerate to other pedestrians and share the path.
