Letters Dec. 31: Skateboarding risks; police at peaceful protests
Re: “Skateboarder in crosswalk when he was hit by pickup, witness says,” Dec. 27.
I hope for a full recovery by the victim of this accident. Nevertheless, I immediately wondered whether he was carrying his skateboard; that is, he was a pedestrian, or was he riding his skateboard and, therefore, not a pedestrian?
If the latter, what was his status given our “anything goes” active transportation rules?
Whether or not riding a skateboard in a crosswalk is legal, I suspect a person doing so is less able to avoid a collision.
A pedestrian might jump out of the way while a skateboarder might be travelling faster and unable to change direction. A moving skateboarder might appear in front of a truck much more suddenly than a pedestrian.
Alanne Gibson
Victoria
Re: “Skateboarder in crosswalk when he was hit by pickup, witness says,” Dec. 27.
First, we need to address the attention of persons entering crossings and crosswalks. Far too many take it for granted vehicles will stop, while others are looking at their phones or other distractions and not paying attention to where they are going.
Many vehicle drivers clearly don’t understand what a stop sign means, as they continue to roll through without stopping or, in some cases, rush ahead to beat oncoming traffic paying no attention to pedestrians or other road users.
Police are also failing in their duties to ticket rolling-stop drivers at stop signs or those trying to beat traffic lights when the pedestrian sign is lighted and persons are already in crossings, not only at controlled intersections but on side streets where cars and cyclists falsely believe they have........
