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Lessons learned in fender bender

Caution should be exercised at crosswalks with pedestrian controlled lights
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Fire Chief Steve Sorensen and a colleague gather up the cones after Friday’s accident on Sooke Road

There was a major fender-bender (or a minor accident, depending on your perspective) on Friday on Sooke Road, in front of Edward Milne community school.

According to Fire Chief Steve Sorensen, a pedestrian pressed the cross-walk button and then proceeded to cross. Except that the lights did not light up. The driver of the vehicle approaching the intersection was startled when the pedestrian appeared in the crosswalk and quickly braked to stop. The vehicle behind that first vehicle was not lucky enough to stop on time and rammed into the first.

The message here is threefold.

First, if you’re a pedestrian at a cross walk, make sure the vehicles have noticed your intention to cross.

Second, if you are driving a vehicle approaching and see a pedestrian at a cross-walk, prepare to come to a stop. And if you are following any other vehicle, ever, don’t tailgate and don’t speed.

And third, this is a massive reminder that when you are in a school zone follow the speed zones! Here on Sooke road, you are requested to reduce your speed when there are students on the road during school hours. The fine for speeding in a school zone ranges from $196-$253 and three points on your licence. Failure to yield to a pedestrian results in a $167 fine and two points. Disobey a traffic device earns you a $121 fine and two points.

Just by the looks of the damage, the hit must have had some travelling momentum in it. This time, everyone got lucky in that no one was hurt.