The Kelowna RCMP and ICBC are teaming up to remind Kelowna residents to be safe when travelling around the city.

On Tuesday, members of the RCMP’s Municipal Traffic Section were assisted by volunteers and ICBC staff to bring awareness to pedestrian safety.

According to their data, about 58 pedestrians are killed and 2,400 injured in crashes every year in the province. In the Southern Interior alone, on average, 12 pedestrians are killed and 240 pedestrians are injured in crashes annually.

They were by the bus stop by Harvey Avenue and Cooper Road, one of the city’s busiest intersections, to talk to pedestrians.

They handed out info cards to promote pedestrian safety, raise awareness and discuss tips for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

According to Cst. Jesse O’Donaghey, the best way for a pedestrian to be safe is to be visible.

Photo Credit: KelownaNow.From L to R: Traffic Investigator Cst. Steve Holmes and Jesse O'Donaghey.He suggests wearing bright clothing and making eye contact with drivers.

During the fall and winter months, pedestrian involved collisions increase. Spring is also bad as more and more people start to get out and about.

Cst. Steve Holmes said most often, collisions happen when drivers aren’t paying attention, especially when they’re making a right turn.

According to police and ICBC data, the top contributing factors for drivers in crashes with pedestrians are: distraction, failure to yield to right of way and weather problems.

He said the two keys to safety are anticipation and communication.

“If neither party knows what’s going on, then tragedy occurs,” explained Holmes.  

Photo Credit: KelownaNow.RCMP Volunteer Frank Stariha hands out reflective tape and information on pedestrian safety to transit users.

In some cases, pedestrians are responsible for the collision.

Pedestrians can be ticketed for crossing against the lights or crossing when the pedestrian light is no longer active. These tickets run between $109 and $121.

People walking often wear headphones, but they’re reminded to take the time to listen to what’s going on around them.

“A lot of pedestrians have their headphones on and they miss honking or anything,” said Holmes.

Cyclists are treated similarly to drivers. With more bicycle lanes popping up in Kelowna, Holmes said they expect cyclists to operate and behave more like motorists.

For vehicle drivers, tickers are usually about $167, and some mean points off your license.  

Commonly, they see drivers failing to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks and failing to stop when a vehicle in front or beside them is yielding.

Areas like Harvey and Cooper are busy with pedestrians, especially older people heading to the mall.

O’Donaghey said those are the people most likely to be hit, because they can’t take in their surroundings as easily or as quickly, and can’t always react to things in time.

Christine Kirby, with ICBC, said intersections are the most frequent places for pedestrians to be hit. In fact, that’s where 75 per cent of pedestrian collisions occur in B.C., and over half of the ones in the Southern Interior.

That’s why they wanted to set up at one of the most frequented ones in Kelowna to talk to people.

“We’re just hoping that people will see what we’re doing out here and remember to look out for one another. We’re hoping that that will stop crashes from happening,” said Kirby.