Jaywalking infractions on the rise
Posted Aug 5, 2016 2:47 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Peace officers continue to crackdown on jaywalkers in downtown Calgary.
They’re handing out $115 tickets to anyone who doesn’t follow the “no crossing” signs on 5th Street and 7th Avenue S.W.
According to Calgary police, jaywalking seems to be a bigger issue this year across the city.
Acting Staff Sgt. Colin Foster says police have handed out more than 430 jaywalking tickets so far in 2016.
That’s almost 200 more than the same time last year.
Foster says there is one main reason why these types of tickets are given out.
“Any ticket that is issued is done for a safety reason,” Foster explained. “It’s not there for vindictiveness or anything like that. If people are putting themselves into harm’s way or putting other people in harm’s way, we would deal with them accordingly.”
He adds, jaywalking is not only dangerous for the person doing it, but also for drivers who have to deal with it.
“It may be perceived as ‘Well, I’m just walking across the road, that’s fine.’ But what you’re doing is impeding traffic. You’re stepping out in front of vehicles and potentially your actions could cause a driver to swerve, then cause a collision and everything else that could be associated from it. Or, you may get struck by a vehicle.”
