It's good to see the Toronto authorities embracing what can be a very powerful tool to help them keep people safe
I can only hope that everyone else catches on as quickly
The news reports here have stated a few times that the police are requesting witness dashcam. The LE have caught on here. I have called the police when unable to stop at an accident and offered my video to them. Its hit and miss when I talk to someone at a collision centre. Some times the officer is interested, some times not. Once an officer stated he was probably going to upgrade the charges when I gave a description. I will never know if he saw the video, but he gave my number to the victim.
My concerns are on this video at Steeles and Luaraleaf
- The video was released 15 days after the accident
- They have no idea of make and model of the car when going to the press
The above to gives plenty of opportunity for a body shop to fix the front of a car and go unnoticed.
From the cam point of view. His or her left hand (North), Right hand (south). North side of the street - Markham /York Region, South Toronto. For city planning, there has been trouble with this street. At one time one of the poorest maintained major streets in the area as two Municipalities bicker about whose responsibility it is, but apparently the street is Toronto's responsibility. The street the white Mazda that hit the pedestrian came from in the video is from Markham, and it appears to be a residential street.
A legal oddity on pedestrians here in SC USA. If a pedestrian is crossing on a designated crosswalk or at an intersection, vehicles must yield to them, but if they are crossing a road anywhere else pedestrians must yield to the vehicles:
SC Code Of Laws SECTION 56-5-3150. Crossing at other than crosswalks.
(a) Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
Now one of the things mentioned here is in the video in
local-tv-station-toronto-clip-dashcam-effect-on-crime-insurance is the police are requesting non edited video. I have also read they want video of about a minute to 15 seconds before a collision.
This is only 11 seconds of video in all. It would be interesting see if the cam car stopped shortly after light his light turned red and the pedestrians green. Aside from camera having the potato-ish resolution - its a narrow cone and we can't tell if the pedestrian was crossing on a flashing sign or a countdown. If the camera had a wider lens, or non potato-ish resolution we may know. If the cam car was able to capture a light change for his direction, either his green to red, or red to green, we would know if the pedestrians were crossing on flashing do not walk signal.
From
http://www.toronto.ca/311/knowledge...et-jaywalking-pedestrian-traffic-signals.html
Pedestrian control signals - don't walk(27) No pedestrian approaching pedestrian control signals and facing a solid or flashing "don't walk" indication shall enter the roadway. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 144 (27).
I am not blaming the victim, but I see numerous pedestrians taking too many changes on roads where cars also are taking too many changes. If there is a collision - who wins. If the left hand turning car was trying to beat the yellow light before it turns red, well the pedestrian is taking chances even though the car is the bigger offender here.
Not condoning the driver's actions (aside from the low sun issue), but I'll repeat what I just posted in the YT comments:
"I hope they catch the driver. But you can tell the pedestrian was looking at a phone while crossing. You only see one arm swinging as she walks. And immediately after the collision you see a reflection off something flying up in the air. They've tried to blur this out to preserve sympathy."
And edited only 11 seconds of video. We have no idea if the pedestrians started crossing on a flashing don't walk or a count down.
You pointed out about what appears to be a phone flying. Ontario doesn't have a law yet restricting pedestrians from using phones while crossing the street.
A member of provincial parliament presented a case, but it seems it will not go anywhere. It just goes back to common sense, and if pedestrian or motorist isn't looking where they are going, they are unable to re-act even if they have right of way.
potato-ish. I can accept potatos-ish dishes such as stake, turkey and but camera's are another thing.