An 11-year-old boy is in serious condition at the Hospital for Sick Children after being struck at a crosswalk on Lake Shore Blvd. W. near Royal York Rd. Back in August, pedestrians were struck at two different crosswalks one day after the other. Pedestrians being hit while crossing at crosswalks in Toronto is becoming an all too common occurrence.
The problem is crosswalks don't work in Toronto. Far too many motorists choose to ignore them altogether. City driving has become so intense and stressful that drivers have developed a selfish "me first" mentality. Stopping at a crosswalk has become a hassle one would rather not deal with. Everyone is more concerned with saving time than lives.
It's at the point where you're risking your life using a crosswalk. Unless every lane is occupied by a car that has come to a complete stop and has made eye contact with you, crosswalks are potential death traps. Every crosswalk should be replaced by a street light that will always favour the flow of traffic with a green light unless a pedestrian presses a button. This way traffic is never impeded by unnecessary red lights but pedestrians can simply press a button, wait for a walk signal and cross safely while drivers are forced to rescind the right of way. Time has left our crosswalks behind.
