Pedestrian crossing safety
Stay safe crossing roads by using crossovers and following walk signals at intersections.
Pedestrian crossovers are typically located:
- In the middle of a block.
- At intersections without traffic lights.
- At right turn lane channels, where pedestrians cross to an island before pushing the pedestrian push button.
Peel has built pedestrian crossovers at:
- Caledon East on Old Church Road.
- Palgrave on Regional Road 50.
- Along the Caledon Trailway at Winston Churchill Boulevard (near Terra Cotta), and at Olde Base Line Road (just west of Inglewood).
Crossovers are also being integrated at the right-turn channels of intersections maintained by Peel Region.
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Before crossing
- If there is a push button, push it to make warning lights flash.
- Make eye contact with drivers.
- Ensure that vehicles stop.
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Safety tips for pedestrians
- Stop, look, and listen before crossing, even when it is your turn to cross.
- Make eye contact with drivers to ensure they see you before you proceed.
- Avoid distractions like texting, cellphones, and headphones when crossing the street.
- At night, drivers cannot see people in dark clothing until it’s too late. Be bright at night – wear reflective materials or lights when walking at night, dawn, and dusk.
- Jaywalking is dangerous – always cross at pedestrian crossings.
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Safety tips for drivers
- Look for pedestrians, especially when turning left or right.
- Avoid any handheld electronic devices (texting or talking) or other distractions when driving. Give the road your full attention.
- Pedestrians are hard to see at night, dawn, and dusk. Be extra vigilant.
- Drive within the posted speed limits and adjust according to the weather and traffic conditions.
Look for pedestrian push buttons. Pushing the button is important because it makes the walk signal appear and gives you more time to cross. If there is no push button, the pedestrian signal will display automatically.
Sometimes you need to wait an entire light cycle before the walk signal is displayed.
When the walk signal appears, make eye contact with drivers to ensure they see you. Always check that it is safe to cross the road before crossing.
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Press button (if present) and wait
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Start crossing (look all ways)
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Don’t start crossing (finish crossing if you’ve already started)
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Don’t cross