With the "fall back" time change having just occurred, the darker months are truly upon us and the 撸奶社区Trails Society is appealing to those who venture out by foot or bicycle in the dark to take steps to ensure their safety on Squamish's highways and byways.
Bob Brant, 撸奶社区Trails Society (STS) president, said that while educating people about pedestrian and cyclist safety isn't technically part of the group's mandate, the organization's board decided in 2010 to take it on because it didn't seem that anyone else was doing it.
He said that about three years ago, one of the society's directors saw a person who was out in the dark without taking steps to ensure he/she was visible. That person was injured in a collision with a vehicle, Brant said.
"It's just amazing how, in the dark, if you're got no light, it's just a vacuum. People in dark clothing you can just get sucked up into the darkness and you're just invisible. It's scary," he said.
"Last year we decided that no one was stepping up to get the message out, so we decided to step up."
Since last year STS members have been posting notices both around town and on Facebook and elsewhere online about the need for pedestrians and cyclists to ensure their own safety while out and about in the dark. They also asked schools, the Chamber of Commerce and such groups as the Helping Hands Society to help spread the word.
The need is especially acute along 撸奶社区arterial roads such as Government, Queensway, Westway, Garibaldi Way and The Boulevard, to name a few.
Some tips for walkers and riders:
If at all possible, wear reflective clothing including reflective vests, garments with reflective strips on them, and/or reflective bands on the wrists and ankles;
Carry a flashlight and keep it on when out walking;
Equip bicycles with extra reflectors and/or lights, including those with a "strobe" feature;
At the very least, wear light-coloured clothing when out walking or riding;
Equip pets with proper reflective tags, collars or clothing.
"On the really dark nights it's impossible to see people until you're really close and that leaves very little margin for error," Brant said.
For more information about the STS, please visit www.squamishtrails.ca.
