Jaywalkers, curb jumpers be warned: police are watching

Five days ago, a VPDofficer stopped a young woman who was crossing thebusy intersection at Cambie and West Broadway against the pedestrian light.

About a dozen officers were stationed at all four corners outside the city hall SkyTrainstation,part of a joint safety blitz with ICBC.

Vancouver police spokesperson Const. Jason Doucettesays after the officer patiently explained crossing the street whenthe flashing hand or countdown had begun was illegal, the woman politely thanked him, wished him a nice dayand proceeded to run into the intersectionagain, against the light.

"She was issueda violation ticket for that," said Doucette. "In total, we handed out 15 pedestrian tickets ... for disobeying the wait or don't walk sign. And we did 65 warning tickets."

According to ICBC,43 per cent of all pedestrian-vehiclecrashes happen between October and Januarywhen rain and darkness wreakhavoc with visibility.

Additionally:

• One out of five people killed in a car crash in B.C. are pedestrians.
• 81 per cent of all Lower Mainland pedestrian-vehicle crashes occur atintersections.
• Pedestrian crashes happen most frequently between 3 and 6 p.m. ona Friday.
• Top contributing factors are driver distraction, driver failing to yield to a pedestrianand weather.

ICBCsuggests both pedestrians and drivers look twice before crossing a road ormaking a turn.

Doucette says the VPDis always on alert for bad pedestrian behaviourand will be targeting other intersections in the future.

"Cambie and Broadway is a target-rich environment for sure, but we will react to other high crash areas as well," he said.

A pedestrian violation ticket comes with a $109 fine in Vancouver.