Have you noticed the billboards,
bus signage and radio ads asking pedestrians, drivers and cyclists to
keep their “Heads Up” when using Saskatoon roadways? Your clinic,
working in partnership with SGI, Saskatoon Police Services, Saskatoon
Fire and Protective Services, MD Ambulance and the Saskatoon Health
Region developed this campaign to try to reduce the number of injuries
and deaths cause by vehicle/pedestrian collisions. We hope the campaign,
launched by the project partners on July 27, 2009, will draw awareness
to this important health and safety issue in our community year round,
but especially as children return to school in the fall.
The basis for ‘Heads Up’
originated with our own Seniors Advisory Council who four years ago,
identified this as an issue after some of our patients were hit by
vehicles or experienced ‘near misses’. The Political and Social
Action Committee of our Board of Directors began working on the issue
three years ago. In April 2007 we produced a major report on pedestrian
safety which was presented to the City of Saskatoon’s Traffic Safety
Committee and was also shared widely with other decision makers both
locally and provincially. We also held pedestrian safety walks in 2007
and 2008.
Many positive changes have taken
place as a result of our report, such as the addition of several seconds
of crossing time at downtown traffic lights. Our report identified the
need for a public awareness campaign as a key goal, and earlier this
year work began with our partners on the Heads Up campaign. The goal of
the campaign is to educate drivers, pedestrians and cyclists on the need
to slow down and be careful when using city roadways. There are on
average 100 injuries and deaths in Saskatoon each year as a result of
vehicle/pedestrian collisions. The majority of these are preventable.
Walking is a healthy and
environmentally friendly mode of transportation. Please do take care, -
stop, look and listen - before crossing the street, and motorists –
please slow down and be alert for pedestrians.
