CREDIT: JERROLD RUNDLE
Though road accidents in London have been dropping, trespassing-related fatalities have not.

As you wander the streets of London this summer, whether exploring a new area in the sun, stumbling home after enjoying a night of patio partying or visiting a favourite haunt with friends, it’s important to remember you aren’t alone on the streets.

Safety on the roads and paths of London has remained a major concern over the years, as everyone has a story about their last close call.

“I’ve been in a couple of car accidents,” said Early Childhood Education student Katie McCowan. “Just people not paying attention when they’re driving.”

Business student Hardik Nayk says that while the streets are generally safe there are potential dangers.

“On a Friday night or Saturday night on Richmond, it’s not too safe,” Nayk said. “People [are] driving up and getting drunk.”

Luckily, the statistics in the City of London Road Safety Strategy show a hopeful trend.

The number of traffic collisions has been decreasing at a regular rate over the last few years, and while pedestrian fatalities haven’t shown much change, accidents involving bicycles have lowered. This may be thanks in part to the expansion of bike lanes, an ongoing project, which keep more bicycles off the streets.

This trend has been seen across all of Ontario, as seen in the Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics 2013, which shows a 13 per cent decrease in total fatalities from 2009 to 2013, as well as a 7.4 per cent drop in serious injuries between 2012 and 2013.

“I think London’s pretty safe,” McCowan said. “I grew up in Richmond Hill and it’s a huge difference.”

With all the good news, there are still a few major areas for improvement. The Road Safety Strategy shows that intersections are still a major area of concern, and that many London drivers are still driving aggressively or while distracted. Pedestrians and cyclists combined are considered the cause of approximately 200 accidents every year, and don’t have the casing of metal and fibreglass to protect them from the road.

Sadly, Ontario has the largest number of railway trespasser fatalities in all of Canada, consistently having three times the number of any other province, according to a statistical summary by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

Walking down train tracks and using them as shortcuts to different parts of town may seem like a good idea, but it’s important to remember that trains have no way to stop in time even if they do manage to see you on the track.

When thinking about taking shortcuts on tracks, the risk far outweighs the benefits. “I don’t like to take any chances of getting hurt,” McCowan said.

It wonderful to see the great strides London has made in improving safety, especially since this is a town that thrives on biking and walking to its many hidden gems. Just remember not everyone pays attention, and in the contest of you versus giant metal machine, your odds of winning are incredibly low.