"MARCHER ET ROULER SANS SE FRAPPER" AND "BON PIED, BON OEIL" GATINEAU JOINS FORCES WITH THE SAAQ FOR THE SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS!

Gatineau, October 1, 2012. – On this first day of October, Pedestrian Month, Gatineau is proud to launch its pedestrian safety awareness campaign and to announce its participation in the "Bon pied, bon oeil" operation of the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ).








"Marcher et rouler sans se frapper" is the slogan associated with the pedestrian component of the municipal campaign entitled "Ralentis tout le monde te voit," launched in 2010. It clearly illustrates the coexistence of pedestrians and motorists on our roads, as well as the need to share this space safely for the well-being of all.

"I am pleased that Gatineau and the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec are working together to raise awareness about road safety. The latest statistics are encouraging. We have indeed seen a decrease of accidents involving pedestrians. We must continue our efforts. I urge all the citizens of Gatineau to exercise caution and to adopt safe and courteous behaviours on the road," said Gatineau mayor Marc Bureau.

"It has been demonstrated that the main causes of accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles are the negligence, inattention and distraction on the part of drivers or pedestrians, as well as the violation of the Highway Safety Code regulations. It is therefore important to remind the citizens of Gatineau of the importance of being careful at pedestrian crossings and intersections, of being highly visible, of remaining courteous on the road and of abiding by the regulations in place," stated Stéphane Lauzon, municipal councillor and president of the Commission de la sécurité publique et de la circulation.

Throughout the month of October, outreach messages will be disseminated in an effort to remind Gatineau's pedestrians and motorists to be extra careful during these fall months, when it gets dark earlier. All of these efforts will be supported by outreach operations and police controls.

Safety tips[1]

Pedestrians:

• Go to the nearest intersection to cross.
• Walk on the sidewalk, or, if there isn't one, walk on the side of the road, facing traffic.
• Avoid crossing the street between two parked cars.
• Wear light-coloured clothes or clothing with reflective strips so that you are easily visible.

Motorists:

• Bring your vehicle to a stop before the stop line.
• Obey traffic lights for pedestrians.
• Before turning right on a red light where permitted, yield the right-of-way to pedestrians.
• Keep your headlights on at all times so that pedestrians can see you and you can see them.


For more information, the citizens are invited to visit Gatineau's website at www.gatineau.ca or dial 3-1-1.

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Published by: Service des communications
Source: Service des communications
819 595-7171
medias@gatineau.ca







Dans l'ordre habituel : (gauche à droite)

Monsieur Stéphane Lauzon, conseiller municipal du district du Lac-Beauchamp et président de la Commission de la sécurité publique et de la circulation, Monsieur Marc Bureau, maire de la Ville de Gatineau, monsieur Serge Provencher, coordonnateur régional en sécurité routière de la SAAQ, monsieur Denis Tassé, conseiller municipal du district de Touraine ainsi que monsieur Éric Dinel, inspecteur-chef du Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau.