Dark, stormy conditions dangerous for pedestrians; distracted walking increases risk

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The weather outside is frightful and driving conditions have been tough overnight and through much of this morning.

There were two pedestrian fatalities last night — one in Richmond and another in Coquitlam. One of those incidents is being blamed on the weather, with pouring rain reducing visibility greatly.

The poor weather and darker afternoons and evenings are dangerous on the roads and Keith Morgan, the automotive editor of Black Press’ Driveway section in many newspapers, says distracted driving can add to that, but distracted walkers can also add to the risk.

“The walk around with their heads down, looking at their smartphones, and reading and texting. They really do put their lives at risk.”

“Wearing really dark clothes at night… you’re driving along and it’s pouring — they become almost invisible. It’s really hard to see people. And if they’re already distracted themselves, it’s a recipe for disaster.”

Morgan says the issue of distracted walkers has struck a chord with his readers in recent weeks… he believes more attention needs to be paid to preventing it.

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