Pedestrian Safety

A "pedestrian" is a person on foot, a person in a wheelchair (including motorized wheel chairs),or a child riding in a wagon or sleigh, which means that everyone who is not a motorist or a cyclist is a pedestrian.

Pedestrian Rules and Guidelines

• No more than two people shall walk abreast on the roadway when there is no sidewalk
• It is illegal to solicit a ride (hitchhike) or jaywalk
• Always use pedestrian lights if the intersection is equipped with them
• Make sure to count to three and look around, even if the light says it is your turn to cross the roadway
• Assume drivers cannot see you. Make yourself visible by wearing retro-reflective clothing and carrying a flashlight at night. Also, you may want to consider if your pet is visible.
• Always cross at intersections and keep within the crosswalk
• Never walk into the roadway from behind parked vehicles or from the rear of a stopped bus
• Always look for turning vehicles before trying to cross the roadway
• Teach your children never to play on or near the roadway, and always use crosswalks
• At night, wear white, light coloured or retro-reflective material clothing. In snow conditions, it is advisable to wear some dark clothing
• On the highways, always walk on the left, facing traffic, so that you can see approaching motorists
• New crosswalks have audible signals, in addition to the light signalling pedestrians that it is safe to cross the road. This is for the visually-impaired pedestrians.
• At a traffic light, cross at the beginning of a green light. Do not cross once the light has turned to yellow.
• Never cross on a red light

Motorized Wheelchairs

On PEI, motorized wheelchairs are not considered motor vehicles. They do not need to be registered, or need a licence to operate.

There are some very important rules of which an operator of a motorized wheelchair should be aware:

• Like all pedestrians, the sidewalk should always be the first choice for anyone traveling in a motorized vehicle
• Obey all traffic signals
• Refrain from using alcohol or drugs when operating a motorized wheelchair
• If there are no sidewalks, travel as close as possible to the curb, on the left side of the road facing traffic
• Motorized wheelchairs should have a brightly coloured flag attached. They allow you to be more visible to motorists.
• Never block or cut off any vehicle, or any other pedestrian when crossing the street or traveling on the sidewalk
• Always travel at a comfortable, safe speed
• Avoid congested areas where possible. Where there are a lot of walkers or objects, manoeuverability is greatly reduced.
• Choose a safe route. Avoid rough terrain and soft surfaces such as gravel, sand and thick grass.
• Avoid bumps, holes, etc. on the road surface. It may cause you to turn over, get thrown from the wheelchair, or severely damage the equipment.
• Always use crosswalks or cross at an intersection

Roundabouts

Rules for pedestrians are the same in a roundabout as they are at all other crosswalks on the road. But there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Signal your intention to cross by extending your arm
• Crosswalks at modern roundabouts have two sections and, in some cases, two lanes to cross at each section. Pedestrians must ensure both lanes of traffic are yielding. Cross the first section to the splitter island, stop, make sure traffic is yielding to you, then cross the second section.
• Always try to make eye contact with drivers to ensure they acknowledge that you are going to cross and that they are yielding to you.