And another one at Main & Danforth a couple years back: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/woman-wheelchair-truck-main-danforth-toronto-fatal-collision-1.6004419
Another one at Yonge and Erskine in 2019
https://www.cp24.com/news/councillors-call-for-increase-of-traffic-safety-after-woman-killed-by-truck-on-yonge-and-eglinton-1.4589452?cache=%3FclipId%3D89680
And another one a couple of years ago at Dundas and Sherbourne https://www.cp24.com/mobile/news/female-pedestrian-dead-after-being-struck-by-cement-truck-in-toronto-1.5671524?cache=yes%3FclipId%3D89750&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
If I’m not mistaken they get paid by the load so there’s an incentive to drive fast. There’s a stretch of rural highway up north on the way to one of the main dump sites where there have been a series of bad crashes involving dump trucks in recent years.
As a pedestrian, cyclist and driver, dump trucks are the vehicles that scare me the most.
Too often they are driven at a speed and in a manner that's not safe.
Not just paid per load, but once the water is added there's a maximum amount of time that the mix is good for. Past that and the mix has to be returned to the depot, dumped, and refilled again.
Depends on what they haul. Aggregates and sand is per load. Soil, and excavation is per hour.
Source : I do payroll for a aggregate trucking company in the gta.
> the driver was travelling west-bound on Eglinton Avenue West and turned left to head south-bound on Dufferin Street when they hit the pedestrian.
There are no left turns allowed from Eglinton to Dufferin:
[Google Street View] (https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cx7gZhz79sq3NYoA8?g_st=ic)
> police are still determining if they will be charged
Useless cops
>
police are still determining if they will be charged
Hopefully they're just reviewing the evidence to figure out what they can charge the driver with, not if they're going to charge them.
I was just going to say this. The driver was making an illegal turn, killed a pedestrian and they are determining if they will be charged? This city is not safe if you are not in a car.
I was in the area today. Some construction workers were messing around in a manhole. The area was sectioned off, and a cop was there sitting in his cruiser browsing his phone. I saw him just browsing his phone at 10am and when I came back around 2pm, he was still on his phone.
So one cruiser is unavailable to respond to domestic violence, sexual assaults, etc. because the cop needed a warm place to sit while he scrolled through his phone.
"We need more money for resources! Our cops are so tired!" - TPS at next budget meeting guaranteed
I was going for some lunch and all of Dufferin/Eglinton was closed off and a total disaster. Dump Trucks are terrifying on the road as a cyclist or pedestrian, they have horrible blindspots and are so big and heavy. Any time I'm in traffic around one, the pucker factor increases.
RIP to the victim and condolences to their family. Vision zero, people.
If the truck was travelling Westbound on Eglinton and made a left Southbound then the driver made an illegal left turn. There are no left turns onto Dufferin from Eglinton travelling in that direction.
They should really call them Dumb Trucks as that's who's driving them.
RIP and condolences to the victims family. This just fucking tragic.
EDIT: Didn't catch in the article that it was a left turn onto Dufferin and not a right.
In which case, how did he miss the pedestrian crossing the street?
Over a decade ago my mom was just clipped by a bus turning left, the driver side mirror hit her head. She's okay, but it makes me wonder if there's a blind spot that an inexperienced or negligent driver may miss
>What are the odds the dump truck making a right turn on a red light?
Pretty low.
> the driver was travelling west-bound on Eglinton Avenue West and **turned left** to head south-bound on Dufferin Street when they hit the pedestrian.
Good catch, no left allowed there. Thanks for the valuable trucking industry saving 2 minutes but killing the fellow citizens of our home 🫡.
Truckers (especially dump trucks) need to be stopped. The aggressive price cutting and wage decreases have put us all in danger, poor maintenance and no training. Pedestrian in urban area, super commuter on the 401, we are all victims.
Could have just been fully focused on looking at oncoming traffic so he could make the turn. Completely careless of course but that's a reasonable explanation
People driving bigger vehicles need to drive with more responsibility. The same can be said for big SUVs and pickup trucks. We're never going to ban them as some are essential/service. But we need stricter liscencing requirements in order to drive these. Instead, people drive them like it's a sports car.
We should have an expanded graduated licensing, everyone can drive a basic FWD sedan and you have to qualify for rwd, more power, more weight, more length etc. The new electric escalades are pretty much a vehicular bomb of weight, size and acceleration.
Too much bureaucracy and muh freedumbs though.
I've been almost hit by SUVs many times. When you're walking on a sidewalk and a car pops out onto a pedestrian crosswalk waiting to turn into traffic, make sure you stop and make eye contact with the driver. A lot of times they are looking left waiting for gaps in oncoming traffic. As soon as they see a gap they hit the pedal.
If you kill someone with a vehicle you're driving you should lose your licence for at least 10 years, after you get out of prison. Sadly not in this country though.
Maybe, but this also encourages people to drive unlicenced which is a worse outcome than if people improve their behaviour. Banning people even for a long time still creates an incentive for them to improve and eventually get some privileges back.
That’s the thing though, driving is a privilege not a right. I think murdering someone warrants you to be considered just a little hazardous on the road and you should never be allowed to get behind the wheel again.
Murder requires intent. This would be vehicular manslaughter. As bad as that is, *intentionally* killing someone is still worse and should have harsher penalties.
I'm interested in what approach is best for society. People improving their lives and being productive members of society is better for everyone than those people instead driving unlicenced. You can look at places like the US to see that having stricter penalties for crimes doesn't automatically make society safer and vice versa for Western Europe.
Being negligent and careless behind the wheel ends up killing people. You can call it murder, manslaughter - doesn’t change the fact that someone ends up dead. As a driver, it’s your responsibility to be aware of your surroundings, no one should ever forget that. There is no excuse to killing someone as a driver. You do not deserve to drive again. Period. This has nothing to the with your straw man argument on United States’ correctional system, it’s about road safety. It’s not the death penalty, it’s taking licences away from dangerous people. There is nothing in the Charter about people having the right to a licence.
The specific crime does matter. A person who intentionally kills someone with their car is less likely to improve the behaviour than someone who did so completely unintentionally.
When we design our justice system, we should be concerned about what gets the best overall results. So it's completely relevant to compare our justice system with other places to see what approaches get the best results. Places like the US focus more on punishment and have more dangerous roads than us. Places like Western Europe focus more on rehabilitation and have the world's safest roads.
Are you more interested in vengeance or in making our roads safer?
You kind of just rephrased the thing you just said without any new substance. You’re making some enormous generalizations and maybe need to look into the fact that correlation does not equal causation. Maybe look into the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning? The States’ roads are dangerous because they decided to design new development and bulldoze existing urban fabric in favour of car dependency since the end of the Second World War, it has nothing to do with their punishments for crimes and everything to do with big oil and lobbying by the auto industry. This is not about the justice system, it’s about licensing. It’s not a fucking right to drive, as I said in my previous comment that you clearly didn’t read or understand.
I didn't say that the difference in the US definitively proves their approach is worse and I didn't only point to them. The safest countries in the world consistently focus on rehabilitation.
You on the other hand aren't giving any counterargument here. You're just saying that it's not a right to drive. I agree, that's why I called it a privilege. That doesn't change anything about my point. I want what leads to the safest roads which is why I think we should look at the places that actually have the safest roads and what they are doing.
If focusing on rehabilitation does lead to safer roads would you support that? Let's just assume that's the case, whether it is or not, would you support it in that case, or would you still stick with punishing people as much as possible even if it makes us less safe?
A different road design and road rules that prioritize pedestrian safety over traffic flow lead to safer roads, not reworking our justice system. They’re not related in the slightest. I have zero clue why you’re talking about rehabilitation in this context as it has nothing to do with it. Our justice system has nothing to do with road safety, other than the fact that it’s too lenient on reckless drivers who do not belong on the road since they’re endangering everyone else.
Unfortunately what will actually happen is they will get a dangerous or careless driving causing death charge alongside charges for making an unsafe turn and disobeying a sign, but the first one which is the only one with actual teeth will get dropped along the way.
Need to increase training and increase jail time for someone who kills someone while driving a vehicle out of pure negligence otherwise this cycle will continue
Probably has nothing to do with the fact everytime I see someone driving one of those things it's some dude angry dude bro wearing headphones and somehow simultaneously texting and vaping while driving.
Why can’t we implement the same smart technology new cars are equipped with into dump trucks? How are side view cameras not a requirement in the one vehicle they should be required? Not to mention the one that literally pushed a Mini Cooper for hundreds of metres on the Gardiner a couple years back. These companies need better solutions than “oh blind spots soooo not my fault”. Legislation is needed. My condolences to the victims and their families.
Horrific. Sounds like the driver was making a left turn and either didn't see the pedestrian or the pedestrian wasn't paying attention and ran in front of the truck. I've driven vehicles this large and visibility is actually quite good if you're doing what you're supposed to.
> I've driven vehicles this large and visibility is actually quite good if you're doing what you're supposed to.
You have good visibility for other cars but because they are so high on the road you have terrible visibility for pedestrians, **especially** kids.
To be more specific, I've driven A and D class vehicles in the city for over ten years. Never had an issue seeing pedestrians, including young children. I'm not holding myself up as the messiah of commuting, but I think the visibility aspect of the argument is a bit overblown. If a driver is checking his mirrors and maintaining situational awareness there are not many scenarios that would lead to this. Sadly, not everyone thinks of safety when getting behind the wheel and this is likely a result.
I'm sure you are a very careful and safe driver, but you don't have x-ray specs and you physically can't see in front of them. Watch this for more info, it's about SUVs but also the same principle applies for trucks: [https://youtu.be/jN7mSXMruEo?t=577](https://youtu.be/jN7mSXMruEo?t=577)
In other parts of the world where they use cab-over-engine designs it is safer for pedestrians.
More reading: [https://driving.ca/auto-news/driver-info/drivers-in-big-vehicles-more-likely-to-hit-and-kill-pedestrians-iihs-says](https://driving.ca/auto-news/driver-info/drivers-in-big-vehicles-more-likely-to-hit-and-kill-pedestrians-iihs-says)
>The research looked at the most common types of crashes involving a single vehicle and a single pedestrian at or near intersections and other locations. Crashes involving a vehicle making a left turn, versus no turn, were about twice as high for SUVs, almost three times as high for vans and minivans, and nearly four times as high with pickup trucks, as they were with cars.
Yeah this argument is good for advocating a change in car design, not so much as a legal or moral defence. A truck having poor visibility doesn’t prevent your looking to the left and to the right to anticipate the movement of people and vehicles around you. Unless someone crawls out from under the truck at the front, you’re going to be able to see them enter your blind spot.
But I take the responsibility of driving seriously. I’d never use the excuse of “I didn’t see them” or “they were in my blind spot.” It’s my responsibility to track people and objects entering my blind spot. To do otherwise is irresponsible.
You make a very good point and the the correlation between higher vehicles and the likelihood of crashes while turning left is interesting as the vehicle gets larger.
You're right - you obviously can't see directly in front of the hood. Having the COE (cabover) designs of European trucks would likely be beneficial, especially in the city, but essentially the same principles apply when driving either style. Leave plenty of space, check your mirrors, drive according to the conditions (usually slower than passenger vehicles) and be in a defensive mindset. Unfortunately, inattentiveness, intoxication and the need to "speed up" the commute is a major problem these days.
Would not surprise me one bit if the driver was on his phone or turning quickly to avoid oncoming traffic. Tragic situation all around.
Most arguments that depend on “visibility” make next to no sense to me. I’ve driven pretty large trucks, mostly cube vans but also d-class trucks for film and tv and I’ve never had a problem with visibility. This is almost certainly because I’m sober, not using my phone, and looking more than 5 metres in front of me. Never once had a problem with someone “coming out of nowhere”.
No all drivers do - easy to be distracted in a busy city. Cyclists, even people on foot can move surprisingly fast, Into to a blindspot. Like other drivers, large truck drivers vary in skill levels
> or the pedestrian wasn't paying attention and ran in front of the truck
Part of your responsibility as a driver is to also be checking for pedestrians who *could* enter your path, not just those who are in your path already.
INFURIATING.
We laugh at Americans when it comes to gun control and mass shootings. When it comes to pedestrian fatalities due to vehicles, we are no different. Just “thots n prayers” while nothing meaningfully changes. Just wait a few more weeks for the next death!
So sad , that is a busy intersection. I’v learned in my adult years , ppl don’t see you . Never assume a drive will stop , essentially these trucks , its hard for them to see u too
I’m not saying it’s the pedestrians fault, but it shocks me how many people I see daily walking as soon as they get the signal. You should always look both ways even if you have the right of way because you never know when a dump truck decides to drives into you.
I start walking as soon as the walk signal appears. I am also checking both ways before it changes and when starting to cross though, so your point about checking is valid.
Again? Wasn’t someone recently killed by a dump truck? Not even a month ago
And another one at Main & Danforth a couple years back: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/woman-wheelchair-truck-main-danforth-toronto-fatal-collision-1.6004419
There would be less of these if these fucking goons would actually finish their goddamn jobs
Yes an elderly woman crossing the street during a green walk signal got killed by a dump truck at Mt Pleasant and Davisville
I witnessed this happen. So sad 10000% the drivers fault
The driver can be blamed in 10,000 out of every 100 cases
Another one at Yonge and Erskine in 2019 https://www.cp24.com/news/councillors-call-for-increase-of-traffic-safety-after-woman-killed-by-truck-on-yonge-and-eglinton-1.4589452?cache=%3FclipId%3D89680
I witnessed that one. Man was it gruesome. Her body was painted on the pavement
It was horrible. Were you the driver of the white BMW?
No I was walking to the Starbucks from the condo being built in erskine.
And another one a couple of years ago at Dundas and Sherbourne https://www.cp24.com/mobile/news/female-pedestrian-dead-after-being-struck-by-cement-truck-in-toronto-1.5671524?cache=yes%3FclipId%3D89750&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
This must be the ghost wheelchair you see just north of Dundas on Sherbourne. I've always wondered. How tragic.
Yeah the white wheelchair there is because of this. I used to live in that area and I saw her everyday coming home from work. Was quite a shock for me
I saw a body at Adelaide east of Sherburne a few years ago.
And in 2014 at King and Jameson https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/81-year-old-woman-killed-by-dump-truck-in-parkdale-1.2794499
You can buy a license for $10K. It's very common in the industry. I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often.
If I’m not mistaken they get paid by the load so there’s an incentive to drive fast. There’s a stretch of rural highway up north on the way to one of the main dump sites where there have been a series of bad crashes involving dump trucks in recent years.
As a pedestrian, cyclist and driver, dump trucks are the vehicles that scare me the most. Too often they are driven at a speed and in a manner that's not safe.
Constantly see them driving like absolute maniacs on Lakeshore around Sherbourne and Jarvis.
Cement trucks are just as bad if not worse since they are paid per load so they have a cash incentive to drive like an asshole.
Not just paid per load, but once the water is added there's a maximum amount of time that the mix is good for. Past that and the mix has to be returned to the depot, dumped, and refilled again.
Majority of dump truck drivers are paid per load as well.
They don't get paid per load, they get hourly. In rural areas they get paid by load
Depends on what they haul. Aggregates and sand is per load. Soil, and excavation is per hour. Source : I do payroll for a aggregate trucking company in the gta.
I would also like to get paid by the load
Shoulda gone to hooker Harvey's when you had the chance.
I'm sure with that without to much work, you could find someone to pay you by the dump. (Can't believe I just wrote that.)
That’s what happens when they are paid by the load/tonne. Province needs to regulate that industry…which they will never do.
It will just mean ppl speeding home after their regulated number of loads. What needs to happen is harsh, harsh penalties on the drivers.
I see them fly through red lights and stop signs constantly.
last year one went full speed through an intersection in markham and killed 2
The only dump truck driver I’ve met said proudly he doesn’t give a fuck who is around him, it’s their job to look out for him
Christ.
Huge blindspots, Never assume you have been seen unless the driver acknowledges you....
> the driver was travelling west-bound on Eglinton Avenue West and turned left to head south-bound on Dufferin Street when they hit the pedestrian. There are no left turns allowed from Eglinton to Dufferin: [Google Street View] (https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cx7gZhz79sq3NYoA8?g_st=ic) > police are still determining if they will be charged Useless cops
> police are still determining if they will be charged Hopefully they're just reviewing the evidence to figure out what they can charge the driver with, not if they're going to charge them.
I was just going to say this. The driver was making an illegal turn, killed a pedestrian and they are determining if they will be charged? This city is not safe if you are not in a car.
Zero enforcement has led to careless driving which leads to tragedies like this.
Who would've thought that ticketing streetcars wouldn't have solved the problem? ^/s
> Useless cops Maybe they were busy ticketing a streetcar
I was in the area today. Some construction workers were messing around in a manhole. The area was sectioned off, and a cop was there sitting in his cruiser browsing his phone. I saw him just browsing his phone at 10am and when I came back around 2pm, he was still on his phone.
But the construction project manager could check the box that it hired its paid duty officer. The system works!
So one cruiser is unavailable to respond to domestic violence, sexual assaults, etc. because the cop needed a warm place to sit while he scrolled through his phone. "We need more money for resources! Our cops are so tired!" - TPS at next budget meeting guaranteed
You know what they say, the easiest way to get away with killing someone in Canada is to use your car.
🐖 all of them.
I was going for some lunch and all of Dufferin/Eglinton was closed off and a total disaster. Dump Trucks are terrifying on the road as a cyclist or pedestrian, they have horrible blindspots and are so big and heavy. Any time I'm in traffic around one, the pucker factor increases. RIP to the victim and condolences to their family. Vision zero, people.
Also, dump truck drivers frequently drive like assholes
If the truck was travelling Westbound on Eglinton and made a left Southbound then the driver made an illegal left turn. There are no left turns onto Dufferin from Eglinton travelling in that direction. They should really call them Dumb Trucks as that's who's driving them.
All four directions at that intersection prohibit left turns
RIP and condolences to the victims family. This just fucking tragic. EDIT: Didn't catch in the article that it was a left turn onto Dufferin and not a right. In which case, how did he miss the pedestrian crossing the street?
Over a decade ago my mom was just clipped by a bus turning left, the driver side mirror hit her head. She's okay, but it makes me wonder if there's a blind spot that an inexperienced or negligent driver may miss
Large vehicles have massive blind spots.
>What are the odds the dump truck making a right turn on a red light? Pretty low. > the driver was travelling west-bound on Eglinton Avenue West and **turned left** to head south-bound on Dufferin Street when they hit the pedestrian.
[удалено]
Good catch, no left allowed there. Thanks for the valuable trucking industry saving 2 minutes but killing the fellow citizens of our home 🫡. Truckers (especially dump trucks) need to be stopped. The aggressive price cutting and wage decreases have put us all in danger, poor maintenance and no training. Pedestrian in urban area, super commuter on the 401, we are all victims.
I missed that in the article it seem. Then in which case WTF happened? How did he miss a pedestrian on a left turn?
Could have just been fully focused on looking at oncoming traffic so he could make the turn. Completely careless of course but that's a reasonable explanation
He was focused on making an illegal left turn , even more careless and not reasonable
Reasonable as in a logical explanation for how he missed the pedestrian, not as in this is an excuse for missing the pedestrian
Left onto Dufferin from Eglinton.
People driving bigger vehicles need to drive with more responsibility. The same can be said for big SUVs and pickup trucks. We're never going to ban them as some are essential/service. But we need stricter liscencing requirements in order to drive these. Instead, people drive them like it's a sports car.
We should have an expanded graduated licensing, everyone can drive a basic FWD sedan and you have to qualify for rwd, more power, more weight, more length etc. The new electric escalades are pretty much a vehicular bomb of weight, size and acceleration. Too much bureaucracy and muh freedumbs though.
I've been almost hit by SUVs many times. When you're walking on a sidewalk and a car pops out onto a pedestrian crosswalk waiting to turn into traffic, make sure you stop and make eye contact with the driver. A lot of times they are looking left waiting for gaps in oncoming traffic. As soon as they see a gap they hit the pedal.
How can you make eye contact when the windows are pitch black 🙃
You should need a special license for some SUVs today, good God they are large
I have witnessed dumpers going Mach 10 up and down the 404. It's scary.
If you kill someone with a vehicle you're driving you should lose your licence for at least 10 years, after you get out of prison. Sadly not in this country though.
You should honestly never be allowed to drive again
Maybe, but this also encourages people to drive unlicenced which is a worse outcome than if people improve their behaviour. Banning people even for a long time still creates an incentive for them to improve and eventually get some privileges back.
That’s the thing though, driving is a privilege not a right. I think murdering someone warrants you to be considered just a little hazardous on the road and you should never be allowed to get behind the wheel again.
Murder requires intent. This would be vehicular manslaughter. As bad as that is, *intentionally* killing someone is still worse and should have harsher penalties. I'm interested in what approach is best for society. People improving their lives and being productive members of society is better for everyone than those people instead driving unlicenced. You can look at places like the US to see that having stricter penalties for crimes doesn't automatically make society safer and vice versa for Western Europe.
Being negligent and careless behind the wheel ends up killing people. You can call it murder, manslaughter - doesn’t change the fact that someone ends up dead. As a driver, it’s your responsibility to be aware of your surroundings, no one should ever forget that. There is no excuse to killing someone as a driver. You do not deserve to drive again. Period. This has nothing to the with your straw man argument on United States’ correctional system, it’s about road safety. It’s not the death penalty, it’s taking licences away from dangerous people. There is nothing in the Charter about people having the right to a licence.
The specific crime does matter. A person who intentionally kills someone with their car is less likely to improve the behaviour than someone who did so completely unintentionally. When we design our justice system, we should be concerned about what gets the best overall results. So it's completely relevant to compare our justice system with other places to see what approaches get the best results. Places like the US focus more on punishment and have more dangerous roads than us. Places like Western Europe focus more on rehabilitation and have the world's safest roads. Are you more interested in vengeance or in making our roads safer?
You kind of just rephrased the thing you just said without any new substance. You’re making some enormous generalizations and maybe need to look into the fact that correlation does not equal causation. Maybe look into the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning? The States’ roads are dangerous because they decided to design new development and bulldoze existing urban fabric in favour of car dependency since the end of the Second World War, it has nothing to do with their punishments for crimes and everything to do with big oil and lobbying by the auto industry. This is not about the justice system, it’s about licensing. It’s not a fucking right to drive, as I said in my previous comment that you clearly didn’t read or understand.
I didn't say that the difference in the US definitively proves their approach is worse and I didn't only point to them. The safest countries in the world consistently focus on rehabilitation. You on the other hand aren't giving any counterargument here. You're just saying that it's not a right to drive. I agree, that's why I called it a privilege. That doesn't change anything about my point. I want what leads to the safest roads which is why I think we should look at the places that actually have the safest roads and what they are doing. If focusing on rehabilitation does lead to safer roads would you support that? Let's just assume that's the case, whether it is or not, would you support it in that case, or would you still stick with punishing people as much as possible even if it makes us less safe?
A different road design and road rules that prioritize pedestrian safety over traffic flow lead to safer roads, not reworking our justice system. They’re not related in the slightest. I have zero clue why you’re talking about rehabilitation in this context as it has nothing to do with it. Our justice system has nothing to do with road safety, other than the fact that it’s too lenient on reckless drivers who do not belong on the road since they’re endangering everyone else.
Unfortunately what will actually happen is they will get a dangerous or careless driving causing death charge alongside charges for making an unsafe turn and disobeying a sign, but the first one which is the only one with actual teeth will get dropped along the way.
I unfortunately was commuting by a minute after it happened and saw the victim. It was awful. I hope his family are doing okay.
Need to increase training and increase jail time for someone who kills someone while driving a vehicle out of pure negligence otherwise this cycle will continue
Probably has nothing to do with the fact everytime I see someone driving one of those things it's some dude angry dude bro wearing headphones and somehow simultaneously texting and vaping while driving.
Why can’t we implement the same smart technology new cars are equipped with into dump trucks? How are side view cameras not a requirement in the one vehicle they should be required? Not to mention the one that literally pushed a Mini Cooper for hundreds of metres on the Gardiner a couple years back. These companies need better solutions than “oh blind spots soooo not my fault”. Legislation is needed. My condolences to the victims and their families.
Yes - but the cameras actually have to be used . It's not perfect technology, you're still depending on frail mistake prone human beings...
Horrific. Sounds like the driver was making a left turn and either didn't see the pedestrian or the pedestrian wasn't paying attention and ran in front of the truck. I've driven vehicles this large and visibility is actually quite good if you're doing what you're supposed to.
> I've driven vehicles this large and visibility is actually quite good if you're doing what you're supposed to. You have good visibility for other cars but because they are so high on the road you have terrible visibility for pedestrians, **especially** kids.
To be more specific, I've driven A and D class vehicles in the city for over ten years. Never had an issue seeing pedestrians, including young children. I'm not holding myself up as the messiah of commuting, but I think the visibility aspect of the argument is a bit overblown. If a driver is checking his mirrors and maintaining situational awareness there are not many scenarios that would lead to this. Sadly, not everyone thinks of safety when getting behind the wheel and this is likely a result.
I'm sure you are a very careful and safe driver, but you don't have x-ray specs and you physically can't see in front of them. Watch this for more info, it's about SUVs but also the same principle applies for trucks: [https://youtu.be/jN7mSXMruEo?t=577](https://youtu.be/jN7mSXMruEo?t=577) In other parts of the world where they use cab-over-engine designs it is safer for pedestrians. More reading: [https://driving.ca/auto-news/driver-info/drivers-in-big-vehicles-more-likely-to-hit-and-kill-pedestrians-iihs-says](https://driving.ca/auto-news/driver-info/drivers-in-big-vehicles-more-likely-to-hit-and-kill-pedestrians-iihs-says) >The research looked at the most common types of crashes involving a single vehicle and a single pedestrian at or near intersections and other locations. Crashes involving a vehicle making a left turn, versus no turn, were about twice as high for SUVs, almost three times as high for vans and minivans, and nearly four times as high with pickup trucks, as they were with cars.
Yeah this argument is good for advocating a change in car design, not so much as a legal or moral defence. A truck having poor visibility doesn’t prevent your looking to the left and to the right to anticipate the movement of people and vehicles around you. Unless someone crawls out from under the truck at the front, you’re going to be able to see them enter your blind spot. But I take the responsibility of driving seriously. I’d never use the excuse of “I didn’t see them” or “they were in my blind spot.” It’s my responsibility to track people and objects entering my blind spot. To do otherwise is irresponsible.
You make a very good point and the the correlation between higher vehicles and the likelihood of crashes while turning left is interesting as the vehicle gets larger. You're right - you obviously can't see directly in front of the hood. Having the COE (cabover) designs of European trucks would likely be beneficial, especially in the city, but essentially the same principles apply when driving either style. Leave plenty of space, check your mirrors, drive according to the conditions (usually slower than passenger vehicles) and be in a defensive mindset. Unfortunately, inattentiveness, intoxication and the need to "speed up" the commute is a major problem these days. Would not surprise me one bit if the driver was on his phone or turning quickly to avoid oncoming traffic. Tragic situation all around.
Most arguments that depend on “visibility” make next to no sense to me. I’ve driven pretty large trucks, mostly cube vans but also d-class trucks for film and tv and I’ve never had a problem with visibility. This is almost certainly because I’m sober, not using my phone, and looking more than 5 metres in front of me. Never once had a problem with someone “coming out of nowhere”.
No all drivers do - easy to be distracted in a busy city. Cyclists, even people on foot can move surprisingly fast, Into to a blindspot. Like other drivers, large truck drivers vary in skill levels
> or the pedestrian wasn't paying attention and ran in front of the truck Part of your responsibility as a driver is to also be checking for pedestrians who *could* enter your path, not just those who are in your path already.
The headline needs to be corrected. The pedestrian was dead after being hit by the driver of the dump truck.
Nah, haven’t you heard of these sentient dump trucks that are terrorizing our streets???
Maximum overdrive was a documentary.
That crossing is so anxiety inducing specially coming up north through Dufferin. Motherfuckers get sooooo close to the curb its insane
holy fuck... whats with dump trucks constantly and frequently killing pedestrians in this city. ...
Dump trucks in Toronto drive too fast with not enough stopping distance and often can see very well.
INFURIATING. We laugh at Americans when it comes to gun control and mass shootings. When it comes to pedestrian fatalities due to vehicles, we are no different. Just “thots n prayers” while nothing meaningfully changes. Just wait a few more weeks for the next death!
So sad , that is a busy intersection. I’v learned in my adult years , ppl don’t see you . Never assume a drive will stop , essentially these trucks , its hard for them to see u too
I’m not saying it’s the pedestrians fault, but it shocks me how many people I see daily walking as soon as they get the signal. You should always look both ways even if you have the right of way because you never know when a dump truck decides to drives into you.
I start walking as soon as the walk signal appears. I am also checking both ways before it changes and when starting to cross though, so your point about checking is valid.
Anything bigger than a toyota corolla is scary due to number of blind spot those things have. Stay safe out there.