By Dan Marshall

Nanaimo boy lucky after running his bike into a car at a crosswalk

Sep 14, 2016 | 11:45 AM

NANAIMO — Those flashing lights at crosswalks are an important safety tool.

An example on Tuesday when a 10 year old boy on his bike ran into a car at a crosswalk on Metral Drive at Dunbar.

Nanaimo RCMP Sgt. Sheryl Armstrong says a northbound vehicle saw him but he wasn’t visible to southbound traffic.

“The crosswalk did have a signal however the boy did not hit the button so it didn’t go off,” said Armstrong.

“He entered the crosswalk and the southbound vehicle wasn’t able to see him because he was blocked by the northbound vehicle, so the boy rode his bike right into the lady’s car.”

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Fortunately the boy suffered only a minor knee injury.

Armstrong stresses the importance of following the rules of the road for both motorists and cyclists.

“It’s really important to realize that this accident could have been much more serious if the other vehicle would have been going at a greater speed, however she had been slowed down for the school zone.”

“It’s also important to remember that you are supposed to get off your bike to cross at a marked crosswalk and if the lights are there please push the button so that oncoming traffic does know that you’re going to be crossing.”

A recent study found that more than 90 percent of parents have witnessed drivers speeding through school zones, but fortunately in this case the driver did remember to slow down.