The most dangerous areas for pedestrian crashes in Vancouver
Last week, we reported on a story about a VPD cruiser hitting a pedestrian in the Downtown Eastside, which made us wonder which parts of Vancouver were the most dangerous or prone to pedestrian crashes.
This data is collected by ICBC and placed in a convenient dashboard which offers a complete map of pedestrian crashes across the province as of April of this year. The data excludes crashes in parking lots or crashes that involve parked vehicles.
Another thing to note is that the data doesn’t include reported incidents to police, so actual numbers could be much higher.
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According to Klein Lawyers LLP, a pedestrian is “more likely than any other road user to die or be seriously injured in a traffic accident.”
Klein Lawyers adds, “ICBC says that about 58 pedestrians die and 2,400 are injured in traffic accidents each year.”
Sadly, it may not surprise you that the Downtown Eastside, specifically the intersection at Main and Hastings streets, is the most dangerous place for pedestrians in all of Vancouver.
Main and Hastings (Google Maps)
Between 2017 and 2021, there have been 20 pedestrian-related crashes in that part of the Downtown Eastside.
Following closely behind Main and Hastings is the turning lane at Cambie Street and West 49th Avenue, where between 2017 and 2021, there were 18 pedestrian-related crashes.
(Cambie and 49th) Google Maps
The intersection at Main Street and Terminal Avenue is next, with 17 crashes. This is a bustling area due to the commuter traffic at the SkyTrain station.
Main and Terminal (Google Maps)
The intersection at Abbott and Pender saw 15 pedestrian crashes between 2017 and 2021.
Abbott and Pender (Google Maps)
Kingsway and Victoria Drive has had 14 crashes in the same period, and Abbott and West Hastings streets have seen 13 crashes, as has Boundary Road and Kingsway and the turning lane. Commercial Drive and Broadway has also seen 13 crashes.
One troubling trend the data reveals is that some of the most dangerous areas in Vancouver for pedestrians happen to be parts of the city hardest hit by poverty or places like the Downtown Eastside, where the community is struggling with mental health or substance abuse.
You can see the complete data here or in the embed below.
