Pedestrians

The case of Chen v Beltran involves 11 year old Allan Chen who was riding his skateboard on a steep sidewalk beside 10th Street in New Westminster.  He could not stop on reaching the intersection with Royal Avenue and rode into the path of traffic where he was struck by a car driven by Juan Beltran. Chen sustained injuries and took legal action via his guardian in an attempt recover damages for them.

For years I've thought about sending this question to you. This is regarding the issue of "walk on left, ride on right". I have always understood that on any road/path with no sidewalk that is shared by pedestrians and vehicles (including bicycles), the pedestrians should keep to the left facing traffic, and the vehicles keep to the right.

The Traffic Injury Research Foundation reports that Canadians are not overly concerned about the behaviours and safety of pedestrians and bicyclists according to a public opinion poll. However, crash data and self-reported behaviour illustrate that concern is still warranted. “Pedestrians and bicyclists are among the most vulnerable of road users,” says Ward Vanlaar, TIRF researcher and lead author of the Road Safety Monitor series.

"This Case Study Compendium contains a collection of brief, original case studies developed by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center and the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals.