As British Columbia moves to permanent year-round Pacific Time (PCT), darker mornings will become the new normal. To help stay safe during darker morning commutes, the Capital Regional District (CRD) has partnered with local school districts to raise awareness about the importance of being visible on the roads, sidewalks, and trails.
Specifically, school-aged children who typically walk, roll, or bus to school in daylight will soon be travelling to school in the dark. When these dark conditions are mixed with poor weather such as rain or fog, visibility will be even lower. Nearly half (42%) of crashes involving pedestrians in BC occur between October and January, when weather and visibility worsen (ICBC). That is why the CRD’s Let’s Get Visible campaign encourages everyone to do their part in the dark, to ensure we all safely arrive at our destination.
By taking a few simple steps to prepare in advance, commuters of all ages can continue to walk, cycle, roll, or transit to school or work safely on these darker mornings.
Driver Tips:
- Slow down, focus on the road and watch for pedestrians, especially in busy school neighbourhoods, at intersections, and transit stops.
- Give as much space as possible when following and passing pedestrians and cyclists.
- Turn on your headlights and slow down in dark, rainy, or foggy conditions to improve visibility and give yourself more time to react.
- Watch carefully for children, especially near schools, as they may be harder to see in dark or poor weather conditions.
- Focus on the road and leave your phone and other distractions alone.
- Be realistic about travel time, plan ahead, and leave earlier to accommodate traffic.
Pedestrian / Cyclists / Scooter Riders Tips:
- Plan and practice a safe route, and use sidewalks, pathways, trails, crosswalks and intersections whenever possible.
- Be aware of surroundings and watch for other road or trail users.
- Make eye contact with drivers and never assume they have seen you.
- Look both ways and cross the street at traffic lights, intersections, crosswalks, or with crossing guards. At intersections watch for vehicles turning left or right through the crosswalk, as drivers might not see you.
- Looking down, listening to music or using your phone is a distraction, which can prevent you from seeing oncoming traffic.
- Always be visible to drivers, and other road or trail users. Wear light, bright, and reflective materials and add reflectors to your backpack, bicycle, scooter or other gear.
- Stay on the sidewalks, paths, and trails so you can be seen by others approaching.
- There’s safety in numbers! Meet up with friends and neighbours to walk, bike, roll, or bus together.
To highlight the importance of being seen, thousands of students, teachers, and staff across School Districts 61, 62, and 63 will wear bright, reflective, neon, sparkly, and light clothing and gear on November 6, 2026, as a Let’s Get Visible day. School District 64 will join the celebration on November 13, 2026, helping raise awareness about the importance of being seen.
Remember, everyone plays a part in the dark, and by practicing and taking simple steps to stay visible and alert, we can all continue to walk, bike, roll, or take the bus during these darker morning commutes – Let’s Get Visible!
To learn more tips visit: www.crd.ca/safety
