The white cane ensures the safety of blind people on the streets, but unfortunately, simply raising it does not mean that all drivers will be prepared to stop. On Thursday, International White Cane Day, a test was carried out in Liepāja to see how attentive drivers are and whether they know what to do when they encounter a blind pedestrian, TV Kurzeme reported.
People with visual impairments mostly rely on their hearing when out on the road, but city noise makes it difficult for them to judge whether it is safe to cross the street. This raises questions for many road users.
“You were standing there behind the car; I didn’t see you at all, standing there behind the car in the grass,” said driver Vladimirs to a blind man.
“There was a comment here asking why you were hiding behind the car – a blind or visually impaired person doesn’t know where exactly they’re crossing the carriageway; nobody deliberately hides behind cars,” explained Māris Ceirulis, chairman of the Liepāja Society for the Blind.
Drivers admit that a raised white cane isn’t always easy to spot. The Liepāja Society for the Blind has proposed making the colour more vivid so that the cane stands out better in traffic, but no such international changes have been adopted as yet.
“No, I didn’t notice it. Because I noticed two police officers on the road, and their police vests are much brighter than that white cane. I don’t know if they’re visible enough; he remains completely unnoticed even in broad daylight,” said driver Madara.
“I forgot for a moment; I saw him, but didn’t notice that he was raising his baton – I thought I’d just drive past,” said driver Aleksejs.
State Police Inspector Leonīds Tarabans is taking part in the ‘White Baton Day’ campaign for the 15th time. This year, during the campaign, he issued three fines to inattentive drivers; however, the police officer emphasises that breaches of the rules are not always deliberate.
“It’s not that they’re uneducated. Some people stopped, others simply forgot. Perhaps we should remember that they are part of our society – blind pedestrians. They have priority,” pointed out Tarabans.
The Liepāja Society for the Blind brings together around 300 people with visual impairments, whilst across Latvia there are more than 12,000 such people.
Seen a mistake?
Select text and press Ctrl+Enter to send a suggested correction to the editor
Select text and press Report a mistake to send a suggested correction to the editor