Hamilton police are being criticized after they asked pedestrians to wear “visible clothing” to avoid being hit by potential vehicles.
In a poston X (formerly known as Twitter) on Wednesday, police said, “Be sure to buckle up, obey traffic rules, and stay alert. If you’re walking or cycling, wear visible clothing and use designated paths.”
Although the post was meant to act as a simple reminder to residents to be careful when driving, it quickly became the subject of discussion about victim-blaming.
Online users quickly pointed out that pedestrians should not have to be told to wear visible clothing to stay safe but instead, drivers should be reminded to drive responsibly.
Another X user brought up the fact that as a pedestrian, you can still get hit despite following the rules.
“What do I do when, as a pedestrian, I almost get hit when I’m wearing extremely visible clothing AND following the rules? Can we also talk about how difficult it is to feel safe when so many vehicles have tinted windows? How can I make eye contact to know that the driver sees me?” she wrote.
Now Toronto reached out to the Hamilton Police Service for comment but has yet to receive a response.
