Dear Editor:
RE: Teen Struck By Driver on Capilano Road Has Died, North Vancouver RCMP Confirm
Earlier this month, a 16-year-old girl was killed by a driver on Capilano Road, struck down while simply trying to exist in her community. My heart goes out to her grieving family and friends. As a volunteer with Vision Zero Vancouver, I am outraged and heartbroken, knowing this was almost certainly a preventable death.
The concept of Vision Zero is simple: no loss of life on our roads is acceptable. Yet recently, District of North Vancouver council rejected a proposed road safety plan for Mountain Highway. Coun. Betty Forbes dismissed the plan, saying the district doesn’t need to aim for the “gold standard” of road safety.
But what does it mean to settle for less? For the family mourning their daughter, it means living with a pain no one should endure.
Road safety measures like raised crosswalks, lower speed limits with automated enforcement, and protected mobility lanes are not luxuries. These changes save lives and reduce injuries for all road users, including drivers. The refusal to prioritize safety perpetuates a culture that accepts preventable deaths as the cost of mobility.
The tragedy on Capilano Road is not an isolated incident. Across Metro Vancouver, vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists, children, and seniors – face disproportionate risks. Communities that embrace the “gold standard” of road safety have demonstrated that fatalities and serious injuries can be drastically reduced. Why should North Vancouver’s residents deserve anything less?
Leadership means valuing human life above convenience or budget constraints. It means taking bold action to protect the most vulnerable. Every elected official in the District of North Vancouver must ask themselves: how many lives will it take before safety becomes the highest priority?
Vision Zero isn’t just a policy; it’s a moral imperative. For the sake of every family in our community, I urge municipal leaders to rethink their approach. Invest in the gold standard of safety, and don’t wait for another senseless tragedy to take action. Let’s commit to a future where no one else has to write letters like this.
Rhiannon Fox
Vancouver
