Liepaja checks drivers’ response to white cane

Drivers in Liepaja were tested on whether they notice and stop for blind pedestrians carrying a white cane during an International White Cane Day event on Thursday, LSM reported, citing TV Kurzeme.

People with visual impairments often rely on their hearing when crossing roads, but city noise can make it difficult to tell whether it is safe to cross. Liepaja Association of the Blind chair Maris Ceirulis said visually impaired people may not know exactly where they are while crossing and are not deliberately hiding behind parked cars.

Drivers said the raised white cane could be hard to see. The association has proposed making it brighter, but no international change to the cane’s colour has been adopted. One driver said she noticed police officers’ bright vests more readily; another said he saw a pedestrian but did not realise the cane was raised.

State Police inspector Leonids Tarabans, taking part in the event for the 15th time, issued three fines to inattentive drivers. He said some drivers stopped while others forgot, and stressed that blind pedestrians have priority.

The Liepaja Association of the Blind has about 300 members with visual impairments. More than 12,000 people in Latvia have visual impairments, according to the report.