Montreal police unveil new, eye-catching pedestrian safety campaign

Drivers heading south on d'Iberville Street in Montreal's east end could soon be confronted by their worst nightmare -- what could happen if they're not careful behind the wheel.

Monday, Montreal police (SPVM) unveiled its newest campaign for pedestrian safety.

It starts with an image of a woman holding a sign that says "regardez-moi," or "look at me," before showing her cross the street with her scooter.

The last image shows her lying on the ground as if she had just been hit by a car.

The campaign is part of October's pedestrian awareness month.

"Using scenes like these will, at times, shock people; seeing people injured, and we want to be sure that...they are going to be aware that they need to slow down," said Sargeant Jean-Bruno Latour, with the Montreal police road safety squad.

The panel truck is slated to stay in the area over the next week.

"We need to change our habits and be careful when we're driving," said Latour.

The intersection of d'Iberville Street and Rosemont Boulevard is considered a particularly dangerous area for cyclists and pedestrians.

A ghost bike currently stands at the corner where 24-year-old Justine Charland St-Amour was killed in August 2016.

Police say they hope the shocking images displayed on the panel truck will help prevent future accidents.

"We have a pedestrian, a cyclist, that scooter," lists Latour. "There are some elderly [people], some kids will be walking, so all those vulnerable users must be protected by the drivers."

So far this year, 12 pedestrians have been killed on the streets of Montreal.