Bus drivers hand out reflective gear to people walking around in dark clothes in Fort St. John

Bus drivers in Fort St. John, B.C., are giving out free pairs of reflective suspenders to people they see walking around in dark clothing in an effort tokeep streets safe.

"I don't think pedestrians realize how they're not visible," said Fort St. John transit manager Shelley Lindaas.

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"It adds to the stress of winter driving on dark and icy roads."

Lindaas said the idea came out of a discussion with her drivers after two fatalities in northern B.C. involving people on the road.

In Burns Lake, a pedestrian was fatallyhit by a vehicle on Nov. 17 while walking along a highway.RCMPsaid they had received a report of a man wearing all-black clothing while walking on the road and offered him a ride, but he declined.

The same day, a man in Prince Rupert got out of his vehicle to clear debris off the road when he was fatally struck. Police noted the incident occurred during a heavy downpour after dark.

Lindaassaid her drivers were concerned about the number of people they saw walking around in dark clothing. They decided they would like to give out reflective gearand approached local business AAA Safety about the idea. The company donated the high-visibilitysuspenders.

Lindaas said the program has been well-receivedand she hopes it will help raise awareness about the importance of visibility during the dark winter months.

"It's one more step we can take towards keeping everyone safe."

With files from Jordan Tucker