CYCLING



Published on 15 Jul 2017
This afternoon an Ottawa cyclist ran a red light and was struck by a car. This was my first day with a dash cam. I recorded for less than two hours before witnessing this and the footage will be very helpful for the family in the vehicle.

Two motorcyclists killed in crash near Haliburton
Two motorcyclists are dead and two others are critically hurt after a vehicle slammed into them east of Haliburton.
April 26th, 2017

A 32-year-old man has died after crashing his bike in Gatineau.

Cyclist injured Ottawa River

Cyclist dead after crash into Ottawa River

A cyclist in Gatineau is dead after crashing into the Ottawa River Wednesday morning.
Posted: Apr 26, 2017 11:56 AM ET
Last Updated: Apr 26, 2017 4:14 PM ET


Cars hit 1,083 Vulnerable Road Users in Toronto  Since June

An urban planner says Toronto is facing a "public health epidemic," after 1,083 pedestrians and cyclists were struck by cars since June. 
  • Cars hit 542 pedestrians and 541 cyclists over 112 days in 2016. (Average of nearly 10 collisions a day.)
  • Cars struck 474 pedestrians and 525 cyclists in 2015


This is the third serious incident involving a driver colliding with a cyclist this week in Ottawa alone:

'It's going to happen again': Ottawa cyclist killed on Laurier bike lane


Crikey, another one. Cyclists are such vulnerable road users. Most of us fear them, other drivers can be so careless.
Sept. 1st –A cyclist is dead after being struck by a dump truck on the Laurier segregated bike lane.
According to witnesses, the driver of a Tomlinson construction truck was turning right onto Lyon Street from Laurier Avenue around 7:49 a.m. and collided with the east-bound cyclist.
Aug. 30 – a 68-year-old man was left in critical condition after a collision between a bicycle and an SUV near the intersection of Ogilvie and Cyrville roads.
Aug. 29 – a male cyclist in his 40s was left in critical condition after he was struck by a car in the city’s east end. The collision occurred near Donald Street and the Vanier Parkway at around 6:30 a.m., according to Ottawa police. 
A 13-year-old boy died of injuries a day after his bicycle was struck by a car on busy Highway 148 in Lochaber, near Thurso, about 50 kilometres east of Gatineau.
A 45-year-old man was sent to hospital in critical condition after he was struck at the corner of Vanier Parkway and Donald St. on Monday.

Helmet Effect Undetectable in Fatality Trends (StatsCan 1994)

There are two important factors in cycling fatalities which currently get insufficient attention - cyclist behaviour and night lighting equipment. 

Really? Cycling Is the Top Sport for Head Injuries

NY Times – According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, cycling accidents played a role in about 86,000 of the 447,000 sports-related head injuries treated in emergency rooms in 2009. 


Bicyclists:  (Toronto, 2003)
About 2% of traffic fatalities are bicyclists. Some of the characteristics of these fatalities are as follows:

  • 94% of bicyclists killed in traffic crashes were 16 years of age or older;
  • 34% of fatally injured bicyclists were struck by a vehicle in darkness;
  • 19% were struck by a truck 

Coroner's Study: Cycling Death Review

Cycling Death Review

Cycling Death Review



The cyclist is the loser:
The vast majority of cycling accidents involve cyclist error or inappropriate practices. That includes collisions with motor vehicles [5 1994]. 
There is no reason to assume these behaviours have changed over the years, and with more cars on the road, it is up to the Vulnerable Road User to be predictable and to protect themselves. My photos of these cyclists prove the point. There is much competition during these rides, and many are going far too fast for safety, ignoring traffic act laws. Road Rage is a common driver, along with the car driver. Recently, during road construction, a driver tried to ram a flagger. 

Since 2002 (2003 to 2010) there have been an average of 344 pedestrian fatalities per annum and 55 cyclists. Each period has recorded a decrease of approximately 30%. Over the 10 years to 2010, the cyclist fatality trend has flattened out settling around 55 annually. I wonder how many near-incidents there are? I see them all the time.




TORONTO Cyclists 2013

In 2012, Toronto, Canada’s largest city, with a population of around 3 million people, had triple the amount of traffic-related injuries compared to Montreal, despite a population difference of only 700,000 people. This year alone has seen 51 traffic-related deaths in Toronto. This number is up from the 32 fatalities in 2012 and accounts for the 16 motorists and passengers, 3 cyclists and 32 pedestrians killed in traffic collisions in the GTA. These numbers are the highest they have been in the last five years. It’s clear that the traffic infrastructure and legislation we currently have in Toronto is not enough to keep people safe. 
Remembering Fallen TO Cyclists

Cycling Accidents: UK

  • Around 75% of fatal or serious cyclist accidents occur in urban areas 2
  • Around half of cyclist fatalities occur on rural roads
  • 75% happen at, or near, a road junction
  • 80% occur in daylight
  • 80% of cyclist casualties are male
  • Almost one quarter of the cyclists killed or injured are children
  • Around three quarters of cyclists killed have major head injuries.

Types of Accident UK

Human error is the main contributory factor involving cyclist collisions. Driver/rider error was the most frequently reported reason for the incident involving 73% of all reported accidents in 2014.
Almost two thirds of cyclists killed or seriously injured were involved in collisions at, or near, a road junction, with T-junctions being the most commonly involved. 

No comments: