Transport Safety Canada

Admin | December 22, 2011 | Comments Off

Transport Safety Canada

Transport Safety Canada

A Road to Nowhere?

Cities across North America have made it increasingly easy for cyclists to get around town. With the growing amount of bike paths and bike-sharing services, motorists are faced with an ever-growing presence in a battle for the roads. The number of cyclists on the road at any given moment has increased exponentially over the past few years. As a direct result, more and more accidents are occurring where cyclists are injured and often killed.

According to a report released, the Montreal Gazette (July 2010), approximately 800 cyclists are involved in accidents with motorists every year in this city alone (Transport Canada reports approximately 7,500 cyclists suffer serious injuries and an estimated 70,000 are treated in for various cycling-related injuries). Almost 60 per cent of these accidents occur at intersections. The way street parking is designed, motorists can park on any available corner – an incoming cyclist is often hidden by a parked car and unseen by an on-coming motorist.

Motorists are not educated on how to deal with cyclists on the road. Sharing the roads has never really been much of a concern for motorists, and they continue to dominate the blacktop. Due to commuters seeking greener, cost-cutting forms of transportation and the desire to exercise, cyclists have hit the streets in droves. Motorists have been forced into the position where they need to recognize a increasing presence on the road - and alter their driving habits as a result.