Cyclists feel safer on sidewalks
Posted Sep 12, 2011 01:51:09 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Waterloo Region’s latest report on road collisions shows that in seven out of every ten crashes involving a cyclist, the cyclist was riding improperly.
The 2010 Collision Report shows that cyclists were at fault 73 per cent of the time in a total of 616 collisions between 2006 and 2010. That amounts to 449 collisions over five years in which the cyclist was deemed at fault. The report also shows that in more than half of those collisions (55%), the cyclist had been riding in a crosswalk. Cyclists in the age group 20 to 24 had the highest number of improper riding collisions.
Rob McIntosh is a cycling activist who contributes to the local blog www.waterloobikes.ca. But he looks at the numbers as more of a bylaw issue than evidence that cyclists are reckless.
“(The report) goes on to talk about pedestrians and how they’re not at fault for their part in these (collisions) in the crosswalks,” McIntosh states in explaining his position. “But the only difference is the bylaw. There’s no evidence, from what I can see, that there’s any real difference in the dangers (between using a crosswalk as a pedestrian or while riding a bike). It’s just that the bylaw states that if you’re in the crosswalk on two wheels than you’re at fault.”
What McIntosh is suggesting is that cyclists and pedestrians are at equal danger when crossing an intersection at a crosswalk and the statistics fail to demonstrate any driver error that may have played a role in the collision. Under the rules of the Highway Traffic Act, the cyclist is automatically at fault for failing to dismount.
McIntosh believes the collision statistics are symptomatic of a larger problem. Cyclists are involved in these collisions, he says, because they don’t feel safe riding on the road.
“Casual riders are more likely to be on the sidewalks and I think that’s a pretty good indicator that they don’t feel safe on the roads,” McIntosh speculates. “Even with the (bike) lanes, even with all that stuff, they still don’t feel safe on the roadway.”
Even as a year-round, avid cyclist, McIntosh endorses sidewalk riding. But he admits it must be done respectfully and not “at 30 or 40 km/h.” He also does not endorse riding through crosswalks. While he’s willing to push for change in bylaws that would allow sidewalk riding, McIntosh is not about to advocate for change in the Highway Traffic Act with regards to dismounting at crosswalks.
Through it all, McIntosh remains optimistic the collision stats will generate dialogue which, in turn, will lead to changes that will make cycling safer.
“(Engineers) may not go out and say cyclists are all reckless. They may not have that judgment on that number that we have when we read it but it’s good that they’re looking at these numbers and asking how we can reduce that 70 per cent where (cyclists) are at fault,” McIntosh says. “Maybe they’re saying we should get them off the sidewalk with other types of biking infrastructure.”
The purpose of the annual collision report is to provide various stakeholders the information they need to make improvements to road safety in the region.
