Photo credit: Hallgrimsson/Wikimedia Commons
In a three week window spanning late-May and early-June 2015, three cyclists were killed in accidents in the city of Toronto. With those three deaths, the city matched its total number of cyclist fatalities in all of 2014 and brought the total number of road deaths for the year to 31, nearly triple last year’s total. While the number of Toronto residents actively using bicycles in their day-to-day lives has steadily increased over the past several years, a Rob Ford-inspired schism between drivers and cyclists, in addition to insufficient funding for infrastructure upgrades, has resulted in a failure to adequately protect two-wheeled road users. Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers’ bicycle accident lawyers are proud to represent victims in court, but without concerted action from multiple levels of government, we may continue to see a high number of bicycle accidents in Canadian cities.
However, not all is lost. The Province of Ontario’s recently revised rules of the road include special protection for cyclists, and some cities are making a focused effort to encourage cycling, including the Nation’s Capital.
If you’ve spent any time struggling up and down the steep inclines of the Gatineau Hills, you know that the National Capital Region is an ideal cycling location. But while the recreational cycling scene thrives in Ottawa, the city has failed to attract the sort of commuter cyclist base found in larger cities like Toronto and Montreal. Ottawa recently performed a detailed cycling audit as part of the 2013 Ottawa Cycling Plan (OCP2013), a long-term strategy to strengthen and support cycling in the city. The audit was performed on September 14 by more than 50 cyclists riding on prominent city routes. Its goal was to gain a cyclist’s perspective on road safety and the state of infrastructure in the city.
Under OCP2013, the city is aiming to make cycling “an attractive everyday mobility option for a range of residents across Ottawa”; to increase the percentage of Ottawans commuting to work from four to eight; and make multi-modal travel more accessible, among other goals. Integral to all of these objectives is cyclist safety, which means not only contacting police or a bicycle accident lawyer in case of an injury, but educating both drivers and cyclists on their rights to the road, investing in enhanced cycling infrastructure, and enforcing Ontario’s new rules.
Similar common sense steps to improving bike-friendliness would greatly improve the plight of cyclists in Toronto, where everyone from bike activists to police to bicycle accident lawyers are becoming fed up with the rate of bicycle injuries in the city.
“No one should have to risk their lives by simply going out for a bike ride,” executive director of Cycle Toronto Jared Kolb told Metronews.ca. “We think the city has really got to get serious with building a citywide grid of protected bike lanes and funding cycling infrastructure. It’s just taking far too long.”
If you or a member of your family has suffered a cycling injury, contact one of Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers’ bicycle accident lawyers today. We have been acting on behalf of personal injury victims throughout Ontario for over 45 years, and know how to get you the compensation you deserve. Call 1-866-902-4242 for a free consultation.
Greg Neinstein
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