City
U of T Professor Killed In Bike Collision
I don't take the TTC, I avoid cabs, and I just don't have the patience to do any real walking. I bike everywhere. So whenever I hear about a biker being killed in Toronto, I take it to heart. On April 20th, Hubert van Tol, professor of pharmacology at U of T, was killed when he was struck by a dump truck biking at Avenue Rd. and Briar Hill Ave.
Torontoist, Eye, Spacing, and Reading Toronto are all blaming this death on the lack of side-guard regulations for trucks.
From the Eye article:
"this man's death was entirely preventable. In fact, if he'd been involved in a similar accident in the UK or Europe, he'd likely be alive right now. That's because, on the other side of the Atlantic, trucks are required to have side guards that prevent cyclists, pedestrians and small cars from getting underneath transport trucks. When a cyclist in France strikes the side of a truck, instead of falling underneath the truck and being run over, she bounces off the guard and falls away from the path of the wheels. Such a cyclist may be injured, but in most cases she'll still be alive."
Since we can't expect the city to suddenly start doing the right thing, bikers need to take safety into their own hands. I just bought myself a new helmet, and I am constantly thinking about ways to avoid dangerous biking situations. Please honour Hubert van Tol by protecting yourself too. [Originally posted on The Newspaper]
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Just look at how many bicyclists driving recklessly on the road!
exactly.. let's start off by giving tickets to bicylists who are cycling below speed limit, not stopping at red light, crash into cars that are making a right turn, cycling against traffic or turning themselves into pedestrians cycling on side walk...
They already give tickets to bicyclists who run red lights, and even stop signs (I got one once, but the cop didn't show up in court and it was dismissed). But, if I run a red light, chances are that I will only get myself killed. Cars are much more fatal to others.
Phoenix:
Firstly, there's no such thing as driving 'below speed limit'. Speed limits are MAXIMUM speeds, not minimums.
Cops absolutely should (and do!) ticket cyclists who run reds, drive on the sidewalk (a personal pet peeve of mine) and the like.
But as for hitting cars doing right turns, traffic moving straight has right-of-way over turning traffic. It is the responsibility of the car drivers to make sure they don't hit a cyclist (or get into the cyclists lane) when turning right.
Remember: Bikes were on the roads long before cars were.
sure there is, try driving 10km/hr on 401 and see if you will get a ticket
you pretentious, sneering, miserable asshat,
we are talking about people's lives, not dents in your car
I bike and drive and I see them both make mistakes. Bikers who do the following should have their bikes taken away or write their own death certificate:
-bike on the sidewalk
-run red lights
-don't bike next to the cub and take up an entire lane
-get to a stopsign/traffic light and move to the front of the que (don't pass a stationary car that's already passed you or you'll really piss someone off)
-never signal turns
and drivers, drive with your heads out of your asses and stop parking in the bike lanes.
Pedestrians need to realize that it is dangerous drivers that force nervous bikers onto the sidewalk. Although it is my opinion, that if you are that nervous then you shouldn't be biking.
Turn signals are useful sometimes, but again, thanks to bad drivers they are only so useful. My philosophy is that if you need to make a hand signal just to make a turn safely, then don't make that turn.
I have learned never to trust drivers, and always expect the worst from them. They will always redefine your concept of worst.
Zach, taking the lane is sometimes the safest thing that a cyclist can do. For example, on narrow roadways with parked cars, the cyclist can either risk getting doored by riding too far to the right, risk getting hit from the car passing them too closely, or take the lane and piss of some motorists for a block or so.
The stupid people are the problem. Not the bikes, not the cars, not even the laws. The stupid, obnoxious, self-absorbed people who, no matter what they're driving/riding, think they are the most important thing on the road.
- reduced visibility to both same- and cross-directional traffic (a lot of accidents happen because drivers don't notice cyclists - this was one such accident apparently!)<br>
- increased number of close passes<br>
- increased possibility of right hooks<br>
- no room for swerving should something unexpected occur (like a pedestrian suddenly stepping off the sidewalk or a car right-hooking you)<br>
- inability to make left turns<br>
- the door prize (being struck by a parked car door)<br>
- running into debris, potholes, improperly installed sewer grates (they are very slippery in the rain too!)<br><br>
Sometimes it is imperative for the biker's safety that he take the full lane to discourage cars from passing him when it isn't safe to do so. Some stupid drivers might get irritated at that because of their ignorance, but they aren't likely to run you over. They are far more likely to run over you if they don't notice you... Of course, you should keep to the right if it is safe and practicable to do so but in a lot of situations (lane too narrow to share, you're approaching an intersection with the intention of going straight or turning right etc) staying to the right is attempted suicide!<br><br>
Do you know that it's in the books that cyclists should stay AT LEAST half a meter from a curb while biking? In fact I wonder if keeping too far to the right wasn't a factor in this tragic accident.<br><br>
Read a book by J. Forester called "Effective Cycling". You might be surprised at what you learn.
If every biker in Toronto was more active in claiming their space I think that drivers would begin to realize that it is THEIR space (too).
Installing a powerful airhorn is also a good idea - I made a large truck grind to a halt when I opened on it with my horn (with its own 80-100 psi refillable reservoir of compressed air).
Ironically, I just saw a pedestrian bodycheck a cyclist in an ad for suits just now.