A few weeks ago, a Superior Court judge set a precedent by fining a Longueuil cyclist 1,000 $ for conduct «endangering the safety or life of persons» - he had run a red light. This section of the law had never before been used to penalize a cyclist. This news sent the cycling community into a frenzy of indignation, and rightly so, given that a motorist who hits a bicycle while carelessly opening a door is liable to a fine of 30 $. If thedooring) does not endanger people's lives or safety, I wonder how to interpret the deaths of two cyclists last summer in Montreal in such circumstances!
For years, Vélo Québec has been calling for a revision of the Highway Safety Code to eliminate aberrations like this one. The code hasn't been thoroughly revised since 1979, and lacks the precision to apply to the urban space now occupied by bicycles. In Ontario, in a new law to improve road safety, A fine ranging from 300 $ to 1000 $ may be imposed. In addition, vehicles must maintain a distance of one meter when overtaking bicycles. This is precisely the kind of improvement to the Highway Safety Code that Vélo Québec has been calling for for years.
With the arrival of spring, cyclists once again enjoy the freedom of the city. But this freedom doesn't mean that anything goes on the road. In fact, not respecting the rules is the best way to destroy cyclists' credibility and risk causing accidents. Vélo Québec agrees that dangerous cycling behaviour should be punished, e.g. running a red light, but we remain vigilant to ensure that police officers don't get too carried away enforcing obsolete sections of the law or those that don't apply to today's bicycles. Last year, we were not far from vaudeville in Montreal, when police officers in ambush intercepted cyclists for various reasons, such as a bike lacking the reflectors required by law, and without taking into account the active lighting and reflective strips used by the cyclist. It's high time Quebec updated its Highway Safety Code to provide a clear and precise definition of what is truly dangerous to others.
Good start to the season.
Suzanne Lareau
President and General Manager