The tragedy that took the life of Meryem Anoun, a 41-year-old mother, at the intersection of rue Bélanger and 6th Avenue in Montreal on July 14 once again raises the issue of the cohabitation of bicycles and heavy goods vehicles on our streets and roads. Trucks and buses are involved in just 4 % of collisions with cyclists, but 31 % of cycling fatalities result from a collision with a truck! And according to Santé publique de Montréal, truck collisions cause serious injury or death to the cyclist in 15 % of cases, compared with 5 % when they involve light vehicles. We know that these trucks have many blind spots, and that they are still too rarely fitted with side guards or parabolic mirrors. In our densely populated urban environments, this poses a real problem.
Last winter, Vélo Québec made the following point his point of view during the public consultations of the Commission sur les transports de la Ville de Montréal on the cohabitation of vulnerable users and heavy vehicles. We talked, of course, about the importance of facilities for safe cycling. We also talked about the equipment that should be fitted to trucks that venture into our neighborhoods, where we walk, pedal and where our children play. A series of 30 recommendations The City of Montreal's Executive Committee has 6 months to implement these changes, as part of its Vision Zero Accidents program. It's a safe bet, however, that these changes won't happen overnight. They will also require campaigning and dialogue with the organizations, unions and others that are close to the truck drivers who make their daily way into our cities.
So perhaps it's time for a gradual migration to trucks with designs better suited to urban traffic, as found in cities all over Europe. This is true for delivery vehicles and all emergency vehicles.
While we await the systemic changes that will enable the biggest companies to better look after the safety of the most vulnerable, we are unfortunately obliged to repeat these few words. self-defense tips When riding a bicycle, never ride on the side of a truck or bus. If you can't make eye contact with the driver, stay behind the vehicle and keep your distance in case it backs up. Bear in mind that the truck driver can't see you, and you have to think for both of us.
Suzanne Lareau
President and General Manager
