Taking out my bike the other day...
If you’re an amateur cyclist like me, you know the utter joy of reconnecting with your bike… and with spring. This year in particular, the number of cyclists and motorists on the road has left a big impression on me. But that’s a normal phenomenon, you say, their numbers are ever growing. True enough, and on that beautiful day there was no denying it. There’s also no denying the contentious issue of road-sharing.
I can hear it already: the way motorists and cyclists accuse one another of all kinds of bad behaviour. What if I were to suggest that we think instead about the mutual misunderstanding that characterizes these two groups of road users? Because that’s what a recent CAA-Quebec survey brought out.
In the survey, 52 percent of cyclists said motorists showed little or no respect. Meanwhile, 64 percent of motorists said cyclist behaviour was less than safe. As a member of both groups, I can state firmly that during every outing, I see flawed behaviour all around.
Between you and me, I’m with those who prefer to work towards a solution together rather than apart – all the more so as cyclists and motorists live by the same legal rules and obligations. This point was driven home recently when a Longueuil cyclist whose behaviour could have led to serious consequences on the road was found guilty of a Highway Safety Code violation.1Raising public awareness is vital, and that’s a goal CAA-Quebec is striving to achieve by filling its website with a wealth of information on the subject.
In an urban setting, the situation is especially alarming. In 2013, 713 cyclists suffered accidents and 107 others were the victim of a dooring in the territory served by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal. That should remind us all just how vulnerable cyclists are.
Another thing that struck me on that day was the condition of the roads. You may have had the same experience. Cracks, potholes, sunken manhole covers – cyclists and motorists also have to share the (poor) quality of our infrastructure. And now that the idea of sustainable mobility is in the news, I can’t help but think that road-sharing also presents a challenge for public authorities, which must take into account the needs of different means of transportation, including public transit and bicycles. Because road-sharing is a growing phenomenon.
Richard Lachance,
President and CEO
1 Ville de Longueuil vs Rodrigue, C. S. 2013-12-05