Posted by Les Faber in I woke up this morning to read about two cyclists getting into accidents with vehicles (CBC news story below). What an awful occurrence! Unfortunately, the losers in these collisions are always the cyclists. I don’t know the individuals involved nor do I know how the accidents transpired. I hope they will be okay.
Being familiar with Highway 15 and having cycled it (by accident when we got waylaid during the Rideau Lakes Cycling Tour 2 weeks ago), I am well-aware of the dangers associated with cycling on that particular road. It is especially dangerous where the road only has 2 lanes and a minimal shoulder. During our ride I was nervous as cars and trucks were passing us at high speed.
The worse situation is when you have an oncoming vehicle and one approaching from behind. Invariably the vehicle that is approaching from behind fails to yield to the cyclist (you) and tries to squeeze by. The end result is usually a close call. Or in some cases worse. Large trucks and other wide vehicles are usually to blame. This almost happened to me last year on Jockvale Road. Soccer Mom driving Honda Odyssey (I remember all to well). As well during the final stages of the Rideau Lakes Cycling Tour, Barry was run off Richmond Road by a ParaTranspo van driver who did not yield to his right of way on the road.
As a cyclist, please be aware of motorized vehicular traffic. Don’t be aggressive. Back down where need be. In a collision with a car or truck you will loose. And wear a helmet.
I have vented!
Two accidents where cyclists and vehicles collided closed roads in the Ottawa area on Friday afternoon.Paramedics were called to the intersection of Rideau and Charlotte streets in Ottawa’s Sandy Hill neighbourhood at around 2 p.m.
According to an Ottawa Paramedic Service media release, a 34-year-old cyclist suffered a head injury and a serious break of her lower leg when her bike and a car collided in the intersection.
The woman was not wearing a helmet and was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital in serious but stable condition.
The westbound lanes of Rideau Street were closed as the Ottawa Police Service investigated the accident.
Also Friday afternoon, a section of Highway 15 remained closed after a 19-year-old cyclist was struck by a dump truck earlier in the day. The collision happened at around 10 a.m.
Highway 15 was closed in both directions at Frank’s Road, near the town of Smiths Falls, about 80 kilometres southwest of Ottawa.
Police said they had created a detour along Bush Road and Davis Locks Road.
The cyclist was in hospital but it wasn’t known how seriously hurt he was.Ontario Provincial Police continued to investigate.
There are a couple short stretches of road I take on my commute to and from work where there it becomes a narrow two-lane road with virtually no shoulder (a few inches in some parts, but nothing substantial), which can get pretty hairy during rush hour. I’ve pulled over into driveways to let traffic pass more than once. I find the bloated Titanic-sized SUVs are the worst for passing (along with luxury car drivers), maybe they simply don’t know the dimensions of their own vehicle.
I hope the cyclists in these crashes will be ok, but I fully agree, helmets are necessary. The areas we live in are not all that cyclist-friendly, autos still rule, and right-of-way is not worth dying for.