Walking, biking, scooting, driving – we all want to stay safe on our roads, no matter our mode of travel. But we are more vulnerable to severe injury from vehicle collisions when we are pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Adults over 65 and children under 15 are also more at risk.
Consider cyclists: out of 673 fatal and serious injury collisions between 2017 and 2021, approximately 10% involved cyclists. That’s 69 people on bikes who were seriously injured or died. All these collisions were preventable.
Here are tips for safely sharing our roads.
Blind spots: Beware and be aware
Blind spots can cause fatal and major injury collisions. Picture a smaller road user, like a cyclist waiting to turn right at an intersection beside a truck. From inside the truck, the driver simply cannot see a cyclist in the truck’s blind spot. If the cyclist advances straight and the driver starts to turn right, a devastating scene can unfold.
The bigger the vehicle, the bigger the blind spot.
Drivers need to be aware of all road users in their blind spots. The vulnerable road users – cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists, people using mobility devices and even small cars – need to know where the blind spots are and how to stay out of them, particularly at intersections. The posters below show blind spots and safe spots, where the driver can see you.
What drivers can do to prevent collisions
These are preventative driving behaviours you should know and follow:
- Know and follow the rules of the road.
- Bicycles are considered vehicles under the Highway Traffic Act so respect them as you would any other vehicle on the road.
- In rural areas, cyclists are permitted to ride on the paved road or paved shoulder.
- Before opening your car doors, check for cyclists and open the door slowly.
- When passing a cyclist, leave a safe distance between your car and the bicycle – at least one metre where possible.
- At intersections, check for approaching cyclists especially when you are making a right-hand turn.
- Don’t tailgate.
What cyclists can do to prevent collisions
These are protective riding behaviours you can do:
- Know and follow the rules of the road.
- At intersections, be sure vehicles see you before moving into the intersection. Looking directly at the driver is a good strategy.
- Signal when you are about to turn or stop.
- Be aware of all vehicles around you.
- Wear a helmet. Even if you ride responsibly, you are still vulnerable to mistakes by other road users.
- Wear bright or reflective clothing in low light conditions.
- Comply with the Highway Traffic Act which requires bikes to have:
- A horn or bell
- A white light at the front
- A red rear light or red rear reflector
- Two strips of white reflective tape on front forks (each strip to be 125mm by 25mm)
What the City is doing
The City is committed to a Complete Streets approach to its transportation network, which specifies the physical elements needed for the safety, comfort and mobility of all users regardless of age, ability or mode of transportation.
The 2024 Implementation of the Road Safety Action Plan guides the City’s current education, enforcement and engineering initiatives. A sample of our work to improve cycling safety in 2024 includes:
- Cycling safety enhancements at:
- Elgin Street and Laurier Avenue
- Laurier Avenue from Queen Elizabeth Driveway to Elgin Street
- Bayview Station Road at Scott Street
- Plans for more infrastructure improvements:
- Ogilvie Road and Cummings Avenue
- King Edward Avenue and Sussex Drive
- Alta Vista Drive and Industrial Avenue
- Improved signage and pavement markings for cyclists
- Public events to educate drivers, cyclists and pedestrians about road safety. A full list of events can be found on the Safe Roads Ottawa website
The City is also doing an education campaign covering the following topics:
- Vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists)
- Intersections
- Impaired drivers
- Distracted drivers
- Aggressive driving (speeding, tailgating, unsafe lane changes)
- Rural roads
This story is part of that education campaign, as is the Cyclists section on ottawa.ca.
We are all responsible for protecting and respecting each other’s safety when using our roads because everyone suffers when collisions occur.
