Bike advocacy group disappointed in city’s public education plan

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A leading bike advocacy group says the City of Ottawa’s new public education plan to improve safety between drivers and cyclists is full of “misinformation” and has landed like a flat tire.

“We have let the city know we do not support most of what they are saying,” Bike Ottawa president Dave Robertson said.

“Unfortunately, they are laying blame with the vulnerable people, who don’t have the power against those who are driving the multi-ton vehicles.”

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The city consulted with community associations, advocacy and not-for-profit groups before launching the “We Have Work To Do” promotional campaign that also includes safety suggestions in relationships between drivers and pedestrians and drivers and motorcyclists.

John Wambombo, the Safer Roads Ottawa program co-ordinator who spearheaded the project, disagrees with Robertson’s assessment that drivers aren’t being held accountable for their share of issues on the roads.

“The objective of the city’s road safety plan is to achieve changing behaviours, to improve habits and create a better culture of road safety,” Wambombo said.

“What we did in the (campaign) is highlighted in the protective measures that drivers should do, that it’s a shared responsibility if there’s a collision.”

Wambombo says the message to drivers is to make sure they’re clear to proceed at intersections, to not rush and to recognize who is most at risk.

“With respect to cyclists, we’re asking them to ride defensively, to let them know of things they can do to enhance their safety on the road, (offer them) tips and resources they can use,” he said.

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Without question, asking drivers and cyclists to show respect for each other is an enormous challenge. Road rage between four wheelers and two wheelers on Ottawa roads has evolved into a summer ritual, with fingers and four-letter words flying back and forth.

Sometimes, the only thing drivers and cyclists have in common is seeing orange, as in mutual dismay at all the signs, detours and pylons signalling construction projects.

Wambombo acknowledges there “are minorities on the extreme sides, cyclists who don’t think drivers should be on the road and drivers who don’t think cyclists should be on the road,” but believes there our ways for the sides to meet in the middle.

The new effort is part of a broader objective of a full Road Safety Plan, which also includes addressing impaired, aggressive and distracted driving.

The good news is there has been a slight decline in the number of serious collisions involving cars, bikes and pedestrians over the past few years.

The city reported 156 “FMI collisions” — defined as accidents resulting in deaths or major injuries — involving pedestrians between 2018 and 2022, down from 190 in 2013-17. The 2018-22 numbers represent 25 per cent of all FMI accidents, compared to 26 per cent in the earlier period.

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Cyclists were involved in 65 FMI collisions from 2018 to 2022, a drop from 79 between 2013 and 2017. In both time frames, that represented 10 per cent of all reported serious collisions.

There were 110 FMI collisions involving motorcyclists in 2013-17 (15 per cent) and 87 in 2018-22 (14 per cent).

One accident is one too many, though, which is why the city is focused on the “most vulnerable” groups on the roads.

The new initiative offers guidance, including illustrations, on how cyclists and drivers can better look out for each other.

That includes reminding cyclists to be aware of “blind spots” for vehicle drivers and to position themselves accordingly at intersections. The “safe zones” are either in front or behind each vehicle, not beside it.

“Picture a smaller road user, like a cyclist, waiting to turn right at an intersection beside a truck,” the instruction reads. “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.”

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Drivers, the city says, also “need to be aware of all road users in the blind spots.”

There’s additional advice for both drivers and cyclists to prevent collisions, telling both to know and follow the rules of the road.

Cyclists are advised to signal when they are going to stop or turn, to wear helmets and colourful clothing and to make sure vehicle drivers see them before moving into an intersection.

Those travelling on two wheels are also told that “looking directly at the driver is a good strategy.”

For their part, drivers are reminded that bicycles are considered vehicles under the Highway Traffic Act, “so respect them as you would any other vehicle on the road.”

Additionally, car and truck drivers are reminded to check for approaching cyclists before opening car doors, to leave a safe distance when passing bikes — “at least one metre where possible” — and to not tailgate.

Further, the city’s campaign points out to drivers that cyclists are permitted to ride on paved roads or paved shoulders in rural areas.

The way Robertson reads it all, though, that puts far too much onus on cyclists.

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“Make eye-contact with drivers?” he said. “How do you do that if there are tinted windows? It says that other road users are unpredictable, so you should wear helmets. Helmets are for when you fall off your bike, not for collisions. That kind of misinformation is tough to see.”

In the bigger picture, Robertson argues Ottawa needs more segregated bike lines, which would eliminate many potential trouble spots, including those at busy intersections.

“They need to design an infrastructure so that, when people make mistakes, it’s not so dangerous,” Robertson said. “Everyone makes mistakes.”

That, however, falls under a bigger picture street re-design for the city and is not part of the current campaign.

kwarren@postmedia.com

X: Citizenkwarren

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