When Eleanor McMahon got news of a hit and run in Ottawa that sent five cyclists to hospital with serious injuries on Sunday, she was instantly transported to the gut-wrenching day in 2006 when she learned her husband had been in a bike accident.
“I didn't sleep well last night – all I could think about was the night when my husband died,” she said yesterday from Burlington, Ont.
Her husband, Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Greg Stobbart, was cycling up a hill in Milton, Ont., when a truck driver travelling 70 kilometres an hour swerved up beside him. He was struck in the head by the dump truck's side-view mirror, thrown into a ditch, and died of various injuries. The driver was charged with reckless driving.
Ms. McMahon has since been on a mission to prevent similar collisions as the founder of Share the Road Cycling Coalition, an advocacy group.
She has been pushed off the road by drivers over the years, but last week, she spooked a cyclist herself. He was travelling down a narrow bike lane and when she edged up close to him in her Hyundai Santa Fe, “he held up his arm and was exclaiming,” she said.
She clocks just as many hours behind the wheel of her car as she does behind the handlebars of her bike and said both sides have to give a little. “It's not just about lines on the road or helpful politicians. It's about creating the kind of culture that accepts cycling,” she said.
Ms. McMahon has tips for both cyclists and drivers on how to bring a little more peace to the asphalt they share.
Cyclists
Obey the rules of the road
Ms. McMahon knows plenty of cyclists who think they're above traffic laws and routinely coast through stop signs and red lights, which can catch drivers off guard and lead to collisions. This reckless behaviour can breed cyclist-specific road rage among drivers, she said.
Have proper gear
Helmets aren't enough, Ms. McMahon said. Outfitting a bike with a mirror is necessary in high-speed zones.
“When traffic is passing you at that rate of speed, a mirror lets you look at the full flow of traffic,” she said.
Cyclists should also ride in a straight line, wear bright clothing and use lights at night.
Strength in numbers
“We've raised a generation of children who don't see bikes as a bona fide mode of transportation and parents who are scared to send them out on their bikes,” Ms. McMahon said.
For newbie cyclists or those who are dusting off their bike seats to train for a charity ride, fears of sharing the road with the gas guzzlers can be eased by joining a cycling group or tackling the asphalt with a friend, she said.
Drivers
Slow down
In Ottawa, the speed limit posted for the stretch of road where Sunday's collision took place is 80 kilometres an hour, which Ms. McMahon said is too high for a roadway shared by cyclists and motorists.
“We have a need for speed that's killing us,” she said. Canadians should take cues from Copenhagen, her favourite cycling destination, and reduce speed limits in areas where cyclists are present.
Get proper training
Ms. McMahon said there's a gaping hole in driver-training programs across the country and cyclists inhabit it.
“There's more in the driving manual about animals … and farming vehicles, but cyclists are barely a whisper,” she said.
While most provincial driver education manuals include tips on sharing the road with motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists, Ms. McMahon points to British Columbia and Quebec as leaders on the subject.
Programs need to teach and test motorists on what to do when driving alongside cyclists in various speed zones and when approaching intersections, she said.
Drivers should turn on their low-beam headlights when they're driving in a low-visibility situation and check their blind spots for cyclists. If a driver is about to make a right turn or pull into a parking space, he or she should wait for the lane to clear instead of trying to pass a cyclist at the last minute.
Penalties for collisions
The driver of the van that hit the five cyclists has been charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing bodily harm. Ms. McMahon said lawmakers could deter reckless driving near cyclists with changes to the Criminal Code. “If you don't behave accordingly, we will ticket you, we will charge you,” she said.
