As we are discussing bicycle safety. Interesting article here.
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/445155Dangers of cycling Toronto streets reduced by training, bike officer says
CYCLING RULES TO LIVE BYSome safety tips for cyclists from Const. Hugh Smith, head of bike training for Toronto police:
Ride with the flow of traffic, but within your limits. Experienced cyclists can manage busy streets, but recreational riders should walk their bike on the sidewalk when they feel unsafe on a road.
Always follow the regular rules of the road. Don't make your own up.
Be visible. Put a light on the front and blinking reflector on the back of your bike. Wear a white or yellow shirt and put reflective tape on your backpack to ensure drivers can see you.
Always wear a helmet, regardless of age or experience.
If passing a car on the right, you should do so at almost a walking speed and watch for turning signals at intersections.
Safely opening a door is the responsibility of those inside a parked vehicle, but you must always be cautious and try to stay about a metre out from the cars, and use a horn to signal your approach.
Police cracking down this week on abuses by two road adversaries: drivers and cyclists
Jun 18, 2008 04:30 AM
Dan Robson
staff reporter
Sgt. Jeff Zammit knows how dangerous biking on Toronto streets can be it's literally his day job.
The 22-year police veteran is in charge of the 40-officer community response unit doing bicycle patrols in west-end 14 Division.
Zammit says cycles are an essential tool of urban law enforcement. Crimes have a nasty habit of occurring in parks and off-road areas that officers on bikes can access and cruisers often can't.
Lawbreakers can't hear wheeled officers coming up behind them, and in heavy traffic, cycling cops can often get to a scene first.
But along with the advantages, come dangers.
Zammit can name the risks a city cyclist faces car doors opened blindly, trucks barrelling by, endless canals of streetcar tracks. While sympathetic, he also urges riders to take proactive measures to protect themselves.
Many seem to think the road rules for cyclists are different than for cars "when in fact they're not," he says, adding he often sees people pedalling through red lights and along sidewalks practices that infuriate others.
The ongoing struggle between cycles and sedans on Toronto's crowded streets has been a topic during June bike month.
Last Sunday a gathering paid tribute to Alan Tamane, a 47-year-old father of four who was killed when he collided with a garbage truck on a converging lane of Bayview Ave. while he was cycling to work a year ago.
And just last month, a 57-year-old cyclist died when he was thrown into traffic on Eglinton Ave. W. after striking a car door opened in his path.
The latest tragedy once again brought the safety of Toronto's streets into question.
Two weeks ago cycling advocates and merchants bickered over a proposal to chop a lane of traffic to make room for bike lanes along Annette St. in the west end.
A week earlier 200 peddling protestors invaded the Gardiner Expressway, shutting down traffic.
On Monday, Toronto police began a week-long campaign to corral motorists and cyclists endangering others.
The blitz is focusing on drivers who make unsafe turns, open car doors without looking or steer into bike lanes. Unruly cyclists are also being held to account.
The hope, police say, is to educate users of Range Rovers and Raleighs alike to "share the responsibility" to make roads safer.
Sgt. Zammit is prepared to lead by example.
All officers in his unit are trained in a two-day version of Can Bike, a safety program offered to the public through the Ontario Cycling Association.
He credits the training for his unit's low number of road injuries.
"You think you know how to ride a bike until you actually take the course it's well worth your while," he says.
According to Const. Hugh Smith, who oversees bike training of Toronto police officers, over 1,400 have taken a version of the Can-Bike course over the years, with many completing advanced courses for special dismounts and high speed chases.
Cycling on the job since 1994, Smith says he's never seen an officer get seriously hurt on a bike.
But he says members of public on wheels run a greater risk because they're unlikely to have had any training.
Zammit would like to see that change.
He says though his unit is cycling day and night, summer through winter, officers are constantly doing drills to ensure they're ready for obstacles they face.
By taking the time for proper training, he says, cyclists young and old can better protect themselves from the dangers of Toronto's increasingly busy streets.
