Source: The Toronto Star (http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1117102394282&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home)
Cyclists warned after youngster killed
Too early to say if charges will or won't be laid, police say
CURTIS RUSH
STAFF REPORTER THESTAR.COM
Police are reminding bicyclists across the city of the importance of obeying the rules of the road after an 11-year-old boy was struck and killed by a garbage truck at an Etobicoke intersection last night.
The unnamed boy, who was only days from his 12th birthday, was the first bicycle fatality of the year, Det. Wally Watts said.
Last year there were two bicycle fatalities and one in 2003.
The boy was struck by a City of Toronto garbage truck at about 6:40 p.m. last night in Etobicoke, police say.
It appears that the victim was wearing a bicycle helmet, but reports suggest he was not obeying the rules of the road.
He was riding home on the northside of the street rather than the proper south side and appeared to be coming off the sidewalk as he entered the intersection, police say.
The truck and bike appeared to hit head-on at the intersection.
The driver, whose name also hasn't been released, was deeply shaken, police said.
"This is really terrible," said Cons. Arthur Lane told CityPulse at the scene. "Bicyclists have rights to the road, but by the same token drivers have to be careful as well."
The garbage truck was travelling westbound on Horner Ave. approaching Sheldon Ave., in the area of Browns Line and Lake Shore Blvd., and the driver was attempting to turn right onto northbound Sheldon Ave.
At the same time, the 11-year-old boy was travelling on a bicycle eastbound on the north side of Horner Ave.
That's when the collision occurred.
The boy was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Police suggest the following tips to prevent injuries or fatalities on the roads when riding a bike:
1. Wear an approved bicycle safety helmet
2. Use proper lights and reflectors
3. Follow all road safety rules, including not riding on sidewalks.
The collision is still under investigation by members of Traffic Services.
It's too early in the investigation to say that charges won't be laid, Watts said.
closetbiker
05-26-05, 09:38 AM
All too typical, and all too sad.
tippy
05-26-05, 11:48 AM
... He was riding home on the northside of the street rather than the proper south side and appeared to be coming off the sidewalk as he entered the intersection, police say.
If he was "coming off the sidewalk" then how was he going the wrong way. Aren't sidewalks multi-directional? I would imagine that a large city with a large pedestrain traffic flow, local laws may direct the flow as required, but in general sidewalks are multi-directional. Is there a difference in Canadian traffic rules?
Police suggest the following tips to prevent injuries or fatalities on the roads when riding a bike:
1. Wear an approved bicycle safety helmet
2. Use proper lights and reflectors
3. Follow all road safety rules, including not riding on sidewalks.
Why is the only thing that might have prevented this accident listed as #3. #1 is included in #3 especially for a 11/12 year old. #2 is also included in #3.
So in a nut shell, the police "tips" should have been #1 - Follow all road rules and then inform the public that these rules include wearing of helmets (for the younger riders) and properly equiping your bike (lights, reflectors, "be seen" items, etc.)
Sorry to hear of the loss. Central florida recently experienced a young rider death and an injury. Media only reported of the incident. No follow through on what happened. I think we as a whole are not teaching ourselves nor our children how to ride bikes properly.
d.tipton
zebano
05-26-05, 11:50 AM
3. Follow all road safety rules, including not riding on sidewalks.
Kudos for including this. Too many people do not realize how dangerous the sidewalk is (or worse, jumping from sidewalk to street and back agin).
MsMittens
05-26-05, 11:58 AM
If he was "coming off the sidewalk" then how was he going the wrong way. Aren't sidewalks multi-directional? I would imagine that a large city with a large pedestrain traffic flow, local laws may direct the flow as required, but in general sidewalks are multi-directional. Is there a difference in Canadian traffic rules?
Technically, in Toronto, bicycles are not supposed to be on the sidewalks (as per Toronto By-law 32/92 -- although it does refer to bicycles being over 24"/61cm). From the description and from some TV highlights I saw it appears that he was doing some "jumps" and such. But as they said, the investigation is on-going so details will probably come out later.
[edit]A little further research and I found the following:
In Toronto, only bicycles that have a wheel diameter of 24 inches or smaller are permitted on sidewalks. This by-law is intended to allow children to ride on the sidewalk until they develop the awareness and skills to operate a bicycle safely on the road. Children should be taught to: ride slowly on sidewalks; avoid startling pedestrians by politely announcing their approach (use a bell); always give pedestrians the right of way; at intersections, stop and yield to traffic; try to make eye-contact with drivers; walk through cross-walks. (Cycling across a street within a crosswalk is not permitted.) This advice also applies where off-road trails intersect with streets.
emphasis is mine
closetbiker
05-26-05, 12:30 PM
So in a nut shell, the police "tips" should have been #1 - Follow all road rules and then inform the public that these rules include wearing of helmets (for the younger riders) and properly equiping your bike (lights, reflectors, "be seen" items, etc.)
The helmet had no benefit in this instance. Following the road rules would have prevented this from occurring, but clearly, there was presense of mind to wear a helmet, but not to follow the rules. See how well that worked out? So sad because it was so preventable.
cyclingshane73
05-26-05, 12:37 PM
Very sad...just plain sad. As a father these types of incidents really make me think about the teaching and safety of my own kids as I begin to teach my oldest how to ride her little pink bike. I know for the anti helmet crowd it may not mean much, however I've got her putting the lid on before she throws a leg over the saddle. As was pointed out though, not that a helmet could save this poor boys life. Sad...
Helmet Head
05-26-05, 12:59 PM
Incidents like this really make me wonder whether we should have some kind of mandatory certification/license program for cyclists, including kids.
The real tragedy here is that the kid probably had no idea how dangerous sidewalk cycling is.
On top of that, most people will probably misinterpret this incident to indicate how dangerous cycling is inherently (even though it can be accomplished, even in fast/busy traffic, quite safely, if you know what you're doing).
Serge
John E
05-26-05, 01:19 PM
Sidewalk cycling is a bit like jumping off a building. The activity itself is no problem, it's just that abrupt stop at the end (or that abrupt entry into a driveway or intersection).
The best way to prevent tragedies of the type reported here is for parents to know how to ride in a safe fashion (many/most don't) and to communicate this to their kids, preferably by cycling with them as they grow up. (I took my two sons for quite a few bike rides as they grew up and regret not doing alot more. I hope I'll eventually have an opportunity to teach safe cycling technique to my future grandchildren.) I would also like to see schools host bicycle safety clinics led by EC instructors who understand and acknowledge the special requirements of child cyclists. (John Franklin cautions that his excellent little book, "Cyclecraft," is targeted expressly to adult riders.)
I-Like-To-Bike
05-26-05, 04:49 PM
Incidents like this really make me wonder whether we should have some kind of mandatory certification/license program for cyclists, including kids.
I knew after so much "stuff" about the evils of bike lanes, the other VC shoe (the VC proselytizers' bottom line) would drop sometime.
operator
05-26-05, 08:59 PM
Too bad his parents should've taught him the proper way to cycle.
Bruce Rosar
05-26-05, 09:07 PM
If he was "coming off the sidewalk" then how was he going the wrong way. Aren't sidewalks multi-directional? We need to think "outside the sidewalk" to understand the situation and see that "wrong way" means "riding against the flow of traffic in the road".
Several years ago, Richard C. Moeur wrote: Cyclists riding against the flow of traffic will enter intersections and driveways from a literally unseen (and unseeable) location, and no amount of traffic calming, signing, or other treatment can alleviate that.
See pages 17-24 of the Presentation on Bicycle Facility Design (http://www.richardcmoeur.com/bikestuf.html) on my website. Also, from the Traffic Control Devices Handbook, published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers:
--- begin excerpt ---
Problems with Parallel Separated Paths
It is frequently assumed that a separated parallel pathway along an arterial street or highway will provide a superior facility for bicyclists than the provision of on-street accommodations. While a parallel path may be aesthetically appealing, and may serve pedestrians well, the use of sidewalks or parallel separated paths for bicycle accommodation creates the following problems:
- These paths will operate as sidewalks, and will be used in both directions, despite signing to the contrary. Bicyclists coming from the right will not be noticed by drivers emerging from or entering cross streets and driveways. See Figure 13 for diagrams that show these potential conflicts.
- Travel in the direction opposite the flow of traffic is particularly hazardous during hours of darkness, because bicyclists may be blinded by oncoming motor vehicle headlamps.
- At intersections, drivers will not be looking for bicyclists, who will be traveling much faster than pedestrians, to enter the crosswalk area.
- At approaches to intersections, parked vehicles interfere with the visibility of bicyclists to road users. Also, at driveways sight distances on sidewalks and sidepaths are often impaired by buildings, property
fences, vegetation, and other obstructions.
- Stopped cross street motor vehicle traffic or vehicles exiting side streets or driveways may block the sidepath or sidewalk.
- These paths are typically not safe for higher-speed use. Due to the speed differential, conflicts between bicyclists and pedestrians are common. Fixed objects such as parking meters, utility poles, sign posts, bus shelters and benches, trees, hydrants, and cross-sloped sidewalk ramps also pose a hazard to bicyclists.
- The development of extremely wide sidewalks or sidepaths does not necessarily add to the safety of bicycle travel, as wide sidewalks and paths will encourage higher speed bicycle use, magnifying the potential for conflicts at intersections and driveways, and conflicts with pedestrians and fixed objects.
- Many bicyclists will use the roadway instead of the sidewalk or sidepath because they have found the highway to be safer, more convenient, or better maintained. Bicyclists using the roadway are often subjected to harassment by motorists, who feel that in all cases bicyclists should be on the sidepath or sidewalk instead.
- There is the potential on sidewalks for bicyclists to accidentally ride off the curb, possibly causing a fall or collision with traffic on the roadway. While pathways may reduce the possibility of such collisions by using the recommended 1.5 m (5 ft) separation between the path and the roadway, such pathways will still be vulnerable to most of the other problems listed here.
- Experience has shown that the use of STOP or YIELD signs on sidewalks and pathways to reduce conflicts at driveways and cross streets has little or no benefit. Bicyclists will not comply with unreasonable restrictions on their right of way, especially if the adjacent roadway has no such limitations. This may also breed disrespect for other traffic control devices that are far more important for traffic safety.
--- end excerpt ---
(Note: Figure 13 is a compilation of the figures on pages 22-24 of the presentation on my site)
Richard C. Moeur, P.E., WC7RCM, E.C.I., whatever...
Practicing Traffic Engineer (I'll get it right someday...)
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
"Life is just one W1-5 after another, until the W14-1"
The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of
the Arizona Department of Transportation. Really.