Safety First When It Comes To Cyclists!

With the great spring weather, many cyclists are out enjoying the scenic roads in our area.  Along with weekenders, there are a number of local cyclists training for the Ride To Conquer Cancer and the Centurion Race at Blue Mountain this September. Many motorists are not aware of cyclists’ rights.  More than ever it seems that motorists are frustrated with cyclists to the point of where they are putting the cyclists in danger.  The Ontario Highway Traffic Act states that “Every person in charge of a vehicle on a highway meeting a person travelling on a bicycle shall allow the cyclist sufficient room on the roadway to pass.”  In other words we must share the roads. This goes for cyclists as well as motorists.

The Highway Traffic Act also states that when being overtaken, cyclists must move to the right and that vehicles overtaking shall move to the left as far as necessary to avoid a collision.  As there is often debris, potholes, sewers or sand at the right hand side of the road, it is often not safe for cyclists to move to the very edge. In addition, motorists squeezing a cyclist over and overtaking without waiting for a safe time to change lanes leaves no margin for error.  Other factors including wide side-view mirrors and trailers towed behind vehicles require even more room. Cyclists are not out to inconvenience motorists but they are entitled to safe space on the roads. We all need to keep safety as our top priority, regardless of how much of a hurry we are in.