Fewer Cars on the Road Did Not Improve Cycling Safety During the Pandemic

August 19, 2021, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Some numbers are in for 2020 and the news isn’t great. We know that more Canadians took up cycling for commuting to work and for recreation. We also know that the number of people commuting to work by car, and driving in general of cars decreased in 2020. Many municipalities implemented emergency bike lanes in an attempt to increase cyclist safety. What we also Know is that 74 cyclists die every year in Canada in accidents.

So how did 2020 shape up? Well according to Canadian Cycling Magazine the preliminary data indicates no much has changed in Canada’s major cities.

In fact, a grim study from Australia found that during their lockdown cyclist fatalities increased by 29%. This may be due to the huge increase in the number of people cycling, or simply due to bad driving on part of auto and bicycle drivers.

In Toronto, there were three cyclists killed within a two-month time span, and a total of 22 pedestrians and cyclists were killed in the city alone in 2020. National statistics are not yet available, but it seems that in Toronto proper the number of cyclist deaths has remained constant for the last few years. Toronto went to great lengths to install cycling lanes and even restricted some streets from car traffic to try and keep cyclists safe in the pandemic.

Cyclist accidents involving cars almost always end up with moderate to severe injuries for the cyclist. Sometimes they end with death. In recognition of the dangers on the roads, across Canada municipalities have adopted Vision Zero as an approach to making vulnerable road users safe on the roads. The goal is zero deaths. Common cycling injuries include broken bones, back injuries, concussion, TBI, head wounds, and internal damage.

If you have been in a cycling accident and been injured contact our experienced lawyers today for a free consultation.

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

It is important that you review your accident benefit file with one of our experienced personal injury / car accident lawyers to ensure that you obtain access to all your benefits which include, but are limited to, things like physiotherapy, income replacement benefits, vocational retraining and home modifications.