Cycle safety blitzes could curb offences

While I agree with Monna-Leigh McElveny that education for both cyclists and motorists is key to safe riding/driving, there is somewhat of an imbalance in terms of responsibility for safety on the road. It’s not a question of us-versus-them, it’s a question of equal responsibility. I live on a main thoroughfare that is used by hundreds of cyclists daily and have had ample opportunity to observe their habits. I continue to be irritated by cyclists who blow through stop signs and red lights, and generally ignore the same rules to which motor vehicles are subject under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act. On more than one occasion, I have narrowly avoided colliding with cyclists who sped through stop signs.

There is a glaring need for more frequent cycle safety blitzes with associated fines commensurate with the offence (fine, and loss of driver’s licence demerit points, for example, for failing to stop at a stop sign). In addition, I believe that mandatory education, and issuing of licences for bicycles, would make it much easier to report cyclists who flagrantly break the law. Vehicle licence plates allow citizens to do just that. Why not cyclists?

Road safety is a joint responsibility between motorists and cyclists, and it’s high time that cyclists take responsibility for safe riding.

Linda Lefebvre, Nepean