Cycling

Is it a Motor Assisted Cycle (MAC) or a Limited Speed Motorcycle (LSM)? In the case of R v Rei it all comes down to whether there are pedals installed so that the driver may physically propel the device or not.

This document from the US Federal Highway Administration includes an overview of basic principles of the safety of cyclists and potential issues affecting cyclists, as well as information on how to conduct a Road Safety Audit (RSA) and effectively assess the safety of cyclists.

Dixon Ormiston fell from his bicycle and sustained serious injury after being forced against a concrete abutment by a vehicle that veered into his path while he was passing it on the right side. Of interest in deciding the liability in this case is the examination of passing on the right, both by a vehicle driver and a cyclist.

I was impressed with the cycling facilities I saw when I visited Portland, Oregon, and by the number of people that I saw using them. Cycle paths, accomodation for bicycles on light rail and the bus and even traffic signals that applied directly to cyclists. All of these things worked together to promote the use of the bicycle for both commuting and recreation because they increased the safety a cyclist felt.

I believe bicycles and motor vehicles can exist together on our highways. I am concerned, however, with the amount of bicycle riders I see not wearing a helmet. I was most pleased back in 1997 when BC came out with a bicycle helmet law and other provinces probably didn't.

What are the rights and obligations of cyclists and motorists if the cyclist should choose to ride on the highway under snowy winter conditions? Uncleared pathways and cycling routes were forcing cyclists to choose to ride on the plowed streets of one Vancouver Island municipality resulting in a number of inquiries at city hall. Should cyclists be using the streets in winter time?

Road users, drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, have a duty to take reasonable care for themselves and others. If they do not follow the traffic rules they assume a heightened duty of care according to the courts. In this case both the driver and the cyclist involved failed to do so and collided with each other.

I live on the Island Highway close to the downtown area of Campbell River. Over the past decade both as a pedestrian and as a motorist I have nearly been hit by a cyclist numerous times as they careen down the sidewalk trying to see how much air they can catch jumping the driveway cuts. Very often they are going faster than the cars on the road.

The University of British Columbia School of Population & Public Health is studying which factors encourage or discourage the use of bicycles for urban transportation, and which types of transportation infrastructure are associated with increased or decreased risks of injuries to cyclists. The goal is to make research from the Cycling in Cities program, and elsewhere, into tools that are useful for policy-makers, planners, and the public.