A motorist drove into a protected Toronto bike lane and hit a cyclist
The truck went over cement blocks and onlookers were flabbergasted
Photo by:
toronto.cycling
On Friday, a truck driver went into a protected bike lane and hit a cyclist. Another cyclist saw it happen and posted it on Instagram.
“Today, a cyclist was hit by a truck just 100 m away from me on the Bayview bike path; yes, literally inside the closed bike path! The driver, from out of town, seemed to have lost navigation and ended in the bike path. The cyclist collided with the driver-side mirror and crashed. 911 was called and an ambulance arrived at the scene. A police dispatcher also arrived later and documented the incident. He charged the driver for entering the bike lane. Thankfully, the injury wasn’t serious and he chose not to go to a nearby hospital. We need laws that protect us from these recurring incidents.”
Bike lanes are for bikes
Drivers veering into bike lanes is something that many cyclists sadly see way too frequently. But these particular bike lanes are separated from the road. There are large cement blocks to prevent exactly that.
Parking in bike lanes is also a huge problem in Toronto. In 2021, parking officers issues 16,942 tickets for drivers obstructing bikeways in Toronto. This was a 125 per cent increase compared to 2020. There are only a few times when cars are allowed in bike lanes:
- Moving into or leaving a private lane or driveway adjacent to the bicycle lane.
- Making a right turn at a road intersecting the bicycle lane.
- Entering or exiting a curb lane used for parking.
- Loading or unloading of a person with a disability, while actively engaged in doing so.
- Operating a school bus while actively engaged in picking up or dropping off school children.
- Operating a taxicab while actively engaged in loading or unloading of passengers
Of course, there is absolutely no appropriate time to drive into a protected bike lane.
