A Quebec advocacy group is asking automobile insurance to be extended to cyclists and pedestrians
Vélo Québec is appealing for change
In Quebec, lawmakers are working on a bill that would amend the automobile insurance act to help protect vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians. The cyclist advocacy group Vélo Québec is appealing to the Quebec government to extend compensation for collisions affecting pedestrians and cyclists even if there is no motorist involved.
“On an individual level, for the families of the victims involved, it would make a huge difference,” Vélo Québec program director Magali Bebronne told Global News.
In a statement on their website, they group points the importance of this bill.
“Our proposal would ensure that the loved ones of Robert LeBlanc, who died following a collision with another cyclist in 2021, would have been able to benefit from financial support to pay for his funeral expenses,” the group posted. “It would ensure that Beatrice Letourneau does not have to pay huge dental bills on her own following a fall off her bike where she struggles to prove that a motorist was involved. These examples may seem rare, but for each of the victims and families affected, they are financial worries that add to their physical and psychological suffering.”
Vélo Québec believes this is not such an incredible ask, given that that 9 out of 10 cyclists have a driver’s license, therefore it could be said that they are already contributing to the public insurance plan.
That is to say, cyclists use their bicycle rather than their car, then they should have the peace of mind of knowing that they are covered in case of an accident. Given that cyclists and pedestrians are reducing the number of vehicles on the road, the non-motorized activity should be encouraged.
“Therefore the risks for all users. not to mention the decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and the health benefits of physical activity for our entire society!”
