An Ontario police department seemed to blame cyclists instead of focusing on motorists’s behaviour
A social media post has riders frustrated with the messaging
Photo by:
@SudburyPolice
Sudbury Police’s social media account is under fire after a post seemed to blame cyclists instead of focusing on motorists’s behaviour. In a tweet on Thursday, the account posted about what riders needed to do to keep safe during Bike Month. “Be sure to ride safely by following these tips. Wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet – See and be seen – Watch out for hazards such as potholes, slippery surfaces and cracks – Avoid riding at night – Obey all traffic laws – Lock your bicycle to prevent theft,” The tweet read.
This #BikeMonth, be sure to ride safely by following these tips:
– Wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet
– See and be seen
– Watch out for hazards such as potholes, slippery surfaces and cracks
– Avoid riding at night
– Obey all traffic laws
– Lock your bicycle to prevent theft pic.twitter.com/HZKEoTgUR7— Sudbury Police (@SudburyPolice) June 1, 2023
Laying the blame on the wrong people
Blaming cyclists for motorist collisions is nothing new, of course. Many riders will often scoff at some of the silly responses given when a rider is hit by a car. It’s common to see people ask if the cyclist had a bell, hi-viz clothing or a helmet, even when the motorist is entirely at fault.
This guy absolutely skewers the rubbish arguments by anti-bike lane agitators
In March, Cycling Twitter ™ had a field day after a Vancouver woman complained about barriers that were installed to slow drivers down. After an SUV managed to drive over a barrier, cyclists used the same absurd logic that motorists use when they hit a cyclist.
“If only the barrier had some kind of reflective bright clothing and a helmet,” Marcel Steeman posted about the debacle.
That’s why cyclists were frustrated when the police department seemed to put more onus on the riders themselves, rather than motorists. If there is a collision, too often the blame is put on the vulnerable road users as opposed to the ones in the cars.
David Shellnutt, a.k.a. The Biking Lawyer, posted about the tweet by Sudbury Police. “In a misplaced effort focusing on cyclist behaviour rather than on statistically/infinitely more dangerous driving done by motorists Sudbury police are telling people not to ride bikes at night,” the post read.
