Toronto is Canada’s least safe city in which to cycle/walk
Toronto deemed the worst large Canadian city for car collisions with cyclists and pedestrians
With rather fortuitous timing, just as cities all across Canada gear up for their Bike to Work Weeks, the Toronto Traffic Safety Unit released its findings for 2010. The study found that Toronto is the ‘large city’ in which you’re most likely to be struck by a car as a cyclist or a pedestrian. T.O. was the setting for 41 bike collisions per 100 000 people and 78 pedestrian collisions per 100 000. On the other hand, Winnipeg had only 26 unfortunate meetings between cyclists and cars per 100 000 people.
The findings identify that the two most common types of bike vs. car accidents are car/bike side swipes followed by the dreaded, infamous ‘door prize’, ramming into a car door that suddenly opens. Sadly, Toronto suffered one cyclist fatality in 2010. There were 904 cyclist injuries last year in Canada’s largest city.
However, divine help may be on the way: Torontonians can have their bikes blessed at Trinity-St.Paul’s United Church on Sunday, May 29, 12:30 – 2:30 PM.
The stats come just as Toronto’s cycling infrastructure is under pressure to change by some in City Hall. Councillors such as Denzil Minnan-Wong seek to create curb-separated bike lanes, and there’s been suggestion that bicycles should be separated from traffic by a ‘curb’ of parked cars with ‘left turn launch pads’ at intersections.
