Letter: Time to get serious about sharing the road

Two disturbing videos shot in Greater Sudbury have been making the rounds on social media sites over the past few days. Both videos show cyclists being run off the road by speeding trucks owned by a local transport company.

The Ontario Driver’s Handbook recommends that vehicles pass cyclists at a safe distance of one metre, or approximately three feet.

If possible, vehicles should change lanes when passing cyclists, for an even greater measure of safety. While it is recommended cyclists generally ride as close to the edge of the lane as possible, the handbook advises cyclists may take the entire lane for safety.

Sharing the road is not just important for safety — it’s the law.

Based on the recent disturbing experiences of cyclists in our community, it may be time for the local transport company to send its drivers back to school to re-learn the rules of the road.

Better yet, it’s high time our city got serious about safe infrastructure for cyclists and implement the recommendations made in Rainbow Routes’ Sustainable Mobility Plan (2010).

With the price of gasoline only going up, there will be more cyclists on our roads in the coming years, not fewer.

Best we start planning our transportation systems for this reality.

Steve May
Sudbury