By Theresa Wallace, Ottawa Citizen, June 29, 2014
I heard the collision before I saw it — the thump of a car slamming into
something soft, then a howl of anguish from a distraught witness. Biking around
the corner, I saw the driver sitting frozen behind the wheel while four frantic
pedestrians tried to help the injured cyclist. Hardly a day goes by in Ottawa
without us hearing a report of a cyclist getting hit. There are roughly 300
reported collisions annually between bicycles and motor vehicles in Ottawa, most
occurring during the peak cycling months we’re in right now. A reported
collision is one in which the police are called, which means most collisions
aren’t counted in this calculation. And as our urban cycling history continues
to be formed by eye-witness anecdotal accounts, news stories, ghost bikes and
the annual accumulation of statistics, many feel our city is becoming more
dangerous for cycling. via
Ottawa is still not safe enough for cyclists | Ottawa Citizen.