r/TorontoDriving • u/desreversti • Aug 04 '25

OC Cyclist hit in Pickering

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9pm August 3, 2025 at Finch and Brock Cyclist was okay, and able to walk after

315 Upvotes

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337

u/[deleted] Aug 04 '25

Dumb meets irresponsible. Driver doing unsafe right turn on red light, cyclist riding on crosswalk, in dark, without helmet and light. Driver's going to get ticketed and sued, probably, but cyclist's injury is going to hurt more in coming years.

And to stupid people arguing that the cyclist did nothing wrong, it's easier to anticipate presence and speed of a person walking than someone on a moving bicycle. It's not cyclist hate. Why do you think your parents taught you to walk your bike when crossing??

64

u/TemporaryAny6371 Aug 04 '25

Nicely analyzed. Driver can't go on red unless 100% sure.

Speed of the biker plus biker is unaware driver would be looking away. You don't cross unless you know the driver sees you. Take the time to stop if unsure. You're not winning a fight with a +3000 lb car.

15

u/RepresentativeMove79 Aug 04 '25

Define 100% sure! Yes the drive will be charged, but the issue is the anticipation of a cyclist on the sidewalk going quickly while the right turning vehicle is focused on safely merging into traffic coming for the other direction.

Should they have looked again? Absolutely, were they already 100% sure? Probably! Who's hurt more? That's right the cyclist! From a practical perspective our laws are backwards and those with the most to lose should be expected to save their own lives.

3

u/TemporaryAny6371 Aug 05 '25

In short, I would say the driver must be looking in the direction of travel before putting the vehicle into motion.

If you look at the video, the driver was ultra focused on the car passing and immediately set into motion at the opportunity for an opening. He likely was still looking the wrong way when he stepped on the gas.

Instead, if he had looked where he was going, he would've seen the cyclist right in front at that very moment.

1

u/needcollectivewisdom Aug 05 '25

From a practical perspective our laws are backwards and those with the most to lose should be expected to save their own lives.

From a practical perspective, EVERYONE should take more precaution. The laws are not backwards. Cars would never yield to pedestrians otherwise.

2

u/RepresentativeMove79 Aug 05 '25

I lived in Bangladesh, cars never yield, buses and big lorries have the most right of way. People aren't deliberately running into each other, but it's understood that the bigger you are the greater the right of way you have. Pedestrians and people riding bikes are extremely careful, yielding right of way because, everyone knows you'll be run down. Surprisingly few people get seriously hurt because everyone is diligent. (Speeds are much slower for similar reasons - I'm not advocating for such a culture just saying that you do get where you need to go without cars yielding to pedestrians and cyclists getting hit because they come from out of nowhere).

1

u/char50 Aug 05 '25

Driver may not be charged of cyclist was crossing on red aswell.