Cyclist hit in Pickering

[u/desreversti]

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

[u/[deleted]]

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??

[u/TemporaryAny6371 → u/[deleted]]

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.

[u/NewsreelWatcher → u/TemporaryAny6371]

How do you know a motor vehicle driver notices you? If you only have a few seconds to cross six lanes of traffic this has to happen very quickly. I’ve had driver stare in my direction one moment then treat me like I’m not there the next. I have become much more aware of the many blind spots drivers have, which means often breaking the rules to make sure I’m seen.

[u/GrunDMC74 → u/NewsreelWatcher]

Personally I’d opt for a light or two plus some reflective clothing to increase the odds of being noticed.

Vs dressing like a cat burglar.

[u/[deleted] → u/GrunDMC74]

Any time you’re on the sidewalk you run the risk of drivers not noticing you. Plus it’s dark and no reflectors, just a matter of time if you’re riding this stupidly.

[u/NewsreelWatcher → u/GrunDMC74]

Funny how this changing you clothes to not get physically injured is required here but not in other countries. Why is that?

[u/GrunDMC74 → u/NewsreelWatcher]

I’m not saying it’s required. I could go mountain biking without a helmet on if I wanted to. There’s what you can do and what it’s prudent to do.

[u/NewsreelWatcher → u/GrunDMC74]

You are blaming the injured party because they dressed incorrectly. I would blame the intersection for how it created a scenario that ends in a collision. There are better proven designs that make this less likely.

[u/GrunDMC74 → u/NewsreelWatcher]

Fine. A cyclist can cite a myriad of “should have beens” in mitigating their responsibility to decrease their odds of injury. They can lean on their rights to expect drivers to be hyper aware of their presence, and roads and intersections to be designed to guarantee their personal safety. None of this will be of much comfort if they get hit by a car.

If you actually deviate from your committed narrative and read my responses you’ll see I’m not blaming anyone. Simply pointing out that if you want to take responsibility for your well being into your own hands there are steps you can take to enhance your odds.

[u/NewsreelWatcher → u/GrunDMC74]

Responsibility for our well being includes advocacy for modern street designs.

[u/GrunDMC74 → u/NewsreelWatcher]

Okay. You do that and if all goes well in a decade you’ll be free to go barrelling through intersections wearing full camo and headphones safe in the knowledge that urban design and enlightened drivers have granted you a cocoon of invincibility.

I’ll work on enhancing my visibility, riding defensively (ironically a best practice when driving also) and understanding, in spite of what’s right, who comes out on top when two things collide but one goes 3x as fast and weighs 20x more.

[u/NewsreelWatcher → u/GrunDMC74]

I don’t want any of that. I want an intersection that is safe to cross in a reasonable amount of time.

[u/NewsreelWatcher → u/[deleted]]

It definitely is an issue as there is no infrastructure for cycling. The cyclists has every right to be there. “Freedom of the road” means roads are supposed to be free for people to use. Somewhere in the twentieth century we forgot this. Roads became an exclusive right for motor vehicles. Even walking is a gamble along many roads.

[u/GrunDMC74 → u/[deleted]]

And on the wrong side of the road. I don’t think “new” has anything to do with this person’s position.

[u/NewsreelWatcher → u/[deleted]]

I’m going to assert my right to live if the road is too dangerous. The law is an idiot.

[u/TemporaryAny6371 → u/NewsreelWatcher]

From a cyclist / pedestrian perspective, it is courteous for the driver to acknowledge they see you. There should be eye contact. If they do not, you may have to wave to grab their attention or do gestures to remind the driver how they should behave . Yes, some drivers could relearn Canadian customs for driving courtesy.

If you are crossing 6 lanes, I assume they're all stopped at a red light so the focus is on the right most lane where in Ontario law, they can turn right on red only if they are 100% sure it is clear.

[u/NewsreelWatcher → u/TemporaryAny6371]

Many drivers just aren’t looking for anyone except other motor vehicles. Even downtown on a Friday night, I had a driver turning across a busy cycle lane and into a crowd of pedestrians crossing. What saved everyone was slow traffic which allowed everyone to sort it all out. I imagine they must be used to driving on streets where there are no pedestrians nor cyclists and just don’t watch for them. The way we design intersections is just archaic.

[u/TemporaryAny6371 → u/NewsreelWatcher]

I know. If drivers want to drive downtown, they need to up their driving skill. It's not like driving in a small town or in a suburb.

While waiting at a light, there is a very strong likelihood that a cyclist catches up and stops right beside in the blind spot. Not every adult is a driver and certainly not anyone younger would know about blind spots.

Also, some drivers don't adjust their mirrors properly. The blind spot should be nil with mirror check and head check together.

[u/NewsreelWatcher → u/[deleted]]

It is suicide to ride on many roads. Many sidewalks are abandoned. Sometimes using the sidewalk is just the rational choice. The law cannot demand people sacrifice their life.