CTV News: Montreal police push for cycling safety
Montreal police handed out helmets to cyclists Monday morning as part of the launch of a week-long bicycle safety campaign.
Updated: Mon May. 17 2010 3:28:05 PM
ctvmontreal.ca
Montreal police handed out helmets to cyclists Monday morning as part of the launch of a week-long bicycle safety campaign.
The launch comes after a particularly devastating weekend on Quebec roads.
At least eight cyclists were struck by vehicles; four cases were fatal.
Sharing the road with motorists, pedestrians
In addition to handing out helmets, police were also distributing pamphlets to cyclists, reminding them to obey the rules of the road.
Cyclists were reminded not to run red lights, cycle on sidewalks or wear ear phones while riding their bikes.
Police also noted that wearing a helmet reduces risk of serious head injury by 60 to 90 percent.
Cyclists to ride in silence in tribute to accident victims
Thousands of Quebec cyclists will take part in memorial rides across the province on Wednesday to mark the Tour du Silence, an international event to commemorate victims of cycling accidents.
More than 400 cities around the world are marking the occasion, but it will be a particularly sombre day in Quebec since four cyclists have been killed in the province in the span of 48 hours.
On Friday, three women died when they were struck by a pickup truck in Rougemont on Highway 112, south of Montreal.
They were among a group of six cyclists heading to Sherbrooke to train for a triathlon.
The next evening, a 57-year-old man was killed when he was hit by a car on Route 117 in Val Morin, northwest of Montreal.
The driver in that case, a 44-year-old woman, was arrested and faces a charge of impaired driving causing death.
