Cyclist death sparks renewed call for crackdown on Montreal truck traffic

An influential cyclist advocacy group has renewed its push for tougher restrictions on large trucks in Montrealafter a 30-year-old woman was fatally struck by a dump truck.

"We have huge trucks with massive blind spots going around our neighbourhoods anddensely populated areas,"MagaliBebronne, a project co-ordinator withVloQubec, toldDaybreakon Tuesday.

"Theydo not mix well with pedestrians and cyclists."

Police said the dumptruck was turning right Monday morning as the woman was cycling straight throughthe intersection of St-Zotique Street and 19th Avenue, in the borough of RosemontLa Petite-Patrie.

Urgences-Sant confirmed Tuesday that the woman killed was Valrie Bertrand Desrochers, a 911 emergency medical dispatcher.

Trucks are the problem, cycling advocate says

Bebronne said suchcollisions are all too common in Montreal because those blind spots make it impossible for drivers to see pedestrians and cyclists.

The intersection ofSt-ZotiqueStreet and19thAvenue is not considered particularly busy. It has sidewalk extensions to help slow drivers, a painted bike lane and a four-way stop.

There is even ananti-dooringlane painted on the street,encouraging cyclists to keep a safe distance from parked cars in case a door opens suddenly.

While road safety measures can always be improved,Bebronnesaid, ultimately trucks are the problem. Truck circulationshould be limited, she said, because no matter how careful the driver is,they cannot see everywhere.

Trucks like these,Bebronneadded, often don't come equipped with extra sensors, mirrors or cameras. She said it is "really up to the industry and up to the city maybe to decide which trucks should be allowed on our streets."

In some European cities, she said, trucks are better designed with flat front-ends thatimprove a driver's range of vision. In London, she said trucks are rated based on how well a driver can see and the city is progressively banning those with the worst ratings.

"If we want to adopt a system like London has done, it requires acting now so that we can see the effects in a few years," she said. "It does require warning the industry that such rules are coming."

Trucker was in no-truck zone, cyclist failed to stop

The cyclist and truck were both headed east onSt-Zotiquewhen the driver turned right onto19thAvenue. The cyclist was in the bike lane at the time of the collision and witnesses told police that she failed to stop at the stop sign.

Montreal police Const. NathalieValoissaidthe trucker was circulating in ano-truck zone. While trucks are prohibited from using such roadsas through streets, she noted, local truck traffic is permissible. There arecurrently several construction projects in the area.

Montreal police organized a safety campaign at the intersection Tuesday morning, reminding both cyclists and pedestrians that trucks have dangerous blind spots.

It is important, she said,that people are "aware of that when you are behind or beside a truck."

The safety campaignis part of a two-year-old program aimed at improving road safety following a major collision.

Officerswill be around the intersection of St-Zotique Street and 19th Avenue for three days to make sure drivers and cyclists respect the rules of the road.