'Stay back' campaign warns cyclists of truck blind spots

A new sticker campaign iswarningcyclists in Ottawa to keep their distance from heavytrucks with wide blind spots.

The decals, to be placed on the back ofheavy trucks operated byTomlinson, Karsons and Cavanagh,read, "Stay Safe, Stay Back. Past this point I can't see you."

There were more than 1,500 collisions involving cyclists between 2009 and 2013 killing 15 cyclists and injuring more than 1,200, according to the City of Ottawa.

Heather Shearer, of the group Citizens for Safe Cycling, said thatcyclists and driversshare the responsibility forroad safety.

"A truck can drive up beside a cyclist or a cyclist can drive up beside a truck. They don't make good road sharing partners so it's important for each to be aware of the other, and to stay safe and stay separated so that everyone has a good trip on the roads," she said.

Ottawa police collision investigator Darwin Turner said the campaign has one, main goal.

"Less deaths on the roads of Ottawa. That's it," he said.

Campaign ads coming to buses

Advertisements promoting the campaign, which is a collaboration betweenShare the Road Cycling Coalition and the City of Ottawa,will also be posted on the back of OC Transpo buses.

Decals could also be placed on the back of city buses, subject to council's approval, said Rob Wilkinson, the coordinator of the city'sSafer Roads program.

Jeff Tomlinson,a heavy equipment supervisor at Tomlinson, said that heavy truck drivers arealso trained to be aware of cyclists.

"We're including a lot of this stuff with our ongoing training. We do it yearly if not bi-yearly with our drivers, so we're raising awareness and incorporating it into our training," he said.

A similar "stay back" campaign in London, England was cancelled last year after critics argued the wording put too much onus on cyclists rather than drivers. The decals,that simply read, "cyclists stay back," where affixed to both large trucks and smaller cars.