Coroner's report puts focus on safer cycling

An employee with Rainbow Routes, an organization that focuses on sustainable transportation in Sudbury, says she's not surprised by the recent coroners report on deaths related to cycling accidents.

Yesterday, theOntario coroner released its reporton all 129 cycling deaths in the province, from 2006 to 2010, and called them all preventable. Only 27 per cent or 35 out of 129 of the cyclists killed were wearing helmets.

The report also suggested legislation to make helmet use mandatory.

Janet Evans, a co-ordinator with the Sudbury Cycles Project for Rainbow Routes, said more attention on the subject will be good for both cyclists and drivers.

"When there's more cyclists on the road, then [drivers] know to look for them," Evans said.

"It's kind of the chicken and the egg scenario you need more cyclists to make [riding on the roads] safer but, because people don't perceive it as being safe, there aren't as many cyclists."

Evans said if more cyclists are on the roads obeying the rules, she anticipates more drivers will become comfortable with sharing the road.