Olivia Chow calls for guards on trucks to protect cyclists

Toronto MP Olivia Chow is reintroducing a private member’s bill calling for the installation of side guards on large trucks in order to prevent accidents like the one that killed cyclist Jenna Morrison last week. According to the Globe and Mail, a 2010 report commissioned by Transportation Canada “shows that since the introduction of guards on the side of most trucks in Europe in the 1980s, the number of cyclists and pedestrians killed or seriously wounded in crashes with large vehicles has dropped.” But National Research Council Canada contends that the guards may not be solely responsible for improved safety, and the federal government already said it’s not interested in the legislation without more evidence. Because, you know, it’s always best to stick with the status quo, especially when it’s clearly working so well. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »