monkeymartian » safety

for sandra

Andrew — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:44:56 +0000

I got a comment from Sandra that she had recently moved into Markham and needed some suggestions about how to get around the heinous crossing of 16th and Highway 404. Here goes

Highway crossings are always tricky, but here is one method that works pretty well for me. It does requrie some sidewalk riding and a little walking. Use at your own risk.

From the east: take the sidewalk on the south side of 16th and go under the first bridge. The sidewalk ends under the second bridge where it becomes a narrow dirt trail. Follow the little dirt trail on to the triangular piece of gravel between 16th and the 404 on ramp. Wait for a gap in traffic and cross the ramp. You’ll find another dirt trail that you can use to access the parking lot on Leek Crescent. Take Leek Crescent over the Mural Street and head North. You can get back on 16th from the light there. See the photo below or the Gmaps Pedometer Route.

Sneaking around 16th & 404

I don’t find the eastbound leg to be as much as problem, as there is only one ramp on the south side of 16th to navigate. From the light at 16th and Leslie, travel east towards Mural Street. Just east of Mural is the entrance to a parking lot. Turn in there and do a bit of a U turn. Wait for the lights at Mural to go red for the westbound traffic and you should be able to get a nice clear road past the southbound on-ramp (Thanks to Paul, who showed me this little strategy). Alternatively, you can use the sneak shown above.

other cycling dangers

Andrew — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:14:32 +0000

Last week I posted a link to a run-in a cyclist had with a squirrel. This week, Brother Alex sent me a link to another close encounter with wildlife:

BOULDER — A cyclist in Boulder County was injured after a run-in, literally, with a bear.

Crazy stuff!

first aid for cyclists

Andrew — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:42:36 +0000

I recently took a first aid course for work. I haven’t done such a course for more than 10 years (heck, perhaps even longer!), and a lot has changed. “Back in the day” when I took standard first aid, we spent lots and lots of time learning how to splint limbs, dress sucking chest wounds and bandage an ice-pick pierced through a hand. We worked on rescue breathing, but CPR was considered to be too specialized or had too much potential to inflict damage so it was a separate course (that I never bothered to take). Fast forward to February 2008 and I learned that CPR is the most important thing you can learn. I’m glad I took the course, even though I ended up with tendonitis. It was endless fodder for my colleagues while I was healing. “Hey Dude, you can’t, like, bring those dummies back to life you know.” Haw haw haw. I guess I was just eager to learn.

The course got me thinking about just how prepared I am for everyday problems. “Back in the day” there was little discussion about barrier devices and gloves. These two pieces of equipment are now critical to protect both the first aider and the casualty. I have this stuff in the big first aid kit that lives in the trunk of the car. While I spend entirely too much time in the car, I also spend a great deal of time walking and riding around. Without the protective gear, I would have a tough moral choice ahead of me if I happened upon someone in trouble. Better to keep a barrier device and some gloves on my person whenever I can. I haven’t done this yet, but I’m working on it.

It got me thinking a little deeper though. I’m not an island. Lots of other folks know first aid and might be similarly ill-equipped to handle emergencies. Emergencies that might happen to me! If I’ve got this material in my jersey, or in my saddle bag, there is a chance it could be found and used to help me out. Heck, most people bring basic repair gear with them. Stuff like patches, extra tubes, air pumps etc. Why not stuff to temporarily repair me or my riding friends?

I’m going to assemble a small kit for my saddle bag with the essential protective material, as well as some basic stuff to dress the cuts and scrapes that can be an unpleasant part of riding if you go down. What to YOU carry when you ride?

dear motorists

Andrew — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:35:45 +0000

Re: railway tracks, crossing of

When you see a cyclist approaching a level railway crossing, please be prepared to slow down a little to allow the rider to cross safely. The cyclist really isn’t trying to hold you up, but the safest way to cross is to make sure the bicycle is perpendicular to the rails. Sometimes this means the cyclist needs to take the centre of the lane if the tracks don’t meet the road at 90 degrees. Honking your horn, revving your motor or yelling something unintelligible to the rider as they attempt to cross is counterproductive and just plain bad manners. We’re all just trying to get where we are going safely. Thank you.

the courtesy question

Andrew — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 15:49:20 +0000

I try to be as courteous as possible when riding. I guess I have misplaced faith in the ethos of the ‘do unto others’ in the golden rule. In the past when I’ve lost my cool with a driver and given them the salute or yelled at them, I figured I’ve done more harm than good, even if they deserved it. It’s tough to have a rational discussion with someone when your pulse is racing and you’ve got the fight or flight adrenaline running after a close encounter.

When I’m the first in line at a red traffic signal and I plan on travelling straight through, I normally move my bike over to the left of the lane in order to allow cars to make a right hand turn. I started doing this when I got tired of cars honking at me and sometimes even driving up on the sidewalk (while honking and cussing) to save the 30 seconds that I’m ‘holding them up’ from their precious right turn. That said, I’d rather just be polite and leave room where I can do so safely. I depend on motorists to figure out what I’m doing, and most of them understand.

Leaving a courtesy gap has pitfalls, too. Case in point was on my commute home last night. I rolled up to the red light at Centre and Newkirk and left the courtesy gap. The stereotypical black SUV rolled up beside me, and I assumed they wanted to turn right and were waiting for a gap in traffic. I can’t see the turn signal as the vehicle is beside me. I spy a second stereotypical SUV pull up behind the first one. When the light turns green, stereotype #1 blasts straight through the intersection, passing me on my right. This surprised me, but worse was stereotype #2 who blindly followed #1, leaving me virtually out to dry in the middle of the intersection. The look of puzzlement on #2s face as she passed me indicated that she couldn’t figure out what I was doing there. Perhaps both drivers assumed I was turning left, even though I was in the straight-on line. Hmm.

This kind of thing seems to happen pretty frequently to me. I wrote last year about it, and started waiting in the middle of the lane, but I got tired of the honking. I guess I need to re-evaluate just how much courtesy I’m willing to give.

On the other hand, I’ve had really good experiences with lane changes when I need to make a left. I ride northbound on Woodbine to 16th Ave, and drivers have no problem slowing down when I shoulder check and signal confidently that I need to go left through two lanes of traffic. Often, they’ll give me a smile or a little wave.

york region bicycle safety

Andrew — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 13:19:28 +0000

The news this morning had a short blurb about a cyclist that had died as a result of a collision in a shopping mall parking lot in Markham. The Toronto Star didn’t have anything about it, so I ran a search on yorkregion.com. I found a news item related to the Markham incident, but also another accident.

Yorkregion.com – Markham – Cyclist who collided with car dies

Cyclist who collided with car dies

Jun 27, 2007 01:44 PM

A Markham cyclist has died after colliding with a vehicle in the parking lot at Markville Shopping Centre.Alfred Wong, 18, was riding his bicycle through the lot at about 2 p.m. Sunday when he struck the side of a moving Mercedes.

Mr. Wong, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered life-threatening head injuries and was rushed to hospital in critical condition.

He died in hospital the next day.

The Markham man driving the Mercedes was not injured.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 1-866-876-5423, ext 7703, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip at www.1800222tips.com.

York Regional Police media release linked here.

The following accident also turned up. I have not been able to track down any updates with regard to the fate of the cyclist.

Cyclist remains in critical conditions [sic]

Thornhill

Jun 13, 2007 11:38 PM

A 16-year-old Thornhill boy is fighting for his life in hospital after being struck by a car while riding his bike last night.

The youth was crossing Bathurst Street at New Westminster Drive shorty before 10 p.m. when he was struck by a southbound Volkswagen Golf driven by a 17-year-old Richmond Hill youth.

York Police said the cyclist was not wearing a helmet.

He remains in hospital with a critical head injury.

If you have information, call police at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7703, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave tip online at www.1800222tips.com

York Regional Police media release linked here.

My thoughts go out to both families.