Cyclist killed while 'splitting' | GTAMotorcycle.com

Cyclist killed while 'splitting'

conundrum

conundrum

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Not technically motorcycle-related, but figured I'd post it anyhow considering I haven't seen it here yet. 71 year old cyclist was killed in Toronto when traffic came to a stop, but he continued to split between cars, until he crashed to avoid a turning car (the reason why all cars had stopped in the first place).

Granted had he been on a motorcycle in gear I doubt the collision would have ended the same way (30km/h should be easily survivable with a full face and other protection), but it still shows that splitting isn't always safer, like some claim it to be.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/cyclist-collision-1.3665431
 
When you plit, you are supposed to be going at a reduced speed above whatever the traffic speed is (I think is 10 miles per hour is states that allow it), you are not supposed to pile through traffic as fast as you can.

You are as you said, comparing a low speed accident on a bicycle with a guy with most likely no gear vs a heavier motorcycle and a rider with some gear including the biggest factor the helmet.

using this example as a point that lane splitting for motorcycles is not safe or "not safer" is pretty weak to say the least.

If the point is that lane splitting is not always safer, well thank you Captain Obvious, but the point is that it is safer is Most circumstances if allowed and the public is used to it like in California for example.

Is lane splitting safer in Toronto, well no.
conundrum said:
Not technically motorcycle-related, but figured I'd post it anyhow considering I haven't seen it here yet. 71 year old cyclist was killed in Toronto when traffic came to a stop, but he continued to split between cars, until he crashed to avoid a turning car (the reason why all cars had stopped in the first place).

Granted had he been on a motorcycle in gear I doubt the collision would have ended the same way (30km/h should be easily survivable with a full face and other protection), but it still shows that splitting isn't always safer, like some claim it to be.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/cyclist-collision-1.3665431
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Splitting and filtering can be very safe...however splitting at 30km/hr with stopped traffic is not. And being a cyclist, they were probably on the curb side which is why he had to avoid a turning vehicle which would have had the right of way. Hopefully this causes a bit of a crack down on cyclists blissfully ignoring road rules.
 
esphoto said:
Splitting and filtering can be very safe...however splitting at 30km/hr with stopped traffic is not. And being a cyclist, they were probably on the curb side which is why he had to avoid a turning vehicle which would have had the right of way. Hopefully this causes a bit of a crack down on cyclists blissfully ignoring road rules.
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Nah, they will just reduce the speed limit from 30km/hr in the city to 10km/hr ;)
 
Funny how cyclists get a "You should not have been going between traffic" when "caught" splitting/filtering at 30km/h (which was only said after they retracted their first statement), while you can get a nice $10k fine, impounded vehicle, + suspended license if you were to filter doing 15km/h through stopped traffic... =/

That being said, in Toronto, it is the norm for cyclists to ride like no rules apply to them, such as riding between traffic at a good speed, using crosswalks to get around traffic and not indicating that they're turning. Fault will almost always be put on the driver regardless of the situation unless you can prove the cyclist's stupidity.

I almost crashed into a cyclist on my motorcycle yesterday because she decided she didn't want to wait for the car to turn right, and decided she would cross over in front of me to ride the dotted line to get across without checking for traffic. Guess who would be to blame if I had T-boned her?
 
ZX600 said:
You are as you said, comparing a low speed accident on a bicycle with a guy with most likely no gear vs a heavier motorcycle and a rider with some gear including the biggest factor the helmet.
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True, but in the same situation the rider would be deemed at fault, and would suffer insurance penalties for a long time to come. Also since death comes from rapid deceleration, given if it was a motorcycle it likely would have been doing 50-70km/h vs 30km/h, the outcome might have been the same.
 
PLau said:
Funny how cyclists get a "You should not have been going between traffic" when "caught" splitting/filtering at 30km/h (which was only said after they retracted their first statement), while you can get a nice $10k fine, impounded vehicle, + suspended license if you were to filter doing 15km/h through stopped traffic... =/
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This is the thing that frustrates me the most. If its illegal to do so, then enforce it across the board. I'm sure the amount of higher class spandex warriors would help legalize filtering and splitting but instead everyone just turns a blind eye. Even though they cause more traffic and congestion when filtering and splitting than motorcycles I never see anyone try to door, honk at, or squeeze out a cyclist.
 
conundrum said:
True, but in the same situation the rider would be deemed at fault, and would suffer insurance penalties for a long time to come. Also since death comes from rapid deceleration, given if it was a motorcycle it likely would have been doing 50-70km/h vs 30km/h, the outcome might have been the same.
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I don't know about you but even when I have split on the DVP I never reach over 20 or 30km/hr. Splitting at 50/70 on a city street isn't even splitting, that's just reckless.
 
esphoto said:
I don't know about you but even when I have split on the DVP I never reach over 20 or 30km/hr. Splitting at 50/70 on a city street isn't even splitting, that's just reckless.
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I don't split...I like my clean record and insurance premiums.

Filtering I can somewhat support, splitting I just can't. Maybe you do it at 20-30km/h, but the few times I've been in the car or on the bike and witnessed others, they are going at least 50-80km/h above the speed of traffic.
 
ZX600 said:
Nah, they will just reduce the speed limit from 30km/hr in the city to 10km/hr ;)
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They'll more likely just install curb side bike lanes with right of way priority to the cyclist; i.e. you'll be responsible if your slowing to make a right turn and said cyclist piles into you from behind... We have these going in all over Hamilton with signs instructing cars to yield to the cyclists who are given free flow through the intersection regardless of what the motorist in front may be about to do.
 
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Neil_V said:
They'll more likely just install curb side bike lanes with right of way priority to the cyclist; i.e. you'll be responsible if your slowing to make a right turn and said cyclist piles into you from behind... We have these going in all over Hamilton with signs instructing cars to yield to the cyclists who are given free flow through the intersection regardless of what the motorist in front may be about to do.
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More dumb crap. Isn't the city then bypassing the MTO rules of the road???

It would be great if they cracked down on cyclists. They are supposed to have a bell/horn and lights yet most of them do not.
Mandate a helmet for them while we are at it, it's mandatory for kids (under 18 or 16 iirc)
 
dude was 71 years old.....for all we know he fell asleep

RIP cyclist
 
Toronto roads just aren't designed for lane splitting. And a lot of Ontario drivers/riders have no business being on the road. This will always be a problem unless there is change to remedy both.
 
likebutta said:
Toronto roads just aren't designed for lane splitting. And a lot of Ontario drivers/riders have no business being on the road. This will always be a problem unless there is change to remedy both.
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no roads are designed for splitting, have you seen the roads in Europe or Asia?? everyone splits / filters there, and bad drivers are every where not only in Toronto, saying that we shouldn't legalize filtering or splitting because the drivers are not ready for it is like telling a virgin not to have sex because he / she will probably be bad at it the first time
 
-D- said:
More dumb crap. Isn't the city then bypassing the MTO rules of the road???

It would be great if they cracked down on cyclists. They are supposed to have a bell/horn and lights yet most of them do not.
Mandate a helmet for them while we are at it, it's mandatory for kids (under 18 or 16 iirc)
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yes, under 18 its supposed to be mandatory. Dont think its really enforced though. Here's a tid-bit of trivia, New Zealand is the only country where Helmets are compulsory for ALL riders. You really stand out there if you ride without one.
 
kiwi said:
yes, under 18 its supposed to be mandatory. Dont think its really enforced though. Here's a tid-bit of trivia, New Zealand is the only country where Helmets are compulsory for ALL riders. You really stand out there if you ride without one.
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I don't understand why helmet usage is not enforced.

And for the record, I've split my head before on a bicycle due to no helmet.
 
-D- said:
If he did end up getting the right of way that is because he was ILLEGALLY lane splitting at a HIGH RATE OF SPEED.
Wth?

He hit a PARKED car.
btw who is going to pay for damage to the parked car?
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Apparently he was not splitting after all (they corrected that statement late morning or early afternoon). I don't quite get it though since the image that accompanies the news story shows no bike lane, just two regular lanes. Only thing I can think is that he came flying down along the side of parked cars in the right most lane...which most of us have probably done also...but common sense says to slow the f down and pay attention.
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