From: praetzel@marconi.waterloo.edu (Eric Praetzel)
Subject: Re: Interesting facts about bicycles in Ontario (from MoT)
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 12:38:14 GMT

In article <2A73255D.3B80@telly.on.ca> evan@telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch) writes:
>In article <1992Jul24.002908.5954@samba.oit.unc.edu>
>	Nigel.Allen@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Nigel Allen) writes:
>>There are more than 3 million bicycles and 2 million cyclists in Ontario.
>...not one of which must be checked for roadworthiness at any time.
  I know quite a few people with cars from the mid '70s and early 80's.
None of them belong on the road but cars are only checked when you buy
them.  So whats the difference.  Most dept. store bikes are sold unsafe,
cars get that way thru neglegance.

>>6% of Ontarians (460,000) over the age of 15 use bicycles for primary
>>transportation.
>Not one of whom is tested for knowing the rules of the road on a bicycle,
>or knowing the safe way to drive on a road which also has cars on it.
  No but I bet you that most of those people have the drivers liscence.  But
that does not mean they know 1/10 of the rules and regs.  Dito for all drivers.

>>Safety equipment (e.g. lights, brakes and horns) and operating procedures
>>for bicycles are mandated by legislation.
>...such legistlation being rarely heeded and never enforced...
  The police never go after the most unsafe drivers (those that don't signal
...) but the will go on revenue collection sprees (speed traps).  Since they
can't make money from cyclists I imagine that they will leave us alone for
quite some time.

>>Studies indicate that bicycle helmets can reduce cycle related fatalities
>>by 75% and head injuries by 85%.
>A little knowledge of the rules of the HTA, required as a requisite for
>driving bicycles on major roads, wouldn't hurt either.
 I imagine that being a predictable vehical on the road would cut the chance
of injuries greatly.  Have bicycles with brakes that work would really help.
But the fact is that most car-bike (real cyclists not the dash off the sidewalk
and across the stree type of rider) accidents are the fault of the car driver.
Since this is simular to car-truck accidents should we then enforce 5 point
seatbelts, padded interiors, and roll cages for cars?  The problem is with the
drivers.  We should protect ourself as much as possible against those morons
but the fault lies with their inability to drive properly and not with our
inability to make ourselves safe against 4000 lb of steel.

>>In a number of large Ontario municipalities, police on bicycles are active
>>as a means of community law enforcement.
  We just got some campus cops on bicyles.  What a joke.  To top it off they
only ride when its warm and sunny.  Their main purpose is to patrol pathways
to make the campus safer for women.  It would have been cheaper to provide
the women with tasers (electric shock devices which are now considered a
dangerous weapon and are banned - I guess that they will ban rocks, sticks
and eating utinsels next).

 - Eric
//  I wanna die.  I wanna die.  I wanna die like JFK.  I wanna die on a sunny
//   day.  I wanna be a hood orniment on a car.  
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles