Cyclist hit by car en route to support bike lanes

Michael Woods, Staff Reporter

An ironic twist delayed Shawnte Clow’s arrival at Wednesday’s council vote that scrapped the Jarvis St. bike lanes.

Biking to City Hall to oppose the lanes’ removal, she was sideswiped by a car and thrown onto Queen St. E., just west of Greenwood Ave.

She emerged with only scrapes and bruises. The woman who allegedly sideswiped her apologized and offered her money, but Clow declined and called police. The driver was charged with careless driving, she said.

Clow, a theatre technician who lives in the Beach, said she and the car lined up side-by-side at the stoplight before the crash

“There’s no way she didn’t see me,” Clow said, adding she thinks a designated bike lane would have prevented the crash. Queen St. does not have a bike lane.

“Drivers of cars are naturally taught to respect lines on the pavement.”

Clow was too shaken to ride her bike after the crash. She locked it up and was offered a free ride to City Hall by a sympathetic streetcar driver.

Comments

[Ryan]

City Council just decided that a two-minute increase to commuting time is unacceptable, so I'd say it's equally unacceptable to expect a cyclist to travel several minutes north - and then south again - when her home and destination are on the same street.

[John Godfrey Spragge]

Would it ask too much of the people who comment here to actually read a story before typing their comments? The story contains a claim that the police charged the driver with careless driving. If true, that would mean the police investigation definitely concluded the driver did something badly wrong; the police don't lay charges of careless driving for mere mishaps.

As for the constant sermons about the "right" way to ride: if I drive my car up to the light to make a right turn behind a cyclist in the right lane, I have a responsibility to wait until that cyclist has moved off, and either proceeded across the intersection or else made a safe right turn. However. many drivers overtake cyclists stopped at lights and then proceed as soon as the light turns green. If a driver overtakes a cyclist then right hooks them, that driver has indeed committed careless driving, and the police will and should charge them.

Motorists in Toronto regularly hit cyclists, usually through misjudgment and mischance, sometimes through deliberate misconduct. It makes perfect sense that the accident could have unfolded as the cyclist describes it. Those who doubt that story have a responsibility to produce at least some evidence.

[Peter O'Leary]

I am about to shed crocodile tears for the cyclist who might have to cycle up to Dundas or down to Eastern to get into the city. If you are so concerned about your safety the SHORT ride to Dundas or Eastern is just that - a short ride. I am closest to Gerrard but everday I choose to ride on Dundas because it is safer for me and also for car drivers. -- That's called living together.

[Eric]

Sorry to say, but you shouldn't have been beside her in the lane at the light. You should have been in the lane just like a vehicle. Where there is no bike lane you have to take responsibility for your own safety and use the legally allowed space in the lane.

Just remember that if you were on a motorcycle, you couldn't do the same thing. You should always think that while you ride. If you want respect, you have to give respect to the cars, the surroundings and to the law.

And before people just troll me over this, I am a life long cyclist and I know the law and safety. It is our responsibility to act appropriately.

Keep the rubber on the road.

[Angie]

@ Allison - Bikers think they rule the road. They expected drivers to notice everything around them. That is just ignorance.

This comment made me laugh. I think bikers, drivers, and pedestrians alike are expected to be aware of their surroundings. I think it is more ignorant to assume that you can safely operate any vehicle without noticing what's around you.

@ Judith Plankton

Most of you on bike riders think you own the road. Ban all bikes off the road as they pay no insurance so they should not have the right to use them. Ban all bike lanes. Rob Ford is hopefully just getting started and will get rid of them all.

Insurance doesn't pay for the roads Judith; tax dollars pay for roads and everyone pays municipal tax dollars. If you feel so strongly about only using what you pay for, please don't drive in Toronto if you live in the suburbs because my tax dollars are paying for the road you are using.