Map of the Week: Bike accidents

(July 11: The pedestrian and cycling accident maps worked fine on their own as embedded maps, but something about displaying them both on the same page made many browsers very unstable. They’re now linked below.)

Map: Bicycle accidents, 2008

This week, we map 1,068 bicycle accidents reported to Toronto police in 2008. The data came to us from the Toronto transportation department, which analyzes accident reports they receive from the police.

Bike accidents seem to cluster in the area west of downtown, especially on College between Spadina and maybe Dufferin, and Queen between Spadina and Ossington. Dundas, King and Bloor have fewer, though Bloor between Avenue and Bathurst has more. To the east, the Bloor cluster ends abruptly at Jarvis.

(The equivalent part of the east end, which is similar in urban design, has far fewer bike accidents, though accidents do cluster on the Danforth between Pape and Broadview.)

Bay between College and Bloor also seems to have a cluster, as do major streets in the downtown area south of Dundas and north of Adelaide or so.

Time didn’t allow an overlay showing bike lanes. (Maps can be found here and here) Informally, though, accidents seem to cluster where bike lanes aren’t, and vice versa. Exceptions seem to be the College bike lane and a stretch of the Dundas St. E. bike lane west of Pape, where there is nearly one accident per block.

110 intersections had more than one accident (the great majority with two). Here are the top nine:

7     Bay and Dundas
7     College and Crawford
5     Queen and Broadview
5     Yonge and Dundas
4     Bloor and Bathurst
4     Bloor and Keele
4     Spadina and Dundas
4     Islington and the Queensway
4     King and John

Nerd box:

The large number of points created a challenge. Our normal method of loading them into an XML file created a map which was slow to load and reload at a different zoom level, and also slow to manipulate, even in Firefox. In IE it was worse.

Our alternative, loading a KML file into Google MyMaps, failed when it refused to keep loading somewhere in the mid-hundreds. MyMaps has limits, but it’s sometimes hard to see what they are other than by trial and error.

We ended up with Geocommons, the free service that the Vancouver Sun used for its parking ticket map.

In IE, it takes anywhere from 9 to 17 seconds to load, but as far as I can tell stays loaded once that has happened. The main difference, as far as I can tell, is that it uses Flash.

In any case, the look and feel of the map is different from what you may be used to seeing – let us know what you think in the comments.

The full-sized map can be seen here.

Next week, we will look at pedestrian accidents.

Comments

[sean]

Map loaded super fast for me in Google Chrome. I like the icon cartography, layer manipulation and built in legend. Nice work.

[Adam]

Would be great to see this in a heat map (see: http://www.heatmapapi.com/ for a good API).

[Adam]

Would also be good to theme the points accordingly so you can see where the worst areas are

[Brad]

I see where the accidents are - where cars are!

[Alan Wayne Scott]

They're not called accidents any more, eh? Doing so suggests there is nothing we can do to make our streets safer, which simply provides a convenient excuse for those tasked to achieve that goal, to continue to avoid said responsibility.

One should ask oneself why there are absolutely no collisions reported on the cycling-congested Toronto Islands.

-scunny-

[Greg Smith]

I can't get the map to load in the version of IE that's on this PC (6.0.2900). Oh well.

It would be interesting to see the relationship between these routes and the distribution of accidents... but without data about the volume of cycling on these routes it's hard to say. On the one hand, bike lanes could make streets safer, but roads with bike lanes and a higher volume of cyclists may ultimately end up with more accidents (in absolute terms) despite a relatively lower rate of accidents per 1000 trips (or per 1000 cycled km, or per 1000 cycled hours, etc.).

[Jim Ingles]

Would be nice to see an overlay of the Bike lane streets...any worse or better than the ever present risks of being the bike commuter that i am?

Jim Ingles

[kris in toronto]

The problem is both drivers and cyclists quite often ignore signs and traffic lights. Not to mention that majority of Torontonians prefer to ride their bikes without lights after dark... Unfortunately cyclists (and I am one as well!) tend to blame drivers, even though cyclists notoriously ignore STOP signs and red lights. I barely escaped being run over by some crazy cyclist several times...

By the way, bicycle paths in Toronto are a joke (as is the TTC). Why can't we import good models from Europe? Berlin is a model to follow for bicycle lanes and public transit...

[Big Bear]

Sorry, scunny, but I don't accept the argument that "there are no accidents".

I appreciate the philosophy behind the argument--that people try to hide behind the word "accident", implying that that the incident was a random event and thereby avoiding responsibility. That's reasonable enough.

The problem is that doing away with the word "accident" somehow implies (at least to me) that someone wanted that collision or crash to happen. Most of these car-vs-bicycle incidents were not deliberately caused by one party or the other, but by some combination of ignorance, impatience, recklessness, carlessness, negligence, stupidity, bad habits, bad design, and bad policy. Even an event that wasn't a random occurence may still have been unintentional, and I think we need to leave some room for that idea.

Sorry for the semantic debate, but this is something that has been on my mind for a while now, and since someone else opened the door... :-)

[Joe LaFortune]

Toronto Police Services and City Hall use the term 'collisions' in describing these events and as well they should. While it is unlikely any motorist 'wants' a collision to occur, as Big Bear suggests and the word 'collision' does not immediately imply intent, by any definition, the fact is that collisions occur as the result of poor decisions, distraction, inability to effectively operate a vehicle, excessive speed for both road and traffic conditions, never mind a dense urban environment, and other human and mechanical errors, all of which can be foreseen and prevented.

While both motorists and cyclists regularly commit traffic violations, the results of those infractions are not equal. Few, if any, of the approximately 100 serious collisions that occured last year were caused by the cyclist and very few serious deaths or injuries are caused by cyclists in any year. The same cannot be same for the consequences of a motorist speeding, running a stop light or even failing to turn or change lanes correctly. According to the city's bicycle-motor vehicle collision study, about 78% of all collisions are the sole fault of the motorist and another 12% are shared, meaning that motorists, in whole or part, were guilty of one offence or another in more than 900 (90%) of the collisions cited in the map.

Ultimately, all users of the road should be responsible, aware and conscientious and considerate toward other users, particularly vulnerable users of the road, but motorists---as guests upon a public space, operating very heavy, very powerful machines---must bear a far greater responsibility. They have the power of death in their hands, after all. It's one of the costs of driving and if they're not willing to accept it, they shouldn't be on the road.

[edward ing]

Brad wrote "I see where the accidents are - where cars are!"

When I look, my interpretation is that the accidents are where bicycles use is the most dense. The more bikes, the more accidents.

The downtown is where bike use is most dense and it is logical, because this is where there is the most car congestion. (Brads where the cars are comments-- actually they are all on parking on the DVP and Gardiner where they are safe for bicyclists). Bicycles are the solution to congestion in the downtown. This is what the map is saying. And if bicycles are the solution, you have to make cyclists safe!

[Darwin O'Connor]

Downtown car congestion may make cycling safer, because it means cars are going slower then they other wise would making it easier for them to avoid collisions and make the collisions less likely to be fatal.

Note that the two fatal collision on the map are not downtown.

[Andrea]

On first glance, and without indepth analysis, it seems like most of the collisions in the downtown core are happening along east-west routes (king/queen/dundas). It's my experience as a cyclist in Toronto that it can be difficult to find a safe route to move east-west in the city, and by default you end up on busy streets. There are many more N-S shortcuts and routes along quieter and residential streets. This is a big hole in the city cycle map.

And BTW, my vote is for "collision" and not accident. Collisions are preventable, as is true for all of these incidents.

[Almuth Weigeldt]

I don't think it is rocket science that the most accidents occur where a) there is more bicycle traffic b)on major intersections with higher traffic volume overall c) intersections, where because of an overall busy environment it is easier to overlook bicycles d) routes where cars are tempted to speed and disregard the bike lanes. This brings me to the point that bike lanes can actually be quite unsafe for bicyclists as compared to riding on side roads without bike lanes. Taxis and TTC busses (the latter legally so) as well as any and all deliveries and cars dropping off and picking up passengers appear to believe it is their perfect right to stop on bike lanes without regard to the cyclist. Nobody seems to enforce that. I notice this happens every day on College St. near University, when I walk along on the side walk. There needs to be a barrier between cars and bikes, concrete or otherwise. In Germany, I have been used to riding on bike paths that are completely seperate from both pedestrians and cars or at least are on the raised curb, parallel to the pedestrial path, but clearly marked as a bike lane. This is much safer.
Thanks for listening,

Almuth

[Blargo]

No one has mentioned street car (trolley) tracks. All those downtown high incident roads on the map are also the same roads with trolley tracks. Maybe they aren't high on the list of factors, but they obviously don't do anything to help the situation! They tighten up the comfort zone for a cyclist, especially when vehicles aren't parked close enough to the curb.

Anyhow my personal preference is to avoid other cyclists and stick with cars. I feel much safer moving along with the relatively predictable steel behemoths rather than slow/awkward/clueless general cyclist. Slow being the main factor... I find other cyclists are too slow. I have nothing against a relaxing ride, and it's not like I sprint all the time, but simply my default pedal rpm and bike setup is probably faster than 80% of the other cyclists I encounter on TO streets. Sure, majority wins, and it's good to have a safe consistent speed in bike lanes. I am just expressing my feelings =P. I believe there'll be more sub-traffic problems within the cyclist group and people will have to start using the fastlane rule.

Overall I would say the biggest safety improvement for Toronto cyclists is to SHOULDER CHECK FREQUENTLY. I would say only 10% of TO's cyclists that I ride behind do proper and frequent shoulder checks. Even if you don't need to, do it out of respect and politeness for vehicles so they know that you know they are behind you.

[Jarek]

Anyone else notice that the bike laying in the middle of the street in the photo has no brakes? iPods, no brakes, no helmets, red light nunning - no wonder TO cyclists are getting a bad reputation. I am not saying drivers are any better, but WE need to clean up before we criticize others.

[trikebum]

Posted by: Blargo | April 24, 2009 at 05:27 PM

"Anyone else notice that the bike laying in the middle of the street in the photo has no brakes? iPods, no brakes, no helmets, red light nunning - no wonder TO cyclists are getting a bad reputation. I am not saying drivers are any better, but WE need to clean up before we criticize others."

Good call Blargo. Looks like a fixie with no lights. Most fatal bike crashes happen at night with cyclist not having lights. This would not likely have happened to a trained cyclist.
Don't see how a helmet would prevent a crushed chest or for that matter protect a head that's been driven over by a truck.

[trikebum]

Jim Ingles sez:"Would be nice to see an overlay of the Bike lane streets...any worse or better than the ever present risks of being the bike commuter that i am?"

Seems to me most crashes happen at intersections as per stats.
BLs aren't helpful and could even cause crashes as they always end at intersections and insular riders need to now merge with traffic. And the least trained cyclists choose BLs.

[Francois Ouellette]

Cycle paths in Toronto are a joke compared to cycling-friendly cities like Montreal, where there is a real political and social will to promote cycling as a real means of transportation. In the GTA on most streets cyclists are also challenged with the bad state of the pavement and have to deal with wide cracks, holes, recessed sewer plates, etc while being pushed to the curb by careless motorists who don't realize how difficult it can be for a cyclist to ride in those poor road conditions. Driving classes and exams should include a section on dealing with cyclists. We see lots of safety tips for cyclists, not so much for motorists about cyclists.

[PJM]

I have not but perused the threads on this subject of bicycle mishaps involving motor vehicles. From what I've read I concur , most bike riders are courteous and mindful of the rules of the road. The same holds true for the vehicle drivers. But I do take issue with the reckless and inconsiderate in either discipline. My focus here is on the bike riders who roam the public walkways with little or no regard for pedestrian safety.
These inconsiderate's care less about forbidden walkways and constantly attempt to turn sidewalks into their own personal bike paths. Daily, public users receive varying degrees of injury colliding with reckless users of two wheelers. Often the police see cyclists using sidewalks and other reserved public walkways but don't seem to rise to this by-law infraction often enough. I say increase the violation penalties and enforce the law with greater frequency and make my daily walks safer.

[Terry Parker Jr.]

It's a no win situation for cyclists. You have mortorists who think they own the entire car lane, and pedestrians who think they own the entire sidewalk and car lane. Im still nursing a fractured wrist from a hit and run BECK taxi, back on November 13,2008. I'm starting to think that cyclists should be permitted to bear arms, as to even the odds, against these killer motorists.

[Dan Robertson]

I used Google Chrome and the map loaded very fast..
Great idea to have these maps for various purposes...
Thanks.
Dan

[buster013]

Aggressive cyclists versus aggressive drivers never mix. Cyclists need to obey the rules and laws of driving as do the drivers who blow through stop signs and zig zag. I've seen some pretty stupid things done by cyclists who feel a sense of entitlement because they are being green. Just like every other driver you will be involved in an accident if you become narrowly focused. PJM's comments are spot on.

[Peter Kraiker]

A similar map has been kept up to date by Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists (ARC) which shows all of the cycling fatalities in and around Toronto since 1986.

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=104617466898194970790.000453019cc83c0f11cc8&z=11

I imagine another ghost bike will be added as well...

Peter

[Vincent Pollard]

it's not just accidents we have to be careful of it's also aggressive drivers attacking cyclists. i was pulled off of my bike late at night at beaten up in the middle of Dufferin by some guy who claimed i 'cut him off'. a friend of mine had his arm broken by a driver who jumped him randomly without provocation and i know of another case where a guy was attacked while cycling and badly hurt. i'm not scared of getting hit by a car, i'm scared of getting hit by a driver.