it’s over. I no longer ride a bike in Montreal. I care a lot about my life. I don’t feel safe around motorists on the road.
The City of Montreal has made significant efforts to make many streets safer for cyclists. And yet, despite this, most Montreal cyclists I meet pedal with an omnipresent fear.
This fear is the fear of motorists.
Behaviors that need to change
Sometimes accidents happen, even when you’re careful. However, the competitive climate that prevails on our roads has no reason to exist.
Road rage, dangerous driving, doing anything to save five minutes: most people know at least one person who rules the roads.
Often endangering the lives of the people they share the road with does not seem to stop these reckless people from wanting to speed up, overtake, or make dangerous unjustified maneuvers.
I really wonder who these people think they are, the kings of the world in their metal giant. You really have to be selfish to do that.
The lives of passengers, cyclists and other road users should never be put at risk to save a few minutes on a journey, for example.
Enhance the feeling of security
Yes, we must continue to learn how to share the road, and continue to create bike paths, but I believe the first step is for problem motorists to correct their unacceptable behavior.
I call on the passengers of these problematic drivers to intervene with them to remind them of all the damage that their reckless behavior can cause.
It is not acceptable to let your selfishness impose a feeling of insecurity on many other road users.
