A little girl crossing the street to get to her school bus was hit by a cyclist who failed to stop, on Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Thursday. This is an infraction of the Road Safety Code that Vélo Québec denounces across the board.
Posted at 2:37 p.m.
Updated at 4:32 p.m.
In a video first broadcast on the social network X on Thursday, we can see that the young girl is near a parked car on the other side of the street. The scene occurred at the very beginning of the day, shortly after 9 a.m.
The school bus stopped and then activated its stop sign with intermittent flashing lights. The little girl then begins to cross the street, but has to cross a cycle path. It was at this moment that a cyclist who had not stopped collided with her.
“This is not the first time this has happened, including to my own son. […] Much remains to be done on [la rue] Jeanne-Mance,” resident Mayer Freig denounced Thursday in a tweet, sharing images taken from a residential surveillance camera. He also said that the child is doing well.
For Magali Bebronne, program director at Vélo Québec, “the cyclist is obviously 100% at fault and that is unacceptable.” “There are no mitigating circumstances. We see this and we are completely appalled,” she says.
“The only thing is that until 2018, it was not specified, the behavior of a cyclist in front of a bus with flashing lights, but since then, it has been clearly written that he has the obligation to stop at least five meters away. We are therefore really dealing here with a behavioral problem,” continues M.me Brebonne.
According to the Highway Safety Code, a cyclist who does not stop near a bus whose intermittent red lights are running is liable to a fine of $80 to $100. The driver of a vehicle is liable to a fine of $200 to $300 in addition to receiving 9 demerit points.
Against the direction
In this sector of rue Jeanne-Mance, the configuration of the cycle lane is made in the opposite direction to car traffic, which however does not pose any challenges for Vélo Québec. “On the contrary, we think it’s good because it offers cycle routes on less busy streets, where there is less risk of collisions,” says the manager.
The office of Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante spoke Thursday of a “shocking collision,” saying it was relieved that the child was doing well. “This incident reminds us of the importance of making all users aware of respecting the Highway Code, particularly in the presence of children and school buses. Any development will not be enough to protect users if the rules of the Highway Code are not respected,” argued the press officer, Béatrice Saulnier-Yelle.
“Our administration remains determined to accelerate the security of all living environments. At all times, bicycle facilities contribute to calming and making the streets safer, since they narrow the traffic lanes and can therefore limit the speed of vehicles,” she added.
The Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) indicated in response that its commander Sylvain Malo, head of the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighborhood station, obtained information and viewed the video. An investigation was opened by the Specialized Collision Investigation Module.
“I am relieved to read that the child is doing well despite the collision. The Highway Safety Code applies to everyone to protect the most vulnerable. Respect and vigilance are required. An accident happened too quickly,” argued opposition leader Aref Salem.
