Middlesex-London Health Unit – Middlesex Centre, ON – Encouraged by warmer temperatures and drawn by a desire to be active, more and more cyclists are riding city streets and county roads. As bicycle riders and motorists find themselves increasingly sharing roadways, the London Middlesex Road Safety Committee has launched an awareness campaign to prevent collision-related injuries and deaths. Using an approach that combines traditional media with highly visible signage, the Share the Road campaign encourages drivers and cyclists to be courteous and respectful of one another, while providing safety margins for vehicles that pass bikes.

“Cyclists can be injured, or worse, when they are either struck by a vehicle that attempts to pass them, or when a vehicle passes too closely, causing a rider to lose control. That’s why we’re emphasizing leaving at least one metre between a vehicle and a bicycle on any roadway,” says Joyce Castanza, Chair of the London Middlesex Road Safety Committee and a Public Health Nurse with the Middlesex-London Health Unit. “When you’re behind the wheel and you pass a cyclist, consider whether there’s enough room for an average-sized doorway or a dining room table between your vehicle and the bike. If there isn’t, then there isn’t enough room.”

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