The true costs of our mobility choices
Health benefits
Discover the often-overlooked benefits of cycling, for your health and for society
Discover all 4 subjects of the thematic
3
Riding Safely
The security of Quebec’s cyclists is improving every year. Why? Because more and more separated cycling infrastructures are being built and traffic calming measure implemented.
Safe Roads for Cyclists
Since the 1980’s, cyclists’ safety is steadily improving in Quebec.
During this period, the number of road traumas has been halved. Also, the amount of crashes implicating cyclists has been divided by 3, and severe injuries and fatalities by 4.
In 2023, only 3 % of deceased people on Quebec’s roads were biking, while 17 % were on foot and 81 % were on board of a vehicles.
Grab left and right to see full graph. Click on each symbol to see data.
Sources : Aggregated data from the annual road safety records of the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec
Bike Safety Determinants
The clear reduction of cyclists injured or killed in road incidents can be observed even though the number of cyclists and registered vehicles has steadily increased every year. This paradox can be explained by the expansion of separated cycling infrastructures and the implementation of traffic calming measures contributing to safe cohabitation between all road users.
Cyclists victim of road trauma 2000-2020
-62%
Biking networks 2000-2020
+111%
Number of registered vehicles 2000-2020
+51%
Number of cyclists 2000-2020
+29%
Cycling infrastructures, the key to safe practice
The development of cycling infrastructure is the best way to improve everyone’s safety.
Amongst the possible cycling infrastructures, the best option remains lanes separated from motorized vehicles. At night, these separations appear to have an even bigger impact on safety than roadway lighting. Beyond the number of collisions avoided, such infrastructures are perceived as more comfortable and safer by users.
Also, as it has been shown in Toronto, separated cycling infrastructures help reduce the number of collisions on neighbouring streets through a halo effect, even if they don’t have cycling facilities.
Where to Prioritize Cycling Infrastructure?
All roads do not present the same amount of risk for cyclists.
Riding on an arterial road, the number lanes for motorized vehicles (especially at intersections), the presence of on-street parking (notably with high turnover rate) are three key factors contributing to cyclists’ insecurity. In lower income neighborhood, streets combining all of these factors are usually more present, making biking more difficult.
The installation of safe and separated cycling lanes from vehicles is an important measure not only to reduce the number of collisions on our roads, but also improve social equity.
Numbers of Collisions Implicating a Cyclist
x 5.5
at intersections with an arterial road
Numbers of Collisions Implicating a Cyclist
x 3.6
at intersections with roads counting a high number of lanes
Number of cyclist injuries
x 4
at intersections with traffic lights
Doorings
6.5
doorings per month on the island of Montreal between 2019 and 2022
Sources:
- (Intersections) Direction régionale de la santé publique du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'île-de-Montréal (2021). Évaluation d'impact sur la santé du Réseau vélo express - Rapport final
- (Traffic lights) Strauss, J., Miranda-Moreno, L. F. and Morency, P. (2015). Mapping cyclist activity and injury risk in a network combining smartphone GPS data and bicycle counts. Accident Analysis & Prevention, Volume 83
- (Dooring) Direction régionale de la santé publique du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de l'île-de-Montréal (2023). Portrait des emportiérages sur le territoire montréalais
Other Measures to Improve Cyclists’ Safety
When separated Infrastructures are not possible, cyclists and motorists have to ride alongside. In these instances, traffic calming measures are necessary for proper cohabitation.
Vehicles’ speed increases drastically the risk of collisions and the gravity of injuries in such cases. The probability of surviving during a collision with a vehicle going at 50 km/h is only of 20 %. At 30 km/h, the chances of survival are of 90 %.
The Vision Zero strategy aims at eliminating all deaths and severe injuries on roads. This approach to road safety is more and more adopted across the world and the province of Quebec. To achieve this goal, pedestrians and cyclists should not have to share the same lane as motorized vehicles if the speed limit is above 30 km/h. On faster streets, separated infrastructures are essential to ensure the safety of these users.
The number of motorized vehicles circulating on a street, which is often determined by its classification and its width, directly influences how safe cyclists feel and the risks of collisions with motorists (particularly at intersections). Considering this, it is paramount to limit transit circulation on streets used by cyclists without separated infrastructures.
This feeling of unsafety is especially exacerbated by heavy vehicles (truck, buses, etc.), stressing the need for proper infrastructure.
In Quebec, the steady increase of the number of registered vehicles poses a serious concern for pedestrians’ and cyclists’ safety. Vehicles are more and more numerous, large and heavy. As of now, almost one out two vehicles is an SUV or a van. Between 2013 and 2021, the increase of registered vehicles grew at a higher rate than the population.
The more there are cyclists on our street, the less there seem to be deaths and severe injuries due to road traumas. It appears that this is explained by the fact that drivers get more used to the presence of cyclists and cohabitate more safely with them.
Credits: © Anne Williams
Measures on the Individual Scale, a Nice to Have
In addition to infrastructural measures, promoting individual protections can provide additional safety benefits.
Since 1995, wearing a helmet has significantly grown in popularity, preventing an estimated 6 deaths and 87 hospitalizations every year. Head injuries are frequent for cyclists and can be avoided in 50 to 69 % of cases by wearing a helmet.
That being said, even if they can be effective, individual protection measures (i.e.: helmet, reflective gear on clothes and bikes) will never replace global measures allowing safer cohabitation between pedestrians, cyclists and motorists (traffic calming measures, separated lanes, etc.)
Grab left and right to see full graph. Click on each symbol to see data.
Sources: Data aggregated from the États du vélo from 1995 to 2020 by Vélo Québec
What About Recreational Biking?
Recreational biking is one of the least risky activity. For all ages, the risk of injury while biking is comparable to hiking, and way below hockey, running or soccer.
Youth’s Health
Because they are developing physically and cognitively, children are the most vulnerable road users. Despite this fact, daily biking from an early age remains one of the best ways to access the long-term benefits of an active lifestyle and develop lasting good habits. Learn more about this topic.
