Transcript Share The Road

Promoting Cyclists’ Rights in
Ontario
Cleveland Bike Summit
Overview
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Why are we here? What brings us together?
The story of Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Greg
Stobbart – his legacy
How can we learn from tragedy? Our response:
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Focus on road safety issue: High Risk Driver/Repeat
Offender Legislation
Build the “Share the Road Cycling Coalition” -- a grass roots
cycling advocacy organization in Ontario
Why Are We Here?
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A desire to share convictions and our
passion
To learn from each other, build capacity
To harness our shared compassion for:
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The environment
Healthy and safe lifestyles
Childhood energy
Organized Compassion:
A powerful idea
"Never underestimate the power of a small
group of committed people to change the
world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever
has."
- Anthropologist Margaret Mead
Organized Compassion:
A powerful idea
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“People in all types of work tend to enter their field
with some type of dream - a sense of hope that by
their labor, they will contribute to the benefit of some
group in society…most of us really do want to work
for each other. It's in us, in everybody," she said. "It
may be buried, but it is in us.“
(Dr. Margaret J. Wheatley, President Emerita of The
Berkana Institute, a charitable global foundation .)
Organized Compassion:
A powerful idea
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“"The best in art and life starts from your passion,"
Dr. Wheatley said, "but instantly welcomes in other
people's passion." Out of that passion, she
continued, a structure will emerge - but it starts first
and foremost with people coming together and
sharing their concerns.
(Dr. Margaret J. Wheatley, President Emerita of The
Berkana Institute, a charitable global foundation .)
The roots of our passion for change
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A tragic loss of life. June 6, 2006
A conviction that no other family should suffer this loss
A conviction that this was entirely preventable
A conviction that cyclists are not respected and driver behaviors
are increasingly discourteous
An understanding that society has grown complacent with the
level of collisions and fatalities
That we have raised a generation of children who do not enjoy
the love of cycling as we did – primarily because of fear; a lack
of planning, political will and infrastructure
Our story
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Dougan case. Collision June 6, 2006
Driver had 10 year history: 5 convictions -- drive
under suspension
2 convictions drive no insurance
August 2006: charged with follow to close; vehicle
towed from the scene
Convicted. Sentence: two years probation; one year
license suspension
Appeal: October
Our response
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“Be biased towards action” – Senator Kirk Watson
Raise awareness. Commence public debate on
“serial traffic offenders”
Legislative campaign objective: reduce recidivism;
save lives; provide officers with the legislative tools
they need
Encourage preventative measures i.e. legislation,
vehicle impoundment program
Reduce human and social costs
Ensure accountability
Remove/reduce judicial discretion
Honor Greg’s memory
Action Plan
First steps: Media; Outreach; Research
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Engage media: several interviews print; tv;
radio
Globe and Mail (Sat. Sept. 29th)
Media covered the trial, response has been
excellent; coverage is ongoing
Media
Globe and Mail Article
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FATAL FORCE: RECKLESS DRIVING: AN
INVISIBLE EPIDEMIC?
A careless death:
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When Eleanor McMahon lost her husband in a bicycleand-truck accident last year, she was devastated, but
forgiving of the driver. Then she found out that he had a
staggering history of traffic violations, yet had been
allowed to keep his licence. As Erin Anderssen reports,
while awareness around drunk driving has improved,
dangerously aggressive driving is an even harder
puzzle. Ms. McMahon and experts say both laws and
attitudes have to change. Is Canada ready for the
expense and effort?
Media
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Engage the media in the debate
What media channels influence your key
stakeholders?
Mainstream media in particular – powerful
Build the story – data, facts – coupled with
the human face.
A powerful story
A powerful tool
Action Plan
Outreach: building the coalition of support
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Politicians and political staff: Ontario Legislature
Key Ministries/Departments: Transport; Attorney
General; Public Safety; Premier’s office
Law enforcement leaders: Commissioner Ontario
Provincial Police; Regional forces - Halton,
Metropolitan Toronto, Peel
Cycling Advocates
Municipal leaders
Action Plan
Research – a vital piece
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Define the High Risk Driver (HRD) or Serial
Traffic Offender.
What are the existing legislative remedies in
Canada?
What are other provinces doing?
Six have legislation in place
Action Plan
Research cont’d
 Addressing High Risk Drivers starts with
defining the behavior.
 Process: identify HRDs or Serial Traffic
Offenders; develop measures to address
them
Action Plan
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A senior official in the New Brunswick
Department of Public Safety developed the
following in 2001:
“I assume that a high risk driver is one whose
actions makes the driver a risk to themselves
or other drivers on the highway.”
High Risk Drivers: Canadian Data
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Road Safety Vision 2010: CCMTA
Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators,
endorsed by Ministers of Transport and Public Safety
Annual Report 2005
2,725 road users were killed and over 212,000 were
injured.
More than 18,000 of these suffered serious injuries
High Risk Drivers: Cost to Society
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Traffic collisions continue to be the biggest
transportation safety problem in Canada.
Traffic collisions are a leading cause of
years of lost life among Canadians
The annual economic cost to society of
injury- producing and property damage traffic
collisions is estimated at between $11 and
$27 billion. (Vision 2010 Annual Report, 2005)
Research: Canadian Data
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The Road Safety Vision 2010 national target
calls for a 30% decrease in the average
number of road users killed and seriously
injured during the 2008-2010 period over
comparable 1996-2001 figures.
Canadian Targets
Sub Targets:
 a 20% decrease in the percent of drivers who
commit three high-risk driving infractions (two
if they are alcohol-related) within a two-year
time frame
 a 30% decrease in the number of vulnerable
road users (pedestrians, motorcyclists and
cyclists) killed or seriously injured
The case for legislation in Ontario
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6 other provinces: BC; Alberta; Sask; Nfld; N.S.; N.B.
Manitoba have legislation dealing with high risk
drivers.
I reviewed their Vehicle Impoundment Programs
HRDs have been defined. We know its an issue.
2003 over 18,000 drivers charged with license
suspension
Link to Bill 203 in Ontario: Street Racing legislation
United States: A comparison
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U.S example, LA Times editorial August 2007:
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“Road kill: Why are we so worried about terrorism when so
many more people are dying on our highways?”
(Gregg Easterbrook, Fellow Brookings Institute)
High Risk Drivers: Cost to Society
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“245,000 Americans have died because of one specific threat
since 9/11, and no one seems to care. While the tragedy of
3,000 lives lost on 9/11 has justified two wars, in which
thousands of U.S. soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice, the
tragedy of 245,000 lives lost in traffic accidents on the nation's
roads during the same period has justified . . . pretty much no
response at all. Terrorism is on the front page day in and day
out, but the media rarely even mention road deaths. A few days
ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
announced that 42,642 Americans died in traffic in 2006. Did
you hear this reported anywhere? ‘
Ontario Legislative Framework
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Highway Traffic Act – Provincial Statute
Section 130 – Careless Driving
– “Every person is guilty of the offence of driving
carelessly who drives a vehicle or street car on a
highway without due care and attention or
without reasonable consideration for other
persons using the highway and on conviction is
liable to a fine of not less than $200 and not more
than $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not
more than six months, or to both, and in addition
his or her license or permit may be suspended for
a period of not more than two years.”
Ontario Legislative Framework
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Bill 203: Safer Roads for a Safer Ontario Act, 2007
Increases fines for street racers and aggressive drivers,
including those who drive 50 km/h or more over the posted
speed limit, to $10,000 and allows police to immediately
suspend the driver’s license and impound the vehicle for seven
days.
5,000 charges since November
Results: fatal collisions down 40%
Message: Supports rationale for HRD legislation– and we hope,
safe passing legislation
Legislation as a deterrent is effective
I am now starting to pull in partners who support this legislation:
insurers; law enforcement agencies
A new voice for cyclists in Ontario
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Environmental Scan
What mechanisms exist for cycling advocacy
in Ontario?
Discussions with cycling advocates in
Ontario, across U.S., Quebec
Travel to U.S., Europe: Netherlands; France
Origins cont’d
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Our argument: if they can do it there – we can do it
here!
Increased emphasis on reducing green house
gases, health care costs and obesity rates in
children, the time is now to encourage and promote
cycling.
There are excellent examples of both governmentfunded initiatives, and partnerships, with ensuing
benefits to the environment, health and safety.
How can we learn from each other?
Let’s get going!
Building the Coalition
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Meetings with key stakeholders
Cycling Advocates
Politicians – 3 levels of government
Law Enforcement
Private Sector – including industry
Association Municipalities of Ontario – powerful
lobbying organization for municipalities
Insurance industry
Private sector funders – co-branding partnerships
Strategic Focus
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The organization will be grassroots,
membership driven and accountable
It will be funded by a combination of
membership funding – individual and club
members – grants, contributions
It will not rely solely on government funding
and thus be independent from government
Building The Coalition
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Cycling planning conference November 2007
65 attendees – planners, advocates. Workshops,
discussion
Strategic Planning Group: 5 members to move the
agenda forward
Consultation with key stakeholders
What should the organization look like?
Building The Coalition
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Elected President Cycle Ontario Alliance April 2008
Develop effective Board
Diversify funding
Hire staff
Build representative credibility, network across
Ontario
Engage cycling community – “customers” in
organization’s mandate
On-line presence
Re-launch Fall/Winter 2008
In summary
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What brings us together is our shared passion/
compassion -- our dream to make a difference
Our task is to find to “common ground” with key
stakeholders: law enforcement; political leaders;
private sector and weave those forces of
compassion together at the intersection of where
their objectives meet ours.
This process is strategically and tactically sound
Our challenge
“If not us who, if not now when?” (John
Kennedy)
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
(Wayne Gretzky)