On October 16th, Carla Warrilow was dragged under a truck on Spadina Avenue in downtown Toronto. She passed away from her injuries. On October 27, a hundred of Toronto’s cyclists mourned her by biking as a group down Spadina and leaving a ghost bike where she was struck. They decorated the bike with notes and flowers, commemorating Carla Warrilow’s life.
“These deaths are just senseless and preventable,” she said NDP Transport critic Olivia Chow, noting that sideguards could have saved Carla Warrilow’s life, and the lives of others accross Canada who have passed away in the same way.
Photo credits: Joey Schwartz (Facebook)
For more information: The Toronto Star
NDP Transport critic, Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina), hosted a press conference on April 9, 2013 to announce that Shu-Pak, a Canadian manufacturer of heavy trucks, will be voluntarily installing sideguards on all of its new vehicles. A huge thank you to Olivia and Shu-Pak for taking leadership on this important safety issue! Read press release here: http://www.safetrucks.ca/?page_id=57
Following our November 28th press conference, Olivia Chow spoke during Question Period. You can read her question and the Minister’s response here: Oliva Chow in Question Period: How many more deaths before sideguards are mandated?
Read our press release from our press conference at Spiritwind Internal Arts: Loved Ones of Lost Cyclists and Pedestrians Come Together to Urge Government to Mandate Side Guards for Heavy Trucks
www.SafeTrucks.ca is a grassroots initiative born out of unnecessary tragedy, and sustained by the determination to make Canada’s roadways safe for everyone who uses them. We are a group of families and friends of those who have died under the wheels of heavy trucks, because simple, sensible, and well-researched regulations have not been implemented by our federal government.
Our first order of business is the support of bill c-344, The Cyclists-Pedestrian Protection Act, tabled by Olivia Chow in the wake of the death of Jenna Morrison, killed on November 7, 2011 in a cycling accident in Toronto. Her death, and the grief of all those who knew her and depended upon her, was utterly avoidable.
The governments of many other countries have proven that flush-mounted truck sideguards prevent the majority of undercarriage deaths. We’ve compiled this research here, along with impact statements from the dozens of other surviving families, and news updates on our efforts.
Beyond our demand for sideguards, we will work to mandate convex mirroring for all heavy vehicles, and mandatory cyclist-interaction road training for everyone who holds a trucking license. Beyond even these goals, we will advocate for greater resources for cycling and pedestrian populations across the country, because walking and cycling is good for the environment, physical health, and sense of community.
www.SafeTrucks.ca is for those we have lost and those we wish to protect: on foot, on a bike, or behind the wheel. It makes good sense, for everybody.
Visit our Take Action! page to find out what you can do.