Montreal must review the configuration of the intersection of Berri and Ontario streets to improve safety, said coroner Marilynn Morin in her report on the death of cyclist Robert Leblanc, which occurred last year.
On June 7, 2021, around 4:30 p.m., Robert Leblanc was driving eastbound on a Bixi, on the north side of Ontario Street. As he turns left to take the Berri Street bike path north, the 62-year-old man is hit by another cyclist traveling south and for whom the traffic light is green. Mr. Leblanc fell to the ground, suffered serious head injuries and was taken to hospital. He died on June 23.
Despite the improvements made to the intersection of Berri and Ontario streets over the years, it remains “problematic and dangerous,” said the coroner who examined the circumstances of Mr. Leblanc’s death. In 2016 and 2021, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) recorded 19 accidents with injuries.
In her report, Marilynn Morin recommends that the City of Montreal carry out an “in-depth analysis” of the configuration of this intersection and make the modifications deemed necessary to improve safety for cyclists.
It also makes recommendations concerning collision investigations conducted by the SPVM. Currently, an SPVM policy stipulates that a report to the Collision Investigations Module is required following collisions involving bicycles, scooters or other active means of transport, but in which no road vehicle is involved. It is this collision investigation module that determines whether to investigate.
Popularity of active transportation
Instead, the coroner recommends that a collision investigation be carried out systematically for any accident that occurs on public roads. According to her, this measure would allow the City to carry out an in-depth analysis of the file and to take the necessary corrective measures to make its infrastructures safer. “For several years, alternative means of transport have diversified and become popular and their rate of use has greatly increased. In this context, a reflection on the management of accidents involving other types of vehicles should be brought to the fore,” notes Marilynn Morin in her report.
The coroner also considers that certain terms used, such as “death or imminent risk of death” are too restrictive and that the SPVM directive should include accidents resulting in “serious injuries”.
Robert Leblanc was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, which led the coroner to say that the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) should continue and intensify its efforts to raise awareness and educate cyclists on the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet.
Further details will follow.