Heavy Vehicles and the Safety of Vulnerable Road Users

On March 29, 2018, TCAT responded to Transport Canada’s Summary Report – Vulnerable Road Users and Heavy Vehicles Countermeasures Project.

Transport Canada states: “The safety of cyclists and pedestrians when they share the road with heavy vehicles remains an on-going challenge. To specifically address this safety concern, a task force was assembled to examine safety measures, also known as countermeasures, to help protect vulnerable road users (VRUs). This task force is led by a Steering Committee, co-chaired by Alberta Transportation and Transport Canada, with representatives from provincial/territorial authorities.”

TCAT is pleased to see Transport Canada considering safety measures to reduce the risk of conflict and collisions between vulnerable road users and heavy vehicles. However, we identified some gaps in the summary report, and provided a response to Transport Canada identifying areas for improvement, including providing a prioritization of countermeasures, using solutions-based thinking, providing additional evidence, and integrating an equity lens into the discussion. Read report here.