April 11, 2018 (Toronto, ON) – Toronto cyclist, Anthony Smith, recently injured in an accident is coming out in support of a renewed call by New Democratic Party MPP Catherine Fife for greater protection for cyclists and pedestrians, including stiffer penalties for drivers who kill or injure vulnerable road users, according to a CBC report.

Smith, a transportation planner, was hit by the driver of a transport truck in Barrie, Ontario and ended up underneath suffering major injuries including a fracture spine.

Following the accident, the driver received only a $125 fine for an license violation not even pertaining to Smith’s incident despite being at fault, and charged at the scene with, according to Smith, “making an illegal left-hand turn, improper brake function, and a hidden license plate.” After learning that the driver would only receive a minor fine and all other charges were withdrawn, Smith put up an on-line petition demanding change.

“The driver will walk away from nearly killing me, with a minor traffic ticket,” he wrote on the petition. “I was never even asked a single question by the crown.”

The petition, which has already received more than 3,600 signatures, coincides with Fife’s plan to reintroduce a private member’s bill at Queen’s Park – Bill 158 Protecting Vulnerable Road Users Act – which failed to pass when it was introduced last fall.

The bill, according to a summary from the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, “…amends the Highway Traffic Act. It is about the legal consequences of a collision that seriously injures or kills a pedestrian, a cyclist, a mobility device user, a roadway worker, an emergency responder outside their motor vehicle or another individual listed in the Bill.”

CBC report here.
Anthony Smith petition here.
Bill 158 The Vulnerable Road User Act here.