March 12, 2009 (Victoria, BC) – No charges have been laid in a crash between a car and a group of cyclists training on roads near Victoria, BC last Saturday that saw two cyclists go to hospital with minor injuries, reports the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper.

The incident happened on a narrow road in an area known as Land’s End near Victoria, when a large group of cyclists, including two-time Olympic medalist Simon Whitfield, riding two abreast was struck by a vehicle attempting to pass in an intersection. Police determined that both the driver and the cyclists were at fault for the accident, citing cyclists were against the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) for not riding single file. Whitfield was not injured.

The cyclists are upset, because they constantly face the dangers of cars passing too quickly and in an unsafe manner on narrow roads, often in corners, where visibility is poor, which puts possible oncoming drivers as well as the cyclists in danger. Cyclists are advocating for a change in the MVA, to allow for cyclists to legally ride two abreast for reasons of safety, claiming it is safer for motor vehicles to pass a more compact group of riders than a group that is strung for a longer distance along the road. The MVA allows for cyclists to “take the lane” and prevent motor vehicles to pass until they deem it safe to do so, such as waiting for better visibility to avoid collisions with oncoming traffic.

To read the latest article from the Victoria Times Colonist about the police decision not to lay charges, click here.

To read the original article about the details of the incident, click here.