Edmonton cyclist urges more driver education after near collision downtown
Posted April 9, 2023 6:34 pm.
Last Updated April 9, 2023 11:42 pm.
Edmonton cyclist Max Amerongen rode away unhurt from a near collision in the downtown core – but it could have been worse.
Video from Amerongen’s helmet camera, and dashcam footage from a vehicle behind him, show the car starting to make a right turn, seemingly without the driver looking.
Luckily Amerongen noticed seconds earlier and turned his bike to prevent what could have been a bad crash.
“I’m used to reacting to drivers who aren’t paying attention as I think everybody in Edmonton is,” he said.
Amerongen says over the past of couple of years he has been making sure to ride with a camera on his helmet.
“At every opportunity drivers are told they’re number one,” said the cyclist. “I think it’s an understandable attitude to not feel the need to look out for others.”
https://twitter.com/MaxAmerongen/status/1644484285544497153
Edmonton drivers have been criticized for their driving in recent months.
Drivers have been at fault in six vehicle collisions involving the Valley Line LRT since November, according to TransEd.
TransEd says in all cases, drivers ignored basic rules and signage, and illegally turned right on a red light.
READ: Taxi collides with Valley Line LRT after illegal right turn on red: TransEd
Amerongen feels after his own experience, more needs to be done about driver education in the city.
“As we build more bike lanes and as we get more situations where there’s an LRT sharing that space, we’re going to have more of these unless we start doing more driver education and start fixing the design.”
CityNews also spoke with a driving instructor who requested to remain anonymous for professional reasons. The instructor of over 10 years says bad habits come from bad attitudes.
“When we get an experienced driver, that’s what we’re dealing with,” he said. “There’s just bad habits. So that’s high on the list of problematic things in driving. Bad habits and attitude. That’s what it’s all about.”
WATCH: Taxi collides with Valley Line LRT
The instructor also added all these accidents with the trains and now bike could have been prevented with a little extra driver awareness.
“But for those people who are looking for signage, it will be helpful,” he said. “They will see it. But to be quite honest with you, nine times out of 10, it’s driver awareness.
“In the insurance industry (there’s) a saying: ‘there’s no such thing as an accident.’ They’re all preventable.”
Amerongen believes the city needs to do more to help prevent these events from happening.
“I do think as we build more of those options and as we have more familiarity with LRT and things like that, I do think drivers are going to get better at this. But I think with education, the city can do more.”
