London averages 138 reported crashes between cyclists and vehicles per year: PhD candidate

Cyclists involved in crashes with vehicles traveling more than 40 km/hare always hurt, according to local data gathered by a doctoral student in London.

Rebecca Henderson, a PhD candidate at Western University's Faculty of Health Sciences, organized data from 1,656 crashes between bikes and vehicles that were reported to the London Police Service between 2006 and 2017. That's an average of 138 reported crashes per year.

"When drivers go fast, people get hurt. And the faster they travel, the magnitude of the injury goes up," she said.

Henderson isa member of the cycling advisory committee. Her research, which recommends reducing the speed limit on city streets to less than40 kilometers an hour, goes before the advisory committee on Wednesday.

It says the proportion of serious or fatal injuries is less than 1 in 10 when speed is less than 30 km/h. As the rate of speed climbs, Henderson's research shows the probability of a zero or minimal injury decreases, while the probability of minor and severe injury increases.

For example, at more than40 km/h, the report says there's no chance that the rider won't be injured. Instead, there's a 13 per cent chance of a severe injury. At 60 km/h,there's a 27 per cent chance of severe injury, according to the research.

"If you're traveling at more than 60 kilometers an hour, there's a one in four chance that people could die," said Henderson.

"I think we need to ask ourselves if that's a reasonable risk that we're willing to take. Instead of asking 'Should our speed limits be reduced in residential areas from 50 kilometers an hour to something else,' I'd like to turn that back on the decision makers and say 'Please provide the evidence to me that we need to keep it at 50 kilometers an hour.'"

Henderson says the numbersillustrate something the city already knows, and that's "just scratching the surface" because her research doesn't take into account the crashes that go unreported, or the near-misses.

The data was provided by police and relied on drivers to self-report their speed, and used the injury determination made by police officers attending the crash.

Tristan Roby, 17, remains in hospital in critical condition after he was involved in a hit and run crash while riding his bike on Exeter Road a month ago.

Nicholas Keddy, 24, was killed while cycling on Hamilton Road in June.

London's current default speed limit is 50 km/h. Because of an amendment to Ontario's Highway Traffic Act, the city is considering reducing limits on residential streets to below 50 km/h.

Speed limits have already been reduced in school zones to 40 km/h.