Toronto – Mayor Olivia Chow was joined by Councillor Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth) and City of Toronto staff to provide an update on staff recommendations for the feasibility of side guards on City of Toronto heavy-duty vehicles.
Side guards are protective railings or bars mounted on the sides of large trucks between the axles to help prevent individuals from being pulled under the wheels of a truck during a collision. Research indicates that side guards could reduce cyclist fatalities by approximately 62 per cent, pedestrian fatalities by 20 per cent and serious injuries for cyclists by six per cent.
This report is set to be considered by the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on November 27 and by Toronto City Council in December. The report, Feasibility of Requiring Side Guards on all Commercial Trucks Operating in the City of Toronto, Including Retrofitting the City’s fleet, was published recently on the City’s website.