An accident at Greenwood and Mortimer avenues has left Tom Tamblyn, 47, concerned for how much progress has been made for the safety of cyclists in the city.
While approaching a red light on his morning commute to work on Tuesday, Tamblyn was struck by a passenger-side door which opened without warning.
The impact threw him off his bike and onto the road. Police arrived on scene after 30 minutes of trying to exchange information with the family.
The incident left Tamblyn believing there is an ongoing battle to educate motorists and cyclists about the rules in regards to the safety of cyclists.
“We definitely need more bike lanes and we need more dialogue in the city to have a better understanding,” Tamblyn says.
A report from Cycle Toronto says the number of cyclists hit by car doors is up 58 per cent in the last two years.
Tamblyn said the family in the car had no regards for the rules of the roads, getting angry when Tamblyn suggested they exchange contact information for the damages of the bike.
“I think we should have more safety, more awareness,” Tamblyn said. “I mean even this was just a young man that didn’t look, he just opened the door and that was it. It could have been avoided even just by their understanding of the law.”
While a report was written by police, Tamblyn was advised to call his insurance to claim damages on the bike.
Tamblyn had no major injuries.