What would make a cyclist venture out on a cold and snowy day and into heavy traffic? Whatever the reason it is becoming more common on Ontario roadways.

While many were happy when roads in North America began to become more cyclist-friendly, no one considered what would happen in northern cities where snowfall is common and cyclists suddenly decide to venture out. In warm months some cyclists could avoid dangerous sections of roads by simply riding on the sidewalk and then returning to the road when the dangerous area was passed. But when heavy snow falls the sidewalk is no longer an option. Many cyclists now plow through the narrowed lanes of a road even in those dangerous sections and collisions are only inevitable. Unfortunately many collisions involve sideswipes of the cycle where the driver of a motor vehicle might not even detect that contact was made. In some instances drivers become charged with a hit-&-run due such glancing blows while in other cases collisions could even be deadly to the cyclist. It is a problem that appears to be on the rise.