Are Side Guards On Trucks Really That Important?
For the last 13 years, Toronto lawyers have been petitioning to the government and Supreme Court, the mandatory implementation of side guards for trucks, trains and busses in urban areas across Ontario. In Europe, side guards are implemented in order to prevent large vehicles from crashing into cyclists or pedestrians while travelling on roads in urban centers. Today we’ll look at why side guards are important to have.
How many times have you turned on the news at 11pm to see a lead story, discussing how a pedestrian or cyclist was struck and killed by a bus or truck earlier in the day? If you answered plenty, then you like us, will want to have the government mandate side guards for trucks and busses in the city. Since 1996, lawyers and safety advocates across Canada have been pleading with the government to implement side guards, as they can reduce the injuries to pedestrians and cyclists involved in the aforementioned accidents.
In the past, accidents have taken place, because the cyclist or pedestrian has become trapped underneath the truck or bus during the collision. As a result, the slow rotation of the back wheel has crushed the pedestrian or cyclist, leaving them with long-term disabilities or even worse, death. Yet, by having side guards attached to busses and trucks, the pedestrian can avoid colliding with the bus or truck.
This isn’t the first nor will it be the last time that side guards become a hot debate amongst personal injury lawyers Toronto and Transport Canada officials. According to the Government, Transport Canada owes citizens a duty of care, to assure that the busses or trucks are completely safe, so that if an accident should happen, they can prevent catastrophic damages.
The mechanism to set the standard to assure that all Transport Canada vehicles are safe was developed in the Motor Vehicle Safety Act in 1993 section 16. This act stated, legislation to regulate the importation of motor vehicles and equipment to reduce death or injury and damages to property and environment.