The death of a 71-year-old Halifax cyclist who collided with a vehicle door is renewing calls for improved safety measures on the road.
“Any death on the road is one death too many,” said Sara Kirk, a Dalhousie University professor and road safety advocate.
The cyclist has been identified as Nouman Ali, an engineering professor at the university.
Dalhousie’s faculty of engineering said in an email to students that Ali was a dedicated professor and researcher and a “pillar” in the department for more than three decades.
“Dr. Ali left a lasting mark through his teaching, research, and service to the university,” the statement read.
“He dedicated his life to education and mentorship, supporting generations of civil engineering students. His research in transportation engineering and pavement design helped make a difference in communities beyond Dalhousie.”
Kirk says she was devastated to hear her colleague was the victim of the collision.
“I was horrified. He was such an incredible academic and a great community member,” she said.
Ali was cycling along Strawberry Hill Street around 1 p.m. on July 17 when the driver of a parked pickup truck opened the door and hit Ali.
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Ali was taken to hospital with what police described as life-threatening injuries, and later died from his injuries.
The truck’s driver was issued a summary offence ticket, but Halifax Regional Police say it was unrelated to the dooring incident.
“The ticket was unrelated, it was for an inspection,” said spokesperson Const. Mandy Paquet. “There have been no other charges in the file but it is still being investigated.”
Paquet adds that the force’s accident reconstruction unit is taking part in the investigation.
For Kirk, the fatal collision is a symptom of larger issues in the municipality, particularly regarding driver awareness and infrastructure that she believes prioritizes cars over other modes of transportation.
“This whole issue that … we do not create safe and supportive environments for people to be moving around if they’re not in a car. And that’s a problem,” she said.
David Trueman, co-chair of the Halifax Cycling Coalition, says he was devastated to hear about Ali’s passing as well.
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He notes there are safety precautions drivers can take to prevent “dooring” a cyclist, such as checking their mirrors before getting out or using the Dutch Reach Method.
“So the idea is that you train yourself to use your right hand to reach over to open the door. And in doing so, you’re naturally turned and in your peripheral vision you would catch that there might be someone approaching,” said Trueman.
Paquet echoes the sentiment that drivers should be aware of possible cyclists and that safety should be a priority for all on the road.
“Especially with more bike lanes coming up in Halifax, we’re seeing more cyclists on the road, so obviously with that you’re going to see more accidents just with the sheer number of people that are on there,” she said.
Ultimately, that’s why Trueman says he believes better infrastructure is needed.
“We need … safe cycling infrastructure. That separates bicycles from cars and trucks,” he said.
I feel sorry for the man that passed and the driver of the truck , but to always blame the vehicle operator is not right. I have seen some cyclists ride very recklessly, they need to own some of the incidents too. And don’t get me started on scooters , they are just a speedy toy for there riders.
START PAYING ROAD INSURANCE LIKE CARS, THEN I MIGHT NOT TRY TO RUN YOU OVER !!! F/ K OFF
Learn to ride properly
Stop whining and leeching off taxpayers
You just cannot legislate common sense and defensive driving. The problem is that, while the car driver was at fault for opening the door, without checking for traffic, the Bike driver should have anticipated the door being opened. Safety should be the primary concern of the bike driver.
Bike lanes cause more accidents. They get more cyclists on the road, who do not understand that bikes are vehicles and have to follow the rules of the road. When they exit a bike lane, and re-enter traffic at an intersection, they believe they are above the road rules, and should have priority.
We need more enforcement, teaching people how to be safe on the road.
Cycling infrastructure is by definition unsafe. It hides bicycles until the dangerous intersections. They are quite often built on the wrong side of parked cars, hiding the lane from other traffic.