Summer in Ottawa has a way of changing how the entire city moves.
Commutes compete with construction detours.
Families head downtown for festivals and events.
Cyclists, runners and pedestrians return to pathways in large numbers.
Motorcycles and e-scooters become regular sights on roads that were much quieter a few months earlier.
Most people welcome the warmer weather.
That being said, the combination of increased traffic, road construction and more vulnerable road users can also increase the risk of a serious collision.
The Ottawa Police Service has warned that the warmer months often bring an increase in speeding, stunt driving and distracted driving. Police have also noted that summer means more pedestrians, cyclists, mobility-device users and e-scooter riders sharing Ottawa’s transportation network.
A safe summer does not require avoiding Ottawa’s roads. Instead, it requires recognizing how the risks change once the weather improves and adjusting your driving accordingly.
Clear pavement can create a load of danger that many people don’t think about. When roads are dry and visibility is good, some drivers travel faster, follow more closely or pay less attention to changing conditions.
Summer construction adds another layer of difficulty because of:
These changes can create confusion even for drivers who travel the same route every day.
A driver following a familiar route may find that:
The City of Ottawa regularly updates its page on major traffic impacts and road closures. Checking the route before leaving can help drivers avoid rushed lane changes and last-minute decisions near construction zones.
Please also remember that Ottawa has:
The precautions that make sense on Elgin Street may be quite different from those needed on March Road, Mitch Owens Road or Highway 416.
Driving fast increases your chances of getting a speeding ticket, but it also reduces the amount of time a driver has to identify a hazard and plan for it accordingly.
Driving properly matters even more as:
A few extra seconds can be the difference between a close call and a life-changing injury.
Recent Ottawa enforcement shows that excessive speed is not an abstract concern:
Drivers should always give themselves more time than they think they need. Leaving ten minutes earlier is far safer than trying to recover ten minutes by speeding.
A large percentage of serious traffic conflicts occur at intersections:
Ottawa has several intersections that experience a particularly high number of collisions. Some of these include:
Drivers approaching an intersection should:
A green light does not guarantee that the intersection is clear. It simply gives permission to proceed when it is safe to do so.
Ottawa’s cycling network becomes significantly busier during the summer.
Cyclists use city streets for:
Families and visitors often use multi-use pathways to explore the capital.
Drivers should expect cyclists to be present, even on roads without dedicated cycling infrastructure. The Ottawa Police Service reminds drivers to provide at least one metre of space when passing cyclists and e-scooter users.
That metre should be treated as a minimum, not a target to be measured as closely as possible. A cyclist may need to move around gravel, a pothole, a sewer grate or debris near the edge of the road.
Cyclists can reduce risk by:
Making eye contact with a driver can help, but cyclists should never assume that eye contact means the driver has fully understood what they intend to do.
Extra caution is needed around parked vehicles. A door opened into the path of a cyclist can cause a severe injury, even when the cyclist is travelling at a moderate speed.
Ottawa’s pathways are one of the best parts of summer in the capital. They are also used by people travelling at very different speeds.
For example:
Courtesy and predictability are essential.
Faster users should slow down before passing and provide a clear warning.
Pedestrians should avoid spreading across the entire pathway, particularly in busy areas.
Everyone should take additional care near curves, bridges and pathway intersections.
Surface conditions also matter. Potholes, loose gravel, debris and uneven pavement can cause falls or force cyclists to make sudden movements.
Injuries on Ottawa trails and pathways occur, and learning about these incidents, how they can happen and identifying the organization responsible for an injury can be important.
Some forms of distracted driving include:
Construction zones make distraction particularly dangerous. Signs, lane markings and traffic patterns can change within a short distance. A driver looking down for only a few seconds may miss a stopped vehicle, a flag person or a cyclist entering a shared lane.
Set the destination before leaving. Put the phone somewhere it cannot be casually checked. When a change is necessary, pull over in a safe and lawful location.
Hands-free technology can also create mental distraction. A difficult conversation may take a driver’s attention away from traffic even when both hands remain on the steering wheel.
Ottawa’s summer calendar includes festivals, concerts, patios, sporting events and gatherings throughout the city.
Alcohol and cannabis can impair reaction time, judgment and coordination long before a person feels incapable of driving.
Planning the trip home should happen before the first drink, not at the end of the night. OC Transpo, a taxi, a rideshare service or a designated driver can prevent a devastating collision.
Cyclists and e-scooter riders should take impairment seriously as well. Smaller vehicles offer little physical protection, and a loss of balance or poor decision at an intersection can have serious consequences.
The minutes following a collision can be confusing.
Start by moving to a safe location when possible and calling emergency services if anyone may be injured.
Seek medical attention. Some injuries, including concussions and soft-tissue injuries, may not be immediately obvious. Adrenaline can temporarily mask pain and other symptoms.
Photograph:
Obtain the contact information of drivers and witnesses.
Report the collision when required and notify the appropriate insurer promptly.
Avoid making statements about fault while you are still trying to understand what happened. A collision that initially appears straightforward may involve traffic-camera footage, vehicle data, witness evidence or road-design issues.
Legal advice should be obtained early when an injury is serious or symptoms continue. Evidence can disappear quickly, and some claims involving municipalities, roads or pathways may be subject to short notice requirements.
Drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and e-scooter riders do not experience Ottawa’s roads in the same way, but they all have the same goal: getting home safely.
Slowing down, checking a blind spot and giving another road user a little more space may feel like small choices. In personal injury cases, we often see how much those choices can matter.
Bergeron Clifford Injury Lawyers represents people who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle, cycling and pedestrian collisions across Ottawa and Eastern Ontario. If you or a family member has been injured, our lawyers can explain the insurance process, investigate how the collision occurred and help you understand your legal options.
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