Office of Olivia Chow, MP (Trinity-Spadina) NDP Transport Critic Tim Ehlich Legislative Assistant Sideguards – Background and Facts

Tale of Two Countries – Canada Snapshot 2005 Population: ~32.4 million Trucks above 4.5 tons: ~718,000 Pedestrians killed by heavy trucks: 50 Cyclists killed by heavy trucks: 10 Pedestrians and cyclists killed per 10,000 trucks: 8.4

Tale of Two Countries – Germany Snapshot 2005 Population: ~82.4 million Trucks above 4.5 tons: ~2.6 million Pedestrians killed by heavy trucks: 82 Cyclists killed by heavy trucks: 69 Pedestrians and cyclists killed per 10,000 trucks: 5.8

EU: Proactive in Making Trucks Safer 1989: EU directive makes truck sideguards mandatory : member states phase in mandatory sideguards 2000: front underrun protection mandatory 2002: automatic speed limitation devices mandatory 2003: improved mirrors for trucks become mandatory

Canada: The Long and Winding Road 1998: Toronto Regional Coroner recommends sideguards 2006: City of Toronto Works Committee recommends sideguards again 2006: The Jessica Campaign kicks off as grassroots campaign 2006: Olivia Chow’s 1 st attempt in House of Commons 2010: Olivia’s co-sponsored Bill C-512 fails 2011: Chief Coroner of Ontario announces cycling fatality investigation 2011: Safe Trucks initiative started – : Olivia re-introduces sideguard legislation as Bill C-344

Sideguards: Important Step Towards Safety Let the Numbers Speak UK study: 23% drop in cyclist deaths from truck collisions after introduction Cyclists moving in same direction as truck: 61% drop Germany: 40% drop in cycling fatalities, 20% drop in pedestrian fatalities from collisions with trucks in urban areas since 1995 Netherlands: blind-spot accident fatalities in truck/cylist collision down 50% EU: sideguards prevent underrun in up to 50% of two-wheeler/truck crashes EU: cycling fatalities have dropped in every member state (EU-14); overall decrease of 31% from 1995 to 2005 EU: pedestrian fatalities dropped by 41% from 1995 to 2005

Still Room for Improvement Two Basic Types of Sideguards Rail-style sideguards: 2 horizontal bars, max. 30 cm gap Flush-mount or closed sideguards: made of flat panels Closed Sideguards with Clear Advantage Both types legal in EU, closed sideguards better for safety Dutch study: improved design lowers fatality rates by 10% fatalities less yearly in EU if all trucks had closed sideguards EU financing research projects

Aerodynamic Design: Good for Environment Reduced Fuel Consumption First attempts in 1996: 4-5% fuel consumption reduction Commercialized Dutch design: 5-15% reduction, 9% average German design 7% on average, British design 10% Individual tests: up to 20% fuel savings Characteristics Weight: ~220 kg, made of high-tech plastic to withstand 1 kN impact Lifespan: 20 years, well beyond average truck/trailer use Costs: ~$600 to $2,600; average of $900 – payback between 2 and 3 years Fuel savings for both rigid trucks and tractor-trailer combinations

Different Designs All Leading to Savings

Canada: Case for Aerodynamic Sideguards If we had fuel-saving sideguards in place… Assumption: conservative fuel savings of 5% Fleet of ~235,000 tractor-trailer combinations Results Fuel savings: 401 million liters CO 2 emissions reduced by 1.1 million tonnes annually Equivalent to taking ~250,000 cars of Canada’s roads Improved road safety for all

What You Can Do… … To Make Sideguards a Reality in Canada Sign her petition to parliament Touch base with Olivia and become a volunteer Inform yourself via the website SafeTrucks.caSafeTrucks.ca Take this slide deck and use it to talk to your friends, family, classmates or co- workers