Members of the media may directly contact:
Steve Lorteau (English and French)
Professor, Faculty of Law - Common Law Section at the University of Ottawa
Professor Lorteau recently published an article in The Conversation (in French) titled Cyclists may be right to run stop signs and red lights. Here's why, which examines several issues surrounding cycling in cities, including:
- Strict equality between cyclists and drivers.
- The Idaho stop (cyclists can treat a stop sign as a yield sign and a red light as a stop sign).
- The effects of reform and culture change.
"It is important to remember that cars are the main structural hazard on our roads, and that cyclists are actually vulnerable. This structural danger has increased with the growth of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and trucks, which pose greater risks to pedestrians and cyclists. Adopting the Idaho stop does not give cyclists a free pass but recognizes their realities and legitimizes cycling as a mode of transportation, with traffic laws adapted to its risks and benefits. This modest but symbolic reform could be part of a broader set of changes that would offer citizens true freedom and safety in their mobility," wrote Professor Lorteau, whose research interests include environmental law, zoning law, and legal institutions.