Dear editor:

A friend drew my attention to the April 12 letter by Susan Pohorly, “Concerns about cyclists on the roads of NOTL.”

This letter penned following the death of Louise Leyland contains inaccuracies, long-debunked myths and rampant speculation. This does a disservice to communities already reeling in the wake of a terrible tragedy and cannot stand without reply.

Her letter says cyclists “speed past while I wait” to exit her driveway. As a licensed driver, I hope she is aware that her duty to merge safely with traffic extends not only to cyclists but also to motorists, those utilizing assistive devices and pedestrians.

The facts of the terrible collision that killed Leyland remain under investigation. As such, speculation about her chosen path, the view of the cyclist, their riding position at the time, etc. is both inappropriate and puzzling.

To suggest cyclists are a “much bigger problem” than the behaviour of inconsiderate drivers, road design or maintenance is completely unsupported by data or by common sense. Anecdotal evidence of scofflaw cyclists “often not stopping at stop signs” has been comprehensively refuted, including by 2018 research by the University of South Florida.

The April 5 crash was an unmitigated tragedy. Leyland was killed and the as-yet-unidentified 64-year-old cyclist was injured.

Speculation and mischaracterization of the facts and context of this terrible event misinforms the public and does nothing to honour Leyland’s memory in the community that she served so passionately.

Ian Brisbin
Martin & Hillyer Associates
Burlington