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Sideguards – Background and Facts

Sideguards – Background and Facts. Office of Olivia Chow, MP (Trinity- Spadina ) NDP Transport Critic Tim Ehlich Legislative Assistant. Tale of Two Countries – Canada. Snapshot 2005 Population: ~32.4 million Trucks above 4.5 tons: ~718,000 Pedestrians killed by heavy trucks: 50

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Sideguards – Background and Facts

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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. EU: Proactive in Making Trucks Safer • 1989: EU directive makes truck sideguards mandatory • 1990-1995: member states phase in mandatory sideguards • 2000: front underrun protection mandatory • 2002: automatic speed limitation devices mandatory • 2003: improved mirrors for trucks become mandatory

  5. 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 1st 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 – www.safetrucks.ca • 2011: Olivia re-introduces sideguard legislation as Bill C-344

  6. 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

  7. 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% • 200-400 fatalities less yearly in EU if all trucks had closed sideguards • EU financing research projects

  8. 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

  9. Different Designs All Leading to Savings

  10. 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 • CO2 emissions reduced by 1.1 million tonnes annually • Equivalent to taking ~250,000 cars of Canada’s roads • Improved road safety for all

  11. 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.ca • Take this slide deck and use it to talk to your friends, family, classmates or co-workers

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