Dying For Sustainable Transport
Cyclists Lay Dead on Montreal Streets to Protest Car Culture
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Bicycle activists staged a die-in to highlight the number of accidents between cyclists and motorists on Montreal streets and to raise awareness of alternative transportation options on Sept. 22.
Cyclists, wrapped in bandages and fake blood, lay on the street for 10 minutes as an activist dressed as a veiled widow drew chalk outlines around their bodies. The die-in was a theatrical protest to raise awareness of the dangers of cycling in Montreal.
“The die-in denounces the consequences of the massive adoption of cars as a means of individual transportation,” said Pierre-Olivier Parent, a member of the Montreal à Vélo Collective.
The MVC advocates for fewer cars on the street and more progressive thinking about alternative forms of transportation.
In 2009, 16 people died and around 114 people were seriously injured in accidents between cyclists and mototists, reports the Société de l’assurance automobile du Quebec. Blame for these incidents often ends up on the cyclists, says Anouk Lebel, another member of the MVC.
“We rarely talk about the fact that the high number of cars in circulation is the root of the problem,” she said.
