Death of 16-year-old cyclist near Quebec City renews calls for improved road safety

The death of a 16-year-old cyclist near Quebec City is sparking a conversation about road safety in the area. 

On Tuesday evening, police received numerous calls regarding a collision between a vehicle and a cyclist at the intersection of Highway 138 and Petit-Village Sud Street in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, just outside Quebec City.

The car was in a ditch upon the arrival of first responders and a 16-year-old girl was badly injured, says Laurence Godbout with the Quebec City police. 

The teen was transported to hospital where her death was confirmed later that evening. 

The driver of the vehicle met with investigators following the collision and no charges have been laid to date, according to police. The investigation is ongoing.

The young woman had been cycling with two others at the time of the incident, both of whom did not sustain any injuries but were transported to hospital to be treated for shock. Radio-Canada reported the vehicle involved in the accident had a U.S. licence plate. 

Elise Genest, a local resident, was riding her bike with her daughter Tuesday evening when she passed the scene of the collision.

Genest, who has been biking in the area for decades, says she was shocked to see the scene and learn a cyclist had died. She described the area as "magnificent" for cyclists as it connects to La Route verte du Québec, the largest cycling route in North America. 

Police say they do not have the data to determine whether the intersection in question is prone to accidents, but according to locals and cyclists, this incident is proof more needs to be done.

Some highlight longstanding concerns over the highway's speed limit of 90 km/h and its dangerous curb. 

Visibility and speed limit concerns on highway 

That's the part that makes it dangerous, says Genest. 

"It's a bend where a lot of accidents normally happen in winter. This is the first time I've been aware of an accident like this in summer," she said.

But Réal Turmel, a local resident, says it's a dangerous spot.

"The speed and the curve here are extremely dangerous," he said, adding that his brother died in the same spot 70 years ago in an accident involving a vehicle.

He says the road doesn't offer great visibility, and he worries routinely for kids getting off school buses in the area. 

'We still have a lot of work to do,' says Vélo Québec

Louis Garneau, a cycling safety advocate and former Olympian, trains on the road daily. He says it's very safe. 

Years ago, he says he pushed for a mandatory distance between cyclists and cars across Quebec. He says he is going to campaign for signage in the city to remind drivers of this rule to keep cyclists safe.

"Some people, they are very aggressive and they don't know about this law," said Garneau.

"We need a certain distance because if you crash, you can roll in front of a car."

High speed limits and a high volume of cars present more danger, says Jean-François Rheault, CEO of Vélo Québec. 

Although it's become "safer and safer" for bikers on Quebec roads in the last few decades, "tragedies like this show us that we still have a lot of work to do," he said. 

With fatal accidents like these, he says the organization often looks to a coroner's report for answers. 

In the spring, he says the organization saw a rise in cycling deaths on provincial roads.

"Of course, it needs to be analyzed. We're just hoping it's not a trend," he said.