A cyclist was seriously injured in a crash on Highway 99 in Whistler late Sunday morning.
BC Emergency Health Services says it received a call at 11:04 a.m. on Aug. 10 about a motor vehicle incident involving a cyclist in the 2700 block of the highway—near the entrance to Wayside Park.
An ambulance with primary care paramedics and an advanced care paramedic response unit attended the scene. Paramedics treated one patient, who was taken by ground ambulance to a health-care facility in serious but stable condition, said paramedic public information officer Brian Twaites.
Data from B.C. researchers shows collisions with motor vehicles account for more than a quarter of cyclist injuries requiring hospital admission in the province, and are more likely to cause serious harm than other types of crashes. Between 2015 and 2019, 27.6 per cent of hospitalized cyclist injuries in B.C. were the result of a collision with a motor vehicle, with 27.4 per cent of those cases classified as serious—compared to 17.9 per cent for cycling falls.
The BC Cycling Coalition reports that about four out of five cyclist-vehicle collisions occur at intersections, often due to driver distraction or failure to yield.
“With more people expected on the roads this summer, BCEHS paramedics remind everyone to pay extra attention to road safety,” Twaites said, noting drivers should avoid fatigue, never use handheld devices, abstain from driving after consuming substances, refrain from distracting drivers as passengers, and watch for other road users.
