After a summer of testing, Montreal police have unveiled the latest tool in their bike patrol arsenal.
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The new device, called C3FT, attaches to the handlebars of a patrol bike and measures the distance between a cyclist and a driver.
“Cars pass close to us and cyclists on the road and it is safety concern,” said Montreal police bike patrol officer Oliver Archambault.
By law, drivers must keep a distance of one metre between their car and a cyclist, and 1.5 metres in areas exceeding 50 km/h.
Offenders could pay a fine of $313 and lose two demerit points under Section 341 of the Highway Safety Code.
“It opens up their eyes to see that sometimes their driving is dangerous,” Archambault said.
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Thursday, Montreal police used one of their four new devices during an operation conducted in Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue, in the West Island of Montreal. The other three will be dispersed across the island of Montreal.
The force purchased the new technology, at a price of $2,000 each after receiving a grant from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) last year,