An avid cyclist and former World Cup triathlete, the Corner Brook native has cycled around the world with Paris, Los Angeles, Miami and South America just a few of the stops he’s made along a riding journey that goes back to the 1985 Canada Summer Games. He placed 17th as a member of Newfoundland and Labrador’s cycling team.
LeDrew is optimistic that changes will be made to make the roadways safe for cyclists in this province after hearing about a historic moment whereby the one-metre law to protect cyclists on island roads was passed in the Legislature by the Prince Edward Island government last week.
Under the law — referred to as Ellen’s Law — drivers must keep a distance of one-metre between their vehicle and a cyclist if the two are travelling in the same direction. Prince Edward Island is following in the footsteps of a pair of other Atlantic provinces.
New Brunswick adopted the regulation on May 5, while Nova Scotia passed a similar law (Bill 93) several years ago that carries upwards to an $800 fine.
The law is named after New Brunswick competitive cyclist Ellen Watters of died following a colliding with a vehicle earlier this year.
Canada, in general, is one of the worst countries when it comes to safety because there are no shoulders on many of the roadways and there’s a heavy congestion of traffic with more cars and bikes hitting the road every day.
LeDrew would love to see bike paths become the norm in the province, but he knows that would be something that would not only come with challenges but also require a fair amount of time to bring to fruition.
He has lost some friends, former triathlon friends he met through his years of competing, through tragic cycling incidents and he’s seen tragedy occur at home on occasion so he has always been an advocate of safety first when it comes to jumping on the bike.
He thinks it’s unfortunate it takes tragedy to invoke change some times, but he’s hoping the provincial government will follow the lead of the other provinces who have taken steps to address cycling safety.
“I think it’s a no-brainer. It can be tasked very fast, but you just have to get the politicians on side,” he said.
More people are catching the cycling bug every day and there are more vehicles zooming around our roadways so LeDrew is willing to fight for anything that makes sense when it comes to providing a safer, more enjoyable ride.
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