Safety priority
Although a coroner’s investigation into the exact cause of the accident is still underway, one hopes some new safety measures will be put in place following the tragic death of a 52-year-old Pointe Claire woman last month.
A vigil in her memory is to be held in Pointe Claire Village Saturday afternoon. The woman died from injuries sustained after reportedly being struck by the mirror of an STM bus that was turning onto Lourdes Street from Lakeshore Road the afternoon of Jan. 12. The incident has been ruled an accident by police investigators and no charges are pending against the bus driver.
While there have not been many deaths caused by people being struck by a bus mirror, those who have used or still ride the bus on a regular basis must have noticed or experienced some 'close calls,' especially at busy terminals.
In this day and age, there must be an engineer who could design a bus mirror that would be sturdy yet flexible enough to bend back and avoid causing a fatal accident in case it hit a pedestrian. Flexible side mirrors on cars, to avoid injury as well as breakage on impact, have long been in use. Why not use something similar on a bus?
Weather: Montreal, July 19th 2008 / 21°C
/ Overcast
/ Wind: 19 Km/h / Humidity: 83 % 
by Albert Kramberger 
Steven Guilbeault - Environment Column
Richard Cléroux - National Columnist
