Side guards to be required on city-owned, contracted trucks in Vancouver after cyclist's death

A motion requiring side guards on all city-owned and contracted trucks was unanimously approved by Vancouver city council Wednesday.

The safety feature essentially covers the space between the front and back wheels of large trucks and aims to protect pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users.

The motion was put forward by Couns. Christine Boyle and Rebecca Bligh after cyclist Agustin Beltran was killed last month when he collided with a dump truck. According to the motion, photos from the scene of that crash show the bike "fully underneath the truck, which did not have side guards." 

It's unclear if the truck involved in that crash was city-owned or contracted. 

"Side guards have shown to be extremely effective at preventing fatalities and severe injuries because they prevent cyclists and pedestrians from being trapped between the truck’s wheels," the motion said.

"Municipal action on lateral side guards could prevent tragedies happening in our city in the future."

Beltran's partner, Renata, spoke at Wednesday's council meeting.

"Having witnessed the accident from a few metres away, I know that Agustin's life would have been saved if that truck had side guards. It is also possible that other things would have saved his life," she said.

"There is nothing I can do to bring Agustin back to life, but we can all do something to prevent this from happening to anyone else."

The motion also directed to staff to review traffic planning in the city where right-hand turns intercept bike lanes at intersections. It also directed the mayor to urge the federal government to make side guards mandatory on large trucks in all urban areas.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Lisa Steacy and Shannon Paterson