More Canadians are riding bicycles than ever before, but misinformation about cycling and the law is common. Whether you are a cycling commuter, the parent of a child with their first two-wheeler, a recreational rider, or a racer, the chances are you will need this book. In this second edition of Every Cyclist’s Guide to Canadian Law, Christopher Waters, a law professor and cycling advocate, provides a comprehensive overview of the Canadian law on bicycles. The book covers rules of the road, purchasing and using bikes, what to do in the case of a crash or a stolen bike, starting up your own cycling club, racing your bike, and much more. Accessibly written and occasionally humorous, this book is written for those with little or no legal background. Using straightforward and jargon-free explanations, the author includes anecdotes and examples drawn from his own experience as a seasoned commuter and recreational cyclist. Every Cyclist’s Guide to Canadian Law, 2e will also provide an authoritative reference for lawyers, advocates, club directors, and coaches. A portion of the proceeds from this book will go to the Share the Road Cycling Coalition . Press and Reviews: In the early 2000s when I started focusing my legal practice on helping cyclists’, legal textbooks (like municipal road safety initiatives) were devoid of reference to cyclists. Discovering “Every Cyclists Guide to Canadian Law: First Edition” provided me with a unique legal tool and the insight I needed to help injured cyclists. It remains a foundational book in our firm’s legal library. Guiding our team to an understanding of the unique circumstances’ we cyclists face on the road. Every Cyclists Guide to Canadian Law is also a beacon for our cycling community. It is easily accessible. Non-lawyers can pick it up and understand critical concepts related to cycling and the law. This book provides everyday cycling advocates with the tools, language, and case studies they need to push back against the many misconceptions tossed our way by non-cyclists and even by some of our elected officials. I can’t wait to put this new version of the book to use, in my legal practice and in my road safety activism! — Dave Shellnutt, The Biking Lawyer LLP There has never been a better time to renew our friendship with the bicycle: climate change, social inequity, and the pandemic all support an expanded role for cycling in commuting, exercise, and recreation. Professor Chris Waters’s Every Cyclists’ Guide to Canadian Law (2nd edition) is a timely, valuable resource for cyclists, advocates, bike clubs, and decision-makers who already recognize the benefits of cycling but want to equip themselves with a foundation in relevant laws. It’s no surprise that a guide that covers cycling laws in Canada’s thirteen provinces and territories is complicated by differences between jurisdictions. Who knew, for example, that a “bicycle” might include a vehicle with one wheel or as many as four? Waters nonetheless manages to provide an economic narrative supplemented by careful footnoting while directing his audience to additional resources for specific situations. Every Cyclists’ Guide even keeps pace with newer laws related to the proliferation of bikes where electric power supplements muscle power. Waters’s guide provides a pleasant ride through the many laws that affect cycling, while providing useful warnings about legal pitfalls and potholes. In addition to the author’s expert summary of key cycling laws, he also provides context and insights, including personal anecdotes, for legal issues arising from riding on roads and trails, bike purchases and defects, and civil and criminal liability for road crashes. — Albert Koehl, Environmental lawyer and founder of Toronto Community Bikeways Coalition Whether you ride a bike, scooter, or unicycle, Every Cyclist’s Guide to Canadian Law should be on your bookshelf. This brilliant book is accessible and funny, with succinct, invaluable information on the laws that affect cycling. The book brings alive the legislation and legal cases that those on wheels engage with — constitutional, tort, property, municipal, and (hopefully not!) criminal — making it an ideal resource for all, as well as students, teachers, and policy-makers. — Dr. Alexandra Flynn
Peter A. Allard School of Law
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver Campus | x?m??k??y??m (Musqueam) Traditional Territory Table of Contents: Acknowledgements Table of Legislation and Abbreviations Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Riding Your Bicycle Chapter 3: Crashes on Your Bicycle Chapter 4: Breaking Your Bicycle Chapter 5: Losing Your Bicycle Chapter 6: Organizing on Your Bicycle Chapter 7: Racing Your Bicycle Index About the Author About the Author: Chris Waters is a professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Windsor. He is a longtime commuter and recreational cyclist, and former Chair of the Windsor Bicycling Committee. Called to the Ontario bar in 1996, Chris holds degrees from the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, and McGill University. He has been a visiting scholar in the Netherlands and France. He writes about international law when not on his bike or researching cycling history and law. @profcwaters | 
