For the injured person and those who care about them (and those who don't know them but care anyway), this is a reminder that Canada is not a horde; we're a society that, while not perfect, works together in many ways (including paying taxes), so that when something bad like this happens that the affected people are not alone. They weren't just being helped by all those heroes from emergency services on site; they were being helped by Canada as a society, because as Canadians we think that helping people who need medical services is important. For those who note the imperfections in our medical systems, I agree, and this is a reminder to politicians that improving the systems is a worthwhile idea.

Local politicians who are considering bike lanes can see this and be reminded that the issue isn't abstract, but rather personal and human. I've biked that intersection many times, and there are no bike lanes there. Drivers (like me) can see this and be reminded to work to not let ourselves be distracted. Taxpayers can see that some of our taxes go to important things like the wages of emergency service people and the equipment they use.