May 7, 2015
1757
(HURON COUNTY, ON) – It doesn’t matter who is at fault when a motorcycle is involved. Drivers and/or passengers on motorcycles are likely going to sustain serious injury or death. The OPP is declaring this week Motorcycle Awareness Week across the province.
This past weekend, West Region OPP responded to two collisions involving motorcycles that left two drivers with serious injuries. Motorcycle collisions in other OPP Regions resulted in death. All the collisions were preventable and, sadly in some cases, alcohol was a causal factor.
Motorcycle operation requires skills and abilities that far exceed that of driving a car or truck. Motorcycle operators must learn how to drive defensively and offensively in order to stay alive on the roads. Unlike driving a four-wheeled vehicle, the margin of error for motorcycle operators is very thin.
The OPP encourages anyone driving a motorcycle on Ontario roads to take a certified training course on how to drive a motorcycle safely and properly. “Having taken a certified motorcycle course at a local college, I can say with certainty that the acquired skills have saved my life on the roads,” says sergeant Dave Rektor.
Motorcycle Awareness Week also includes all other drivers. With the onset of warm spring weather and the approach of summer, the OPP is asking all vehicle operators to be aware of motorcycles on the roads. “It only takes a second of inattentiveness to cause a lifetime of regret,” says West Region Traffic Inspector Steve Porter. Take extra time to make sure you check and double-check for motorcycles when driving.
The following tips are offered to help reduce collisions with a motorcycle:
Be sure that you are safe to proceed before doing so; check your mirrors and all around your car
Over one-third of all crashes with motorcycles are intersection related; slow down as you come to an intersection and look carefully for traffic, traffic control signals, cyclists, pedestrians
Be extra cautious when turning left in front of a motorcycle; it’s difficult to judge the machine's speed and the turn signal may unintentionally be on as some models don’t shut off automatically
Watch for signs, such as shoulder checking or leaning, that indicate the rider is going to change lanes
A motorcycle is more difficult to see than other vehicles and its profile is smaller from most angles
Drivers can easily misjudge a motorcycle’s speed or distance
Make sure you don’t pull out in front of, or cut off, a motorcycle
Speed and other aggressive tactics, such as tailgating, can be more dangerous to the motorcyclist who has less protection on a smaller, open vehicle
Give other drivers space to change lanes, avoid cutting them off, signal your turns and lane changes properly
All drivers have a responsibility to keep our roads safe. Please do your part in keeping Huron County’s roadways as safe as possible.
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