Achi news desk-
Ontario Provincial Police are asking drivers to stay alert as the warmer weather means more motorcyclists on the road.
Over the past 10 years, there have been 370 fatal crashes involving motorcycles on OPP patrol roads. In these accidents, the driver of the other vehicle was at fault 54% of the time. Motorcyclists were to blame for the remaining 46 percent.
The police said that if the collision is between a car and a motorcycle, usually the person on the bike is the victim.
“There’s nothing. They don’t have seat belts, they don’t have airbags. They don’t have anything to protect them from the road and other vehicles if they end up in a collision,” Const. Scott Stratton said in an interview with CTV News.
In many cases, the motorcyclist is the driver’s blind spot.
“If you are a motorcyclist, you should ride carefully, assuming no one can see you on the road and drive defensively,” Stratton warned.
Recent crashes
On Tuesday night, a motorcyclist was thrown from the intersection of Conestoga Boulevard and Pinebush Road in Cambridge after being involved in a collision with an SUV. The motorcyclist was seriously injured but the SUV driver was not injured.
A few weeks before, there was another accident in Cambridge involving a motorcycle and an SUV.
A 64-year-old man from Cambridge was seriously injured and had to be airlifted to the hospital, while the driver of the SUV, 58, was not injured. At the time, the Waterloo Regional Police Service expected charges to be laid in the crash but did not say who was at fault.
A damaged motorcycle on the street after an accident in Cambridge on May 10, 2024. (CTV News/Dan Lauckner)
Both parties should remain alert when they hit the roads, police say.
“Especially with turns, because a lot of the collisions we have with motorcycles involve people turning in front of them,” WRPS Staff Sgt. Scott Griffiths explained.
important equipment
The team at Royal Distributing Inc. At Guelph we believe that the right equipment can save lives.
It starts with wearing a certified motorcycle helmet.
“Full helmets are usually the safest, compared to half or three-quarter helmets,” said store manager Tracy Virgin.
A padded, reflective jacket, thick pants, secure gloves, and footwear with right ankle support are also key when riding a motorcycle.
Motorcycle Helmets at Royal Distributing Inc. (Heather Senoran/CTV Kitchener)
In a crash, hitting an unprotected pavement can cause a lot of damage.
“The asphalt can get hot. If it’s super sunny outside, it will burn your skin,” Virgin explained.
Desmond on a motorcycle on May 23, 2024.
Desmond, a motorcyclist from Kitchener, stopped at the Guelph store on his first ride of the season.
He has been riding for eight years and feels lucky that he has never been in a collision.
“You’re trying to anticipate what the driver in front of you is going to do, and then three drivers in front of them,” Desmond said.
