With Spring upon us, motorcycle enthusiasts are once again taking to the road to enjoy the season’s warmer temperatures and drier conditions.
Yet despite the surge of motorcyclists in our communities, driving habits of most road users on four-wheels remain the same. We want to remind people that Spring is a time when all drivers must pay particular attention to road safety.
To give you some statistics: ICBC reports that in 2007, motorcycle accidents in British Columbia accounted for only 3.7% of total road accidents. In the same year, motorcycle deaths accounted for an alarming 20% of all road user fatalities. What’s more is that the vast majority of these fatalities took place in the warmer months of the year with nearly 80% of all 48 motorcycle fatalities occurring between April and September.
Below are some safety tips to encourage motorcycle awareness:
- Respect the motorcyclist: the motorcycle has the same privileges of any vehicle on the road. Give them a full lane of travel.
- Look out: be extra cautious at intersections and on the highway. Motorcyclists are harder to spot when making a left turn or changing lanes. Clearly signal your intentions.
- Anticipate a motorcyclist’s maneuver: obstructions that you do not notice may be deadly for a motorcyclist. Predict sudden, evasive actions.
- Allow plenty of space: Don’t follow a motorcycle too closely. Allow enough room to provide the motorcyclist with an outlet incase they have to make an emergency move.
The Slater Vecchio team supports May as Motorcycle Awareness Month (although really, we believe that every month should be designated as such).
