OPP launch motorcycle safety event as warm weather kicks in
Posted May 4, 2015 9:44 am.
Last Updated May 4, 2015 8:03 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
As warm weather sweeps across the GTA, Ontario provincial police are putting focus on motorcycle safety.
Members of the OPP’s Golden Helmets precision motorcycle team showed off their skills and shared safety tips at Yorkdale Mall on Monday morning.
An OPP Const. Peter Tucker, who lost a leg after an on-duty motorcycle training exercise last June went awry, was hand to talk about his experience, as well as professional superbike racer Trevor Daley.
Already this year, one motorcyclist has died after a crash in April on the Gardiner Expressway. And on Sunday, a 23-year-old Guelph man suffered life-threatening injuries when his motorcycle crashed with an SUV in Oakville.
Toronto police held their annual motorcycle safety awareness campaign in April.
The OPP released the following safety tips for both motorcyclists and drivers:
Motorcycle Riders:
- Dress to be seen and protected. Most riders wear approved helmets, gloves and jackets; consider wearing bright colours that are easily seen by other motorists.
- Slow Down. Driving at or near the posted speed limit will give the rider extra time to react to a situation on the roadway.
- Drive Defensively. Assume other motorist don’t see you. Get eye contact with vehicles that might pull out in front of you.
- Take it to the track. The street is no place to test the limits of your sport bike. Take a lesson at a local race track or sign up for a track day.
Passenger Vehicles:
- Look twice, at intersections and when changing lanes. Motorcycles are small and easy to lose in a blind spot. It is also easy to misjudge the speed of an approaching motorcycle.
- Back off. Having a rear end collision with a car is one thing, but having one with a motorcycle could have fatal consequences.
- Give them room. Leave yourself time to react when motorcycles are around. If a rider were to fall off, could you avoid the downed rider?
- Let them swerve. Motorcyclists will often be active in their own lane. Many times moving, to avoid pot holes or roadkill. Hitting any of these could cause an issue for the rider.
