The month of May will see an increased focus on motorcycle safety from Alberta RCMP and municipal enforcement.

Senior Okotoks Peace Officer Sam Burnett has some experience in the matter.

"As a motorcycle rider, if you ride in a fashion that you assume, regardless of where you are on the road, that the vehicles around you don't soo you, you'll be a lot safer. That means making a point of not riding on other vehicles' blindspots, move up ahead of them or drop back further behind them, so that way if they do happen to change lanes and not see you, you're not in a position to get run-over."

He continues, "For whatever reason, whether they're behind me or beside me, I've had vehicles try to pass me on my motorcycle in the same lane. Just because we take up less room in a lane doesn't give drivers the right to push motorcycles off the road."

As for motorcycle riders themselves, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Burnett says last year saw a troubling trend for motorcycle incidents.

"70 per cent of fatalities are single-vehicle. That means there was a motorcycle, and no one else. It's really unfortunate because they were probably highly preventable. Interestingly enough, due to the pandemic and the lack of vehicles on the road, in 2020, motorcycle collisions in Alberta went up exponentially. [With] 70 per cent being single-vehicle, it was typically speed-related. This tells me there are people out there on motorcycles who have less traffic on the roads, so they're increasing their speeds and as a result, dying at a higher rate than they have at previous years."

He says motorcyclists often tend to gravitate toward higher speeds, as well as things such as lane splitting and weaving between lanes.

Gear is another big one.

Burnett says you'll want to stick with materials like leather and denim while avoiding things like shorts and sandals. Full-face helmets are also a great choice.

Finally, Burnett says you should know your route, especially at this time of year.

"Check the road conditions. We're still in the street-sweeping process, so gravel's going to be a detrimental thing when you're out there riding. Know the areas you're going to make sure the roads have been cleaned up."

 

Questions, comments, or story ideas? Email news@okotoksonline.com