#RIDESAFE BIKERS URGED
Police launch campaign after bad crashes
Think of the worst and expect it to happen.
That was the basic message from Windsor police Friday in announcing #Ridesafe, a new motorcycle safety initiative launched in the wake of several fatal crashes in the city and county.
“Slow down would be the No. 1 ingredient out there. Watch what you’re doing,” said Mike Bondy, a St. Clair College motorcycle instructor who spoke at the media event. “And always anticipate the other driver is going to do something absolutely crazy that you never expected. But if you’ve got your head up and you’re expecting it, you’re looking for that to happen, hopefully you’ve scanned and identified far enough where you’re going to slow down.”
Windsor police deal with about two life-threatening or fatal motorcycle crashes a year. Staff Sgt. David Kigar, from the Windsor police traffic division, said there haven’t been more this year.
But this summer two crashes happened in one day, catching the public’s attention. In one of those July 15 crashes, a motorcycle rider suffered life-threatening injuries. The other crash was fatal.
There have also been several serious collisions in the county this summer, including three crashes that took the lives of four motorcycle riders.
Kigar said the high-profile crashes have prompted questions and concerns from the public, one of the reasons for the new safety initiative. Over the next two weeks, police will be sending out safety messages on Twitter and Facebook. You can join the conversation with #Ridesafe.
“There isn’t a dramatic increase in the amount of accidents in regards to serious motorcycle accidents or fatalities,” said Kigar. “They’re about the same kind of number. What we do see though is almost everyone of them is preventable in some way.”
He said people have a responsibility to drive safely and share the road. That’s a two-way street, he added.
“There’s a perception that people don’t see motorcycles, and there is a certain amount of truth to that,” said Kigar. “However, there is also a certain amount of somewhat carelessness by drivers, including the motorcyclists themselves, which also leads to some of these accidents.”
He said vehicle drivers should check blind spots, and motorcycle riders should stay out of them. Motorcycle riders should also keep their quick acceleration and lane changes in check.
Bondy added that novices should take a safety course, and avoid starting out with a bike that’s too big.
“We have people out on the road that start with way too big of a bike and that’s probably part of our problem,” said Bondy.
Protective gear is also important, he said. Bondy wears a full-face helmet, armoured pants, armoured jacket, armoured gloves and armoured boots that cover his ankles.
Bondy added that it’s vital for motorcycle riders to keep their heads up and ride defensively.
“We know there are a lot of people out there that have other distractions on their mind when they’re riding, other people on the road that we have to deal with,” said Bondy. “We might weigh 400 or 500 pounds on the road with us on the bike. A car weighs 5,000, 6,000; a truck 40,000. We’re in a very big losing position there when we’re on the road with someone else who is not watching out for us.”