Four Alberts died in motorcycle crashes last month, drawing attention to what the safety association calls a frustrating and preventable problem.
According to the Alberta Motorcycle Safety Society, there were four deaths in May, three of them in the Calgary area. The latest clash in Alberta was between a school bus with students on it and a motorcycle in Airdrie, Alta.
Lian Langlois, president of the Alberta Motorcycle Safety Society, says the organization is trying to reduce statistics on motorcycle accidents.
In 2020, there were 20 accidents across the province, leading to 21 deaths. There were 19 crashes last year, leading to 20 deaths, according to public figures.
“This is super disappointing, given that all four incidents that have occurred so far this year are preventable,” she said.
“It’s hard when you hear about these deaths and you want to try to reduce the statistics and do everything possible to create awareness, especially at the beginning of the season.
Society is monitoring the deaths and says that in the last two years, 80 percent of motorcycle deaths have occurred in rural areas.
“We can be more hypersensitive in the city because so many things are happening in municipal areas. In rural areas, there are still many things you need to know and you can never take your vigilance, “she said.
‘I did not see you’
Motorcycle driving instructor Darren Sumner, who teaches at driving schools in Brooks, Medicine Hat, Calgary and Edmonton, says riding motorcycles should not be dangerous.
“It really depends on the rider’s education. There is a lot of demographic data. “Some of the younger riders will take risks,” he said.
“Then some other riders who are outside this type of risk category may not have the skills for certain bikes and have accidents due to careless blindness or goal setting.
He said inadvertent blindness was the main reason motorcyclists were involved in clashes with other drivers.
Sumner was also a senior police instructor in the United Kingdom.
He said that in Europe, these types of accidents have their own acronym, called SMIDSY, which means: I’m sorry, colleague, I didn’t see you.
“If another vehicle gets involved in a collision with a motorcyclist, usually the first thing the driver says is ‘I didn’t see you,'” he said.
Fixing the target occurs when the driver focuses on an object and inadvertently increases the risk of colliding with it.
Sumner’s main advice to students is:
- The most important thing is good observation – pay attention all the way.
- Make your own decisions. Do not rely on anyone else around you.
- Drive within your means.
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